Dublin v Kerry Meetings since 2001

2001 Kerry 1-14, Dublin 2-11 All-Ireland quarter-final: THE GAME in hurling's cathedral, Semple Stadium, will be long remembered for Kerry substitute Maurice Fitzgerald's divine intervention in injury-time that rescued a draw in a match Kerry had dominated for all bar the last 12 minutes.

Fitzgerald’s score came from a sideline – Dublin goalkeeper David Byrne miscued his kick-out – 45 metres out struck with the outside of the boot. The Dubs still had a chance to win but substitute Wayne McCarthy didn’t have the distance into the wind from a 45 straight in front of the posts.

Kerry led by eight points but Dublin scored 2-3 without reply in the last 12 minutes before Fitzgerald earned a replay that would take place six days later. The Dubs’ Lazarus-like recovery was inspired by goals from substitute Vinnie Murphy and midfielder Darren Homan.

Kerry had been in charge for three quarters of the match, with Dara Ó Cinnéide contributing six points, primarily from placed balls, and also providing the pass for Aodan MacGearailt to score a goal after just 11 minutes.

One of the more heated incidents involved Dublin manager Tom Carr who went head-to-head with referee Mick Curley following a decision to award a free against Dublin defender Paddy Christie. Carr would be banished to the stand for the replay.

KERRY: D O’Keeffe; M Lyons, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, T O’Sullivan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; A MacGearailt (1-1), E Brosnan (0-1), N Kennelly; MF Russell (0-2, one free), D Ó Cinnéide (0-6, four frees, one 45), J Crowley (0-3). Subs: D Dwyer for Kennedy (half-time), M Hassett for McCarthy (48 mins), M Fitzgerald (0-1, sideline) for MacGearailt (65 mins), W Kirby for Daly (66 mins), D Quill for Ó Cinnéide (69 mins).

DUBLIN: D Byrne; P Christie, S Ryan, C Goggins; P Curran, J Magee, P Andrews; D Homan (1-1), C Whelan (0-1); E Sheehy, J Sherlock (0-1), C Moran; D Darcy (0-6, six frees), I Roberston, D Farrell (0-1). Subs: K Darcy for Robertson (48 mins), S Connell for Sheehy (50 mins), V Murphy (1-0) for Moran (57 mins), W McCarthy (0-1, one free) for D Darcy (61 mins).

Referee: M Curley (Galway).

2001 Kerry 2-12, Dublin 1-12 quarter-final replay

JOHN CROWLEY was held to three points in the drawn game but the Dublin backs found him virtually unplayable in the replay as he helped himself to 2-2. He slipped past Paddy Christie on 13 minutes to score his first goal and when the Dublin defender slipped to the turf in the 22nd minute, Crowley once again fired the ball past David Byrne.

In nine minutes Dublin went from being level to conceding 2-4 while managing just a point themselves. Kerry even managed to largely negate the loss of Tomás Ó Sé, the defender handed a straight red card for a foul on Colin Moran as the Dublin player bore down on goal. The winners’ modified gameplan saw Noel Kennelly switch to wing back.

Ironically it gave the other Kerry forwards more space in which to operate. The Dubs had two opportunities to rescue a draw, the first of which occurred in the 69th minute when corner back Coman Goggins raced towards goal but Kerry goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe managed to save and the ball was cleared after a goalmouth scramble.

Dublin substitute Niall O’Donoghue had an injury-time shot on goal blocked by Kerry centre back Eamonn Fitzmaurice. A brace of late points from Wayne McCarthy narrowed the deficit to three points but there was to be no late heroics to rescue Dublin this time.

KERRY: D O’Keeffe; M Lyons, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, T O’Sullivan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; A MacGearailt, D Ó Cinnéide (0-4, three frees), N Kennelly (0-2); MF Russell (0-3, one sideline), E Brosnan, J Crowley (2-2). Subs: M Fitzgerald (0-1) for Brosnan (49 mins), W Kirby for Daly (52 mins), D Quill for Ó Cinnéide (60 mins).

DUBLIN: D Byrne; P Christie, S Ryan, C Goggins; P Curran (0-1), J Magee, P Andrews; D Homan (1-0), C Whelan (0-1); K Darcy, J Sherlock (0-1), E Sheehy; D Darcy (0-4, three frees), C Moran (-1), D Farrell (0-1). Subs: S Connell (0-1) for K Darcy (half-time), V Murphy for Sheehy (43 mins), W McCarthy (0-2, one 45) for D Darcy (53 mins), N O’Donoghue for Moran (65 mins).

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).

2004 Kerry 1-15, Dublin 1-8 All-Ireland quarter-final

IT PROVED to be a game of two halves, Dublin dominated the first in terms of territory, possession and goal chances but went into the interval level, while Kerry took over after the resumption and cruised to a seven-point victory.

Dublin had lost to Westmeath in the Leinster quarter-finals but despite making their way to the All-Ireland quarter-final with some favourable draws their season and Tommy Lyons’s tenure as manager came to a disappointing conclusion.

Midfielder Darren Homan, who scored a goal in the two championship games against Kerry in 2001, had another good day, kicking two points and dominating the middle of the pitch initially but, like his team, he could not sustain the challenge. Ciarán Whelan, operating between midfield and centre forward where he was named to start, saw a thundering shot rebound off the crossbar, it was that sort of afternoon for the Dubs.

In contrast there was a touch of good fortune about Kerry’s goal with Colm Cooper’s half-blocked shot coming back off an upright to the unmarked Dara Ó Cinnéide, who goaled on 47 minutes. Kerry manager Jack O’Connor admitted: “Dublin must have felt very unlucky at half-time being level because it seemed like they had three or four good goal chances.

“We weathered that storm. We have traditionally come very strong in the third quarter and it was the same today.”

KERRY: D Murphy; T O’Sullivan, M McCarthy, M Ó Sé; A O’Mahony, E Fitzmaurice, T Ó Sé; D Ó Sé, P Kelly; E Brosnan, D O’Sullivan (0-1), P Galvin (0-1); MF Russell, D Ó Cinnéide (1-5, three frees), C Cooper (0-5, two frees). Subs: L Hassett (0-1) for Russell (48 mins), W Kirby (0-2) for Kelly (52 mins), J Crowley for D O’Sullivan (63 mins), J Sheahan for T Ó Sé (69 mins), S O’Sullivan for O’Mahony (73 mins).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; B Cahill, P Christie, P Griffin; S Ryan, B Cullen, P Casey; D Homan (0-2), D Magee; C Keaney (0-1, free), C Whelan, S Connell (0-5, five frees); A Brogan, I Roberston, J Sherlock (1-0). Subs: R Cosgrove for Robertson (58 mins), J Magee for Cullen (60 mins), D O’Mahony for Homan (63 mins).

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).

2007 Kerry 1-15, Dublin 0-16 All-Ireland semi-final

KERRY’S ABILITY to dominate at the start of each half, during which they scored 1-6 without reply effectively ensured their victory.

Within four minutes Dublin trailed by three points and within eight minutes of the restart they had shipped 1-3 to lose their interval lead of a point.

The winners managed to retain their composure and shape despite losing Darragh Ó Sé to injury after just 20 minutes – he would later reappear after 58 minutes – primarily because his replacement Tommy Griffin proved an able deputy. Kieran Donaghy played most of the game in midfield and was an influential figure.

Dublin led 0-8 to 0-7 at half-time but were once again left to rue several missed opportunities over the 70 minutes. Kerry made the match-winning break just after the interval when man-of-the-match and Kerry captain Declan O’Sullivan’s goal was followed by a string of points which put them 1-12 to 0-9 ahead after 49 minutes.

Dublin fought back courageously, outscoring Kerry by seven points to two in a 17-minute spell but a number of unforced errors and a late point by O’Sullivan ensured the Kingdom’s progress to the All-Ireland final.

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O’Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé (0-1), A O’Mahony, K Young; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; P Galvin (0-1), Declan O’Sullivan (1-4), E Brosnan (0-2); C Cooper (0-3, one free), K Donaghy, B Sheehan (0-3). Subs: T Griffin for D Ó Sé (21 mins), D Ó Sé for Griffin (58 mins), S O’Sullivan (0-1) for Galvin (62 mins), Darran O’Sullivan for Brosnan (65 mins).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin; B Cahill (0-1), B Cullen (0-2), P Casey; C Whelan, S Ryan; C Moran, J Sherlock, B Brogan (0-1); C Keaney (0-4, two frees), A Brogan (0-3), M Vaughan (0-5, four frees). Subs: R Cosgrove for Sherlock (41 mins), D Magee for B Brogan (54 mins), T Quinn for Vaughan (69 mins).

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).