There was a clear turning point in Kerry's season which ultimately made them All-Ireland champions

The Irish Sun

6 days ago

A RESULT that was portrayed as a fatal defeat for Kerry was ultimately one that gave them the kiss of life.
When the story of this run to
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A 1-26 to 0-19 win meant Kerry were crowned All-Ireland champions for the 39th time
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Jack O'Connor's side lost 1-22 to 0-16 to Meath in their final group game
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Meath icon Graham Geraghty writes for SunSport
In the next game, they
Even then, when I sat down to pick out my top eight teams left in the Championship for this column, I had them at No 1.
Why? Because when you back them into a corner, Kerry come out fighting. And I could see then that going to Croke Park as underdogs would suit them down to the ground.
That's where their season really started, despite the fact that they'd already won the league and
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Before the month was out, they had
Claiming the big prize by recording Croke Park wins over Donegal, Tyrone and the Orchard County is as definitive as statements come.
In a year that saw the game overhauled, the Kingdom stayed true to their style and they have been richly rewarded.
Kerry looked unstoppable at times in the first half of yesterday's final.
That being said, it almost felt as though Donegal were giving them too much respect and subsequently disrupted their own system.
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They stood off Kerry completely and gave them the room they needed to attack and hit scores. It was an unusual tactic from a Jim McGuinness team.
Kerry exploited it to great effect, particularly in the first half when they were absolutely exceptional. This was a really impressive all-round performance from Kerry.
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It is not often that everything comes together like that on All-Ireland final day, yet it's a joy to watch when it does. Kerry looked like they were going to raise a flag whenever they attacked.
At the other end, Donegal were working much harder for their scores. On a day when the Ulster champions would have been hoping for a big impact from their bench, it never came.
PLENTY OF CHANGES BUT LITTLE CHANGE
They had four subs on before Kerry used their first, yet it changed very little. The loss of Ciarán Thompson to an injury in the first half, followed by another talisman in Ryan McHugh going off early in the second half, did not help their cause.
When a team sees senior players leaving the game, it has a detrimental effect.
Donegal would obviously have tagged
Clifford obviously did damage when he was on the ball but perhaps they put too much emphasis on him. Brendan McCole was almost completely taken out of the game by the two-time Footballer of the Year.
SELFLESS PLAY
Clifford spent most of the first half out under the Hogan Stand, which only served to pull Donegal's defensive structure apart.
It probably sums up Clifford's brilliance that he went in at half-time with 0-7 in his back pocket, despite not affecting main play in the game to a massive degree.
Every ball he touched, it seemed to end up over the bar. The two-pointer before half-time would really have helped to kill Donegal's spirit.
Given how things had been playing out, a five-point deficit at that stage would not have been a disaster. For Kerry to add another two to the margin really put a different complexion on things. Kerry's ability to hit two-pointers was obviously vital.
By contrast, Donegal only attempted a couple and to no avail. But that is down to Kerry too. They defended higher than Donegal and starved them of the required space. The tactical nous of McGuinness is often lauded.
UNSUNG HEROES
And with good reason at times. But this time it was Jack O'Connor who got everything right. For Paudie Clifford to be on the ball 76 times is almost unheard of.
There are some lads who would not see that much ball in a whole season! At every level, there is always one lad you want to kill whenever he gets the ball. Paudie is probably in that bracket, which is something he revels in too.
Every time he had the ball, Donegal players seemed to swarm him but he just handed it off at will and created space for others to prosper. He was utterly magnificent.
After a tough season with injuries, it was great to see him conjure up a performance of that quality. Along with Joe O'Connor and White, Paudie was one of several man-of-the-match contenders.
In particular, O'Connor exerted a massive influence in the first half.
He seemed to be on all the breaking ball and he covered every blade of grass. And he put the icing on the cake with a great finish for the goal.
JACK O'CONNOR'S LAST?
If this was to be Jack O'Connor's swansong, it was a fitting way for the man to go out. It was a very different game 21 years ago when he won his first All-Ireland.
Still, here he is bringing Sam Maguire back to the Kingdom yet again.
He is a wonderful manager with extraordinary longevity. As a five-time All-Ireland winner now, he has to go down as one of the greatest the game has ever seen.
It will be a long winter in Donegal as they contemplate coming so close but failing to get over the line. But I expect McGuinness to be back and driving them forward again in 2026.
As for Michael Murphy, will he stay on? I have my doubts. He has had a massive influence on how they play since he returned, so a bit of a reset would be required if he steps away again.
Paddy McBrearty has probably also seen Croke Park for the last time too. Donegal still have the nucleus of a young team, so they have a lot to be encouraged by. But getting to these heights again without Murphy will be a tall order.