‘Nerves of steel’ from Rock
Dublin secure draw with Kingdom thanks to late point
85,000 people gathered in GAA HQ to watch a Dublin team on the verge of history face a young Kerry outfit coming up to ‘give a good account of themselves’.
The game opened at a frantic pace, Dublin’s Mannion opening the scoring with a point. Kerry’s young Sean O’Shea replied quickly with a point.
Dean Rock then added two points of his total of nine on the day. Paul Geaney saw his shot on goal saved on the line by James McCarthy. David Clifford got his radar working adding a point and then winning a penalty for the Kingdom. Geaney stepped up, Cluxton guessed correctly and made the save.
Kerry then added back-to-back points from O’Shea and O’Brien meaning they took the lead for the first time, 0-4 to 0-3 after 15 minutes. Mannion then levelled, showing his pace to fist the ball over the bar. O’Shea added a free for Kerry.
A magical catch from Brian Howard from Cluxton’s Kickout, handpass to Kilkenny to Scully and to McCaffrey at pace, goal! Magical! Rock added a further four points, but Kerry’s Sean O’Shea added two more.
Con O Callaghan was quiet by his own standards until he got his first point after 31 minutes. The game took a turn on the stroke of half-time when Dublin’s Johnny
Cooper saw his second yellow for persistant fouling. O’Shea scored the free and the half-time whistle blew. Dublin were in front, 1-9 to 0-8 at the break.
The second half started at a more sedate pace. O’Shea added a 45. Cluxton then made a wonderful fingertip save from a shot from Kerry wing back Paul Murphy. O’Shea added another on 41 minutes. McCaffrey regained Dublin’s three-point lead when he fisted over from close range.
Gavin Crowley then pointed for Kerry, his first in championship football. Rock scored a free, followed by a McCaffrey point off the left boot. Kerry brought the deficit back to three, Clifford pointed despite great defending from Mick Fitzsimons. A point from Rock and McCaffrey extends Dublin’s lead.
Kerry substitutes then added scores. Tommy Walsh added a point and Killian Spillane netted a goal wonderfully past Cluxton, followed by a leveler from O’Shea.
Rock put Dublin back in the lead 1-15 to 1-14. Points from O’Shea and Spillane put Kerry back in front. Dublin substitute Cormac Costello thought he’d equalised just before injury time but Hawkeye called ‘Níl’.
‘At least seven minutes of added time,’’ was announced over the loud speaker. Rock showed nerves of steel by equalising 74 minutes in. O’Shea fouled Paddy Small on the sideline just inside the 45-metre line. Rock stepped up to be the hero. But saw his effort go narrowly wide. The full-time whistle blew. 1-16 to 1-16 in Croke Park
What a game! What an anti-climax! History will wait! They will go to battle again on September 14.