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Kerry are the Kings of Munster.@Kerry_Official 0-23@GaaClare 1-13#GAANOW brings you the highlights of the Munster GAA Football Senior final pic.twitter.com/CGXKwuzu6U
Clare 1-13
Kerry 0-23
WITH LITTLE FUSS, Kerry wrapped up their fourth consecutive Munster title against a Clare side who troubled them for spells but couldn’t threaten a shock at Cusack Park.
Paudie Clifford emulated his younger brother David in raising the Munster Cup, 12 months on from the emotional triumph that followed the passing of their mother Ellen.
Clare were watching on that day too and produced a better performance to mark their first appearance in back-to-back finals since 1937.
They halved the 14-point deficit which split the teams last year with Ikem Ugwueru’s 63rd-minute goal raising the biggest cheer from the 12,059 fans who turned out for the first Munster final held in Ennis for 105 years.
Seán O’Shea top-scored with 0-9 for Kerry, while Tony Brosnan tallied 0-3 and received the RTÉ man of the match award.
The Kingdom’s 85th provincial crown places them in Group 4 of the All-Ireland series, alongside the Leinster runners-up (Dublin/Louth), Monaghan, and Meath. Clare go into Group 3 with the Ulster champions (Donegal/Armagh), Tyrone, and Cork.
Jack O’Connor gave first starts of the season to the Dr Crokes duo of goalkeeper Shane Murphy, making his first championship appearance since 2018, and Brosnan. Jason Foley and Brian Ó Beaglaoich were also back to fitness to resume their positions in defence.
Such is the turnover of players in the Clare camp, Mark Fitzgerald’s side featured eight new starters compared to last year’s final. The fit-again Daniel Walsh returned in place of semi-final goalscorer Mark McInerney to shore up the Banner’s defensive structure.
Clare chose pragmatism in defence with all 30 players encamped in their half as early as the fourth minute. It did slow Kerry’s progress, as intended, although they had a one-on-one goal chance when O’Shea teed up Joe O’Connor. The midfielder’s shot was brilliantly saved by Stephen Ryan and Alan Sweeney slid across to prevent the ball from crossing the line.
Paudie Clifford was closely marked by Ugwueru but he found an escape route to launch two spectacular outside-of-the-boot kick passes to his brother off of either foot. David finished one off his left and kicked a mark off his right.
Paudie’s penetrating runs allowed him to chip over two further scores as part of a four-point burst to make it 0-7 to 0-3.
That came in response to some impressive Clare play beginning with a booming kick-out direct to Aaron Griffin for a monster score.
Dermot Coughlan soon emerged as their star turn. His speedy solo runs from inside his own half to the opposition 21 created two points, one for Gavin Murray and the other finished off himself.
Just before half time, another sprint ended with an audacious shot which Murphy was alert to save.
That would’ve levelled proceedings. Instead, Kerry went in four clear with Ó Beaglaoich’s stoppage-time point, 0-11 to 0-7.
Murphy was called into action again within 15 seconds of the throw-in. Brian McNamara played a one-two with Ciarán Downes but the netminder produced a flying stop.
Downes nailed the subsequent 45 but Kerry began to raise the tempo. The Kingdom slotted five of the next six points, with two from David Clifford and two more from their full-back line in Tom O’Sullivan and Jason Foley’s lovely left-footed curler. All of a sudden, the gap was seven, 0-16 to 0-9.
When the need was greatest, Emmet McMahon swung over a pair of huge efforts but Kerry kept coming with the next four, including Brosnan’s third, Dara Moynihan’s first, and two O’Shea placed balls.
Clare weren’t finished yet. Walsh completed the set of all six forwards finding the target. Then, the biggest cheer of the day.
Ugwueru received the ball outside the 45 and proceeded to dodge his way through the heart of the defence. He was fouled but Fergal Kelly played a smart advantage and the Éire Óg clubman regained his feet to find the net, 0-20 to 1-12.
The eight added minutes offered further encouragement. They had chances too but Joe McGann’s pass across goal was picked off by Foley and Cormac Murray’s shot was blocked by Diarmuid O’Connor.
Kerry opened them up on the counter but Barry Dan O’Sullivan’s eventual palmed effort bounced back off the crossbar.
Scorers for Clare: Emmet McMahon 0-5 (4f), Ikem Ugwueru 1-0, Aaron Griffin 0-2, Ciarán Downes 0-2 (1f, 1 45), Daniel Walsh 0-1, Dermot Coughlan 0-1, Gavin Murray 0-1, Mark McInerney 0-1.
Scorers for Kerry: Seán O’Shea 0-9 (5f, 1 45), David Clifford 0-4 (1m, 1f), Tony Brosnan 0-3, Paudie Clifford 0-2, Jason Foley 0-1, Tom O’Sullivan 0-1, Brian Ó Beaglaoich 0-1, Dara Moynihan 0-1, Paul Geaney 0-1.
Clare
1. Stephen Ryan (Kilrush Shamrocks)
4. Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg Ennis), 3. Cillian Brennan (Clondegad, captain), 2. Manus Doherty (Éire Óg Ennis)
5. Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s), 7. Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg Ennis), 6. Cillian Rouine (Ennistymon)
8. Darragh Bohannon (Shannon Gaels), 9. Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
12. Gavin Murray (Éire Óg Ennis), 11. Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), 10. Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry-Ibrickane)
14. Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey), 13. Emmet McMahon (Kildysart), 15. Ciarán Downes (Kilmihil)
Subs:
24. Joe McGann (St Breckan’s) for Murray (15-17, blood)
24. McGann for Murray (54)
17. Micheál Garry (Cooraclare) for Sweeney (57)
20. Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay) for Downes (61)
19. Mark McInerney (Éire Óg Ennis) for Coughlan (67)
18. Darren Nagle (Liscannor) for Ugwueru (70+4)
Kerry
1. Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes)
2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Brian Ă“ Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 9. Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks)
13. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes), 11. Paudie Clifford (Fossa, captain), 12. Cillian Burke (Milltown-Castlemaine)
14. David Clifford (Fossa), 15. Seán O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), 10. Dara Moynihan (Spa)
Subs:
23. Mike Breen (Beaufort) for White (50-f-t, temporary)
21. Paul Geaney (Dingle) for Moynihan (58)
22. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare Shamrocks) for Burke (58)
19. Barry Dan O’Sullivan (Dingle) for J O’Connor (59)
20. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks) for Ă“ Beaglaoich (62)
24. Killian Spillane (Templenoe) for Brosnan (67)
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)