IT’S SELDOM THAT the future of Kerry football isn’t in rude health, but even by their own lofty standards, supporters in the Kingdom must be pretty excited by the calibre of the minor team that will bring the Tom Markham Cup back to the south-west this evening for the third year in a row.
Yesterday at Croke Park, Kerry won their third consecutive All-Ireland minor football title courtesy of a 3-7 to 0-9 victory over Galway — a feat made even more impressive by the fact that they hadn’t won an All-Ireland at minor level for 20 years prior to the beginning of this run of dominance in 2014.
The greasy conditions weren’t conducive to a thrilling spectacle but there were still many impressive performances throughout the Kerry team, none more so than that of Spa wing-forward Dara Moynihan, who kicked two points from play to earn himself the man-of-the-match award.
Nevertheless, even on a day when the opposition did well to curb his influence, David Clifford made sure to make a spectacular contribution. The Fossa clubman was held scoreless until the 53rd minute, but he ended his barren spell in style.
Collecting the ball 65 yards out from goal and wide on the right, the six-foot-two corner-forward used his pace to take him away from Galway’s Adam Quirke on the outside. Clifford then cut in and — despite the best efforts of Sean Mulkerrin — rifled the ball into the top corner from a difficult angle.
While it was a superb goal to look at, the green flag also came at a vital time for Kerry. With just seven minutes remaining, Galway were enjoying a purple patch and had managed to reduce the gap to just two points — 2-4 to 0-8. However, Clifford’s strike halted their revival and Kerry finished well to seal the victory.
Clifford, who also set up David Shaw’s 21st-minute goal with a brilliant piece of fielding, ended the championship campaign with a tally of 2-34 from six games, including a haul of 0-8 in the semi-final defeat of Kildare, after which he was named man-of-the-match.
Back in April, Clifford scored 2-5 at Croke Park as St Brendan’s Killarney ended a 24-year wait for a Hogan Cup title by recording a 2-13 to 2-6 triumph over St Patrick’s Maghera. Afterwards, Brendan’s manager Gary McGrath likened Clifford to a legend of Kerry football.
“David Clifford reminds me every day at training of no one else but Maurice Fitzgerald,” McGrath said. “I can see it in him. I will be killed for saying it. That is who he reminds me of. I have said it to people on the quiet. He is a big talent. If he is nurtured and looked after, he has a big career in front of him.”
It’s unlikely to be long before we see Clifford in the Kerry jersey at senior level, but they probably won’t be in a hurry to accelerate his development. With the Kingdom chasing four-in-a-row, Clifford will still be a minor in 2017.
