Inside Track: Kerry show their true colours to win yet another title

It was confusing on Jones’ Road on Sunday. The place was awash with green-and-gold, and we wondered who the jersey-wearers were supporting, Kerry or Donegal. The only clue was in the accents.

No such problem when the teams ran on the field, even though neither were in their traditional colours. A bow, perhaps, to their provinces, Kerry wearing blue, Donegal in white.

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No problem in distinguishing the teams when they began to play football. Most of what is good about the game came from Kerry.

Donegal, while earnest triers in their bid to win the Sam Maguire Cup for only the third time in the near century since the trophy first went on offer, couldn’t match up, and in the end were down by ten points.

Kerry weren’t flattered by the winning margin, even though Joe O’Connor’s spectacular goal, the only one of the game, came near the end. What it did was emphasise the difference between the sides.

This was Kerry at their very best, better over the 70 minutes than they were in the second half rout of Armagh, and the semi-final defeat of Tyrone. Could be that they like it best of all when there’s an Ulster county in the other corner.

Jack O’Connor’s men were written off by pundits – and, yes, in their own county – following the defeat by Meath in the qualifiers. Riled, perhaps, by the criticism, but that would have been all.

O’Connor knew there was much better in the locker. Their remaining games, if they were to win the title, would be in Croke Park, and, as is well known, this home from home is where Kerry teams like to display their A-game.

Much of the narrative leading up to the final centred on David Clifford and Michael Murphy. Both, we were told, weren’t just competing for as second medal, but also the player-of-the-year accolade.

Clifford is now the two-time winner and also a shoo-in to be chosen the country’s best for 2025. He’s been more often on the ball than he was here, but when he had the O’Neill’s in his hands you could bet there was a score coming up.

The Fossa clubman kicked two-pointers for fun, more than matching what Murphy claimed from frees. It would have been the perfect game for him had he not spurned a golden goal chance in the final quarter.

And, yet, he didn’t outshine colleague, Gavin White, or even his own brother, Paudie. On a day when every Kerry player worked like a beaver, White got through an enormous amount of work, and just for good measure, chipped in with three points.

For Paudie Clifford, this was the climax of a season that had him struggling with injury. In every game since his return he’s got better and better – like those around him on Sunday, he benefitted from the space provided by his brother’s manoeuvres.

Though comprehensively outplayed, never at any time showing in front, Donegal were still within striking distance midway through the second half. They’d been led by seven points at the break, and by more later on.

But through Michael Murphy’s accurate free-taking, the Ulster champions were just four points in arrears inside the fourth quarter.

A two-pointer at that stage could have led to a tighter race for the line, but somehow, shooting from outside the arc didn’t seem to be part of their game plan.

Contrast that with the Kerry approach. Maybe it was because they had a player of David Clifford’s calibre to call on – Seán O’Shea has a proven record as well – they went for the jugular several times and were rewarded.

Title No 39 for Kerry, and no-one can say there’s not more to come. For Donegal, bitter disappointment, and the prospect of having to make do next season without a number of those playing on Sunday.

Michael Murphy is almost certain to stand down. He came back this year in answer to a call from Jim McGuinness having been out of the inter-county game two years.

It says much for him that his performances were good enough to have put himself in the running as the season’s best player.

He doesn’t leave the game empty-handed. Shining brightest in his medal collection is the All-Ireland he won in 2012.