Right on cue, the drizzle started to fall as the final few moments of the Galway adventure came to a heartbreaking conclusion in Croke Park.
Over two decades of waiting to get back to the big day came to an end this year for Galway, but All Ireland title number ten has been put on hold for another year.
Galway gave it their all, but it was the Kingdom who emerged victorious after tense battle in the capital. Shane Walsh gave a virtuoso performance for Pádraic Joyce’s men kicking nine points over the contest, but it wasn’t to be as Kerry
With seven minutes left on the clock, Kerry had fought their way into two point lead - but Galway weren’t going to go without a fight. Shane Walsh who was outstanding all day faced up a tough free into the Davin Stand and nailed his ninth point of the day to cut the gap back to one.
The Tribes’ faithful erupted and from the kick out, Damien Comer rose highest and claimed the ball, it was worked to Cillian McDaid who under pressure held his nerve to send it high and over the bar to level it up and leave it all to play for down the home stretch.
The next score was a rotten bit of luck for Galway when John Daly was harshly adjudged to have fouled his man as he looked to break clear in defence.
David Clifford pointed the resulting free and Galway were never able to catch up as Kerry tagged on three more scores as Galway went hunting for a goal to bring themselves back into the contest and force it to extra time.
Galway led by one at the break on a score of 0-8 to 0-7, they pushed that out to two points not long after the resumption when Walsh tapped over a free after Comer was fouled in the D. Kerry wasted no time in levelling it up with David Clifford and Diarmuid O'Connor getting in for points by the 38th minutes.
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Batting hard: Cillian McDaid and Dylan McHugh battle for the ball. Photo: Sportsfile.
Walsh kept up his excellence to edge Galway back in front a minute later with another fine point from play as the atmosphere began to reach fever pitch. Kerry were starting to find their groove and small holes in the Galway defence to exploit.
Paudie Clifford nipped in for a point and then David Clifford whipped over a score to put Kerry into the lead for the first time in the contest on 41 minutes. The lead didn’t last long as Cillian McDaid levelled it up for Galway on 42 minutes and two minutes later, Walsh added to his highlight reel with a score for the ages from the Cusack Stand to push Galway in front once again.
The action kept coming and Killian Spillane got in on the act to level it all square once more at twelve points each at the 45 minute mark.
That score just spurred on Galway and Kieran Molloy lofted over a point under pressure and then McDaid delivered a long bomb to to push Galway into the lead by two points - but it was Kerry who pushed on and kicked four on the spin to go two clear, before the last stand from Tribesmen arrived through the Walsh and McDaid double to level it up for a final time, before the Kerry push for home saw them claim their 38th All Ireland title and first since 2014.
It was the Shane Walsh verses David Clifford show on the scoreboard all afternoon, with both men keeping the scoreboard ticking over for their sides. Walsh may have finished up with one more point than Clifford, but it wasn’t enough for Galway.
Walsh had kicked five points and Clifford four as the sides were locked level at six points a piece as the clock ticked towards the half hour mark, when Jack Glynn darted through to put the Tribesmen into a 0-7 to 0-6 lead.
Kerry looked to test Conor Gleeson under the high ball in the opening few minutes and the Dunmore man dealt well with what was put before him on that front.
Walsh opened the scoring four minutes in when he drew a 45 over the bar with ease after a Liam Silke effort had been blocked out over the line.
Johnny Heaney looked like he was about to slip in for a trademark goal seven minutes in after he was found in space by a inch perfect John Daly ball - he drew for the net, but a hand form Stephen O’Brien deflected it over the bar.
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Super Shane: Shane Walsh put in a brilliant effort for Galway kicking nine points over the 70 minutes. Photo: Sportsfile
David Clifford got the first score of the day for Kerry converting a mark eight minutes in after he rose high to claim the ball on the 21 meter line.
But Galway hit back right away with John Daly and Seán Kelly combining to set Walsh free to slot over his first of the day in impressive style. He put Galway 0-4 to 0-1 up from a free after Patrick Kelly did well to get work a kick-out to Walsh.
Clifford kept Kerry in touch pointing a close range free after a smart foul by the Galway defence stopped Diarmuid O’Connor being able to create a goal chance on 14 minutes and less than 60 seconds later Walsh showed his class again.
He picked up the ball under the Hogan Stand, eyed up the two men marking him and drove between hem and hammered the ball over the bar with a brilliant shot to keep Galway three clear.
Kerry then got a bit of a run on the scoreboard with Paul Geaney pointing a mark, David Clifford lofting over an excellent score from distance and Stephen O’Brien all pointing to level it up at five points each with 20 minutes gone.
Walsh pointed again for Galway from a free after Patrick Kelly was tipped over by David Moran as he looked to break through, but the lead was short lived with Clifford pointing another mark after fetching a skyscraper of a ball dropped into the D.
Jack Glynn edged Galway in front after a barrelling run through the middle of the field, Walsh then hit Galway’s only wide of the half and that was replied too not long after by a free from Seán O’Shea to level the game once more as the half time break approached - but there was another big kick left in Galway before the whistle.
Gleeson launched a kick-out to the Cusack Stand side of the park, Matthew Tierney rose to flick the ball down to Matthew Tierney who worked the ball to Rob Finnerty, the Galway corner forward got it back to Tierney and he slotted it over the bar to have Galway leading 0-8 to 0-7 at the half -time break.
Scores
Galway: Shane Walsh 0-9 (0-4f, 0-1 ’45 ), Cillian McDaid 0-4, Jack Glynn 0-1, Kieran Molloy 0-1, Johnny Heaney 0-1.
Kerry: David Clifford 0-8 (0-3f, 0-2 mark ), Seán O’Shea 0-3 (0-3f ), Paudie Clifford 0-2, Killian Spillane 0-2, Graham O’Sullivan 0-1, Paul Geaney 0-1 (0-1 mark ), Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1, Gavin White 0-1.
Galway: Conor Gleeson; Liam Silke, Seán Kelly, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Kieran Molloy; Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid; Patrick Kelly, Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Finnian Ó Laoí for Finnerty (46 ), Cathal Sweeney for Conroy (58 ), Eoin Finnerty for Heaney (63 ), Niall Daly for Tierney (74 )
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Brian Ó’Beaglaíoch, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; David Moran, Jack Barry; Diarmuid O’Connor, Seán O’Shea, Stephen O’Brien; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Paul Geaney. Subs: Killian Spillane for Geaney (35 ), Adrian Spillane for Moran (35 ), Jack Savage for Paudie Clifford (BS ) (43 ), Micheál Burns for O’Brien (56 ), Paul Murphy for Ó Beaglaoich (63 ), Joe O’Connor for Paudie Clifford (72 )
Ref: Seán Hurson (Tyrone )
