Likes of Cluxton, McCarthy and Fenton led the way throughout but Kerry will feel this was one they may have left behind
By that I mean Kerry left a lot of scores behind. They know that. They also let Dublin back in for a goal at a critical time in the game, on 45 minutes, not long after Con O’Callaghan fired his shot onto the crossbar. Even though Kerry went back in front, I soon felt the game was starting to go away from them.
Dublin just squeezed Kerry to such an extent that anytime Clifford got the ball, Fitzsimons was right there with him, with one or two more in close proximity. That ultimately choked up the space. That first point he kicked, the 45, he ambled up as if he owned the place. I felt at least one or two of the Kerry players should have reminded him they were there as well, crash into him, whatever, just to send some sort of signal that he’s not going to get away with this nonsense. Get inside his cage and rattle it a little bit.
As the second half progressed, I also felt Dublin were getting their scores that bit easier than Kerry. The Kerry ones took a much harder shift, going through loads of bodies to get into scoring positions. Okay Paudie Clifford kicked two super points in that period, but for all that effort, all that labour, it’s telling when the opposition then come down the field and kick a point almost at their leisure, with minimal fuss.