Sean O'Shea, Kerry, and Alan Sweeney, Clare, in Munster SFC Final action. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Munster Senior Football Championship Final
Kerry 0-23 Clare 1-13
By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park
Kerry were crowned kings of Munster for a record 85th time after keeping plucky hosts Clare at arm’s length to record their fourth consecutive provincial success in Cusack Park, Ennis.
Backed by 17 of last year’s final winning squad, the Kingdom utilised that vast experience to avoid a potential dogfight as they faced a much sterner test than last year’s facile 14 point equivalent.
Under Kerry native Mark Fitzgerald, an ambitious Banner side halved the 2023 deficit with only half the players that featured in last year’s final, with a crucial Shane Murphy save either side of half-time fending off any rousing home battle.
As the sides traded points on three occasions in the opening quarter, Kerry were denied a goal of their own early on when Tony Brosnan and Sean O’Shea combined to find the unmarked Joe O’Connor at the back post. However, home goalkeeper Stephen Ryan was equal to his point blank shot as a relieved Banner avoided any early set-back.
Kerry did finally get some breathing space with a four point unanswered blitz entering the second quarter, two from Paudie Clifford, to soar 0-7 to 0-3 clear. So while a Dermot Coughlan inspired Clare kept chipping away at the arrears, Sean O’Shea’s Kerry were able to match them until the break to go into the dressing rooms 0-11 to 0-7 in front.
The holders were more than happy to do so after Coughlan had tested the relfexes of goalkeeper Murphy just before the break while a defiant Banner forced the Dr. Crokes stopper into an even more spectacular full length save on the restart when Brian McNamara caught the throw-in and bore down on the Kerry goal.
Ciaran Downes converted the resulting ’45, but with a wipe of their brows, Kerry had to up the ante once more to stave off any further revolts, kicking nine of the next 11 points through six different scorers including full-backs Jason Foley and Tom O’Sullivan to power 0-20 to 0-11 clear entering the final minutes.
The home side still refused to yield though as an excellent Daniel Walsh point was accentuated by a merited home goal in the 63rd minute when centre-back Ikem Ugwueru produced a mazy solo run from 50 metres before finding the net on the turn to cut the deficit to just five.
Despite eight minutes of additional time to come, that was as good as it got for a stubborn Banner as the unerring Sean O’Shea repaired the damage with a brace of points while the Kerry defence also repelled a last gasp Cormac Murray shot to cement their 13th provincial crown in 15 seasons in front of 12,059.
Scorers for Kerry: Sean O’Shea 0-9 (4fs, 1’45, 1m), David Clifford 0-4 (1f, 1m), Tony Brosnan (0-3), Paudie Clifford 0-2, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Dara Moynihan, and Paul Geaney 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Emmet McMahon 0-5 (4fs), Ikem Ugwueru 1-0, Aaron Griffin, Ciaran Downes (1f, 1’45) 0-2 each, Gavin Murray, Dermot Coughlan, Daniel Walsh, and Mark McInerney 0-1 each.
Kerry: Shane Murphy; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor; Dara Moynihan, Paudie Clifford, Cillian Burke; Tony Brosnan, David Clifford, Sean O’Shea
Subs: Mike Breen for White (50, BS), Paul Geaney for Moynihan (57), Stephen O’Brien for Burke (57), Barry Dan O’Sullivan for J. O’Connor (58), Dylan Casey for Ó Beaglaoich (62), Killian Spillane for Brosnan (67)
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Cillian Brennan, Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan; Alan Sweeney, Ikem Ugwueru, Cillian Rouine; Darragh Bohannon, Brian McNamara; Gavin Murray, Dermot Coughlan, Daniel Walsh; Emmet McMahon, Aaron Griffin, Ciaran Downes
Subs: Joe McGann for Murray (15-17, BS), McGann for Murray (54), Micheál Garry for Sweeney (56), Cormac Murray for Downes (60), Mark McInerney for Coughlan (67), Darren Nagle for Ugwueru ((74)
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).