Kerry's strong finish gets them past Derry in pulsating All-Ireland semi-final

Fintan O'Toole Reports from Croke Park

Kerry 1-17

Derry 1-15

KERRY WOBBLED AND wavered in a Croke Park semi-final that crackled with intensity and energy, but when the demands were greatest their nerve and accuracy shone through to propel them to victory.

They remain on course for a successful defence of their All-Ireland title, but only after a fierce examination by Derry this afternoon. If the last day out against Tyrone transpired to be a second-half stroll for Jack O’Connor’s charges, this was a heart-stopping finale as they pegged back the Ulster champions with a telling scoring burst of late points.

The champions trailed by three, 1-11 to 1-8, at the interval and by two, 1-14 to 1-12, with five minutes of normal time left on the clock. But Derry’s challenge ran out of gas as Kerry hit five points in a row to ensure they would set up a final date with Dublin.

The source of the scores was both predictable and informative in that spell between the 66th and 71st minutes. David Clifford notched two to bump his tally up to nine after another stunning display that garnered him the man-of-the-match award. Seán O’Shea bagged a brace, indicative of his growing influence in the second half. While it was Stephen O’Brien’s shot in the middle of that spell in the 69th minute that ensured Kerry crept into the lead for the first time in the second half.

sean-oshea-celebrates-after-scoring-a-point-late-in-the-game Seán O'Shea celebrates after scoring a point late in the game. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Derry tried in vain to salvage something. Ethan Doherty punted in one ball that the Kerry defence scrambled clear. The game wore on with Derry winning a free, that the taking of was delayed due to an injury sustained by Gareth McKinless. When Shane McGuigan eventually sized up the kick in the 80th minute with his team three points down, his attempted lob into a packed goalmouth was overcooked and the ball dropped over the bar. It cut the margin to two but was immaterial in affecting the end result. Kerry were safe.

The game began in a frantic manner, both sides swapping goals in the early stages. Gareth McKinless pounced first in the 5th minute scrambling home after Brendan Rogers had been denied, Kerry countered in the next passage of play as Gavin White palmed home after a well-constructed team move.

That set the tone. Kerry got plenty joy from their talisman Clifford in registering scores, a sign of the discomfort he was causing came with the yellow card shown to Chrissy McKaigue in the 26th minute. It was 1-6 apiece at that point but Diarmuid O’Connor’s black card shortly after created an opportunity that Derry impressively seized. They outscored Kerry 0-5 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half – Rogers, Ciaran McFaul and McGuigan all bagging quality points.

shane-mcguigan-celebrates-after-scoring-a-point-with-gareth-mckinless Shane McGuigan celebrates after scoring a point with Gareth McKinless. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

1-11 to 1-8 in Derry’s favour at the interval, but Kerry steadied themselves in the third quarter. Clifford and O’Shea brought them within one, before Conor Doherty slotted a fine point for Derry. Then that Clifford-O’Shea double act made their mark again, the teams tied at 1-12 apiece in the 48th minute.

If the match was set to head towards a comfortable Kerry success from there, Derry shredded such thoughts. They held Kerry scoreless tor the next 18 minutes, splitting the posts themselves courtesy of McFaul and McGuigan. Another goal almost arrived as well after an incisive break by McKinless but Shane Ryan’s reaction was terrific to protect his goal.

Gradually Kerry’s bench started to impress, they cut the space available to Odhran Lynch from kickouts and that sequence of late points won the day.

The champions are still standing.

paudie-clifford-celebrates-winning Paudie Clifford celebrates Kerry's victory. Evan Treacy / INPHO Evan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 0-9 (0-4f, 0-1 mark), Seán O’Shea 0-4 (0-1f), Gavin White 1-0, Shane Ryan 0-1, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1, Paudie Clifford 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1.

Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-6 (0-3f), Gareth McKinless 1-0, Ciarán McFaul 0-2, Paul Cassidy 0-2, Odhran Lynch 0-1, Conor Doherty 0-1, Pádraig McGrogan 0-1, Brendan Rogers 0-1.

Kerry

1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)

5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)

2. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)

8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)

10. Dara Moynihan (Spa), 13. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 12. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)

11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), 14. David Clifford (Fossa), 15. Paul Geaney (Dingle)

Subs

23. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare) for Spillane (half-time)
19. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht) for Murphy (55)
17. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes) for Geaney (55)
22. Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes) for Moynihan (59)
21. Ruairí Murphy (Listry) for Paudie Clifford (73)

Derry

1. Odhran Lynch (Magharefelt)

3. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt), 2. Christopher McKaigue (Slaughtneil), 7. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge)

5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge), 4. Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt), 6. Gareth McKinless (Ballinderry),

8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)

18. Niall Toner (Lavey), 11. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy), 12. Ethan Doherty (Glen)

13. Ciarán McFaul (Glen), 14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 15. Niall Loughlin (Greenlough)