It was a heroic effort, but in the end Padraic Joyce’s Galway team succumbed to a late Kerry surge in the 2022 All-Ireland Football Championship final.
Eventually losing out on a scoreline of 0-20 to 0-16, the sides were level nine times during this pulsating contest. However, it was Kerry who managed to pull away in the last 10 minutes, thanks to the influence of their bench. They bagged the last four scores of the game and eight of the last 10 points.
What seemed to be the pivotal turning point of the game was in the 66th minute when an incredibly harsh call was made by the referee to award a foul against John Daly when the Mountbellew/Moylough man had appeared to be fouled himself.
With the scores tied at the time David Clifford tapped the free over the bar and the momentum that Galway had been building was sucked out of them and despite Shane Walsh’s best efforts Galway just hadn’t enough left in the tank.
David Clifford may have gotten the official man if the match award but on the day Shane Walsh was by far the best player on the field. Everything he touched turned to gold right throughout the afternoon with 10 shots taken at the Kerry goals and 9 points scored.
Four frees, a ‘45 and four points from play from the Kilkerrin Clonberne maestro wasn’t enough to win Galway the title in one of the best losing performances in any All-Ireland final.
Defence
The Galway defence were brilliant throughout the game keeping the marquee Kerry forwards relatively quiet with Seán O’Shea kept scoreless from play and Clifford kept to just three from play.
Sean Kelly and Liam Silke both did incredible man-marking jobs while Jack Glynn’s performance yesterday added to the way the young man has played all year should have him in the reckoning for young footballer of the year.
Paul Geaney may have scored just the one point, but he was kept on the periphery of the game and it was not a surprise to see him replaced by Killian Spillane at half time. In the end the difference between the two teams was that every starting Kerry forward produced points on the scoreboard whereas apart from Johnny Heaney’s first-half effort, Walsh was the only forward to score for Galway.
Damien Comer and Rob Finnerty were shackled well by Foley and Graham O’Sullivan in the full forward line, while Heaney, Tierney and Kelly hit through a Trojan amount of work they were not able to have the desired impact at the Kerry end of the field.
Padraic Joyce was "really proud of his players for everything this year, having taken the county to their first All-Ireland final in 21 years", but he insisted it needs to be a springboard for the county to push on. The talent, he says, is clearly there after this year's minor All-Ireland win and the U20 win from 2020.
Galway fans, immensely proud of what the players have achieved, will be hoping this is just the start of things to come. Galway are back.
Scorers for 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.
Scorers for 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: Shane Ryan (Rathmore ), Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses ), Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue ), Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle ), Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht ), Tadhg Morley (Templenoe ), Gavin White (Dr Crokes ), David Moran (Kerins O’Rahilly’s ), Jack Barry (Na Gaeil ), Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil ), Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks (cap ), Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare Shamrocks ), Paudie Clifford (Fossa ), David Clifford (Fossa ), Paul Geaney (Dingle ). Subs: Killian Spillane (Templenoe ) for Geaney (HT Adrian Spillane (Templenoe ) for Moran (HT ), Jack Savage (Kerins O’Rahillys ) for Paudie Clifford (bloodm 43 ) Clifford for Savage (46 ) Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes ) for O’Brien (56 ),Paul Murphy (Rathmore ) for Ó Beaglaoich (63 ), Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks ) for Paudie Clifford (72 ).
Galway: Conor Gleeson (Dunmore McHales ), Liam Silke (Corofin ), Sean Kelly (Moycullen ), Jack Glynn (Claregalway ), Dylan McHugh (Corofin ),John Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough ), Kieran Molloy (Corofin ), Paul Conroy (St James’ ),Cillian McDaid (Monivea-Abbey ), Patrick Kelly (Mountbellew/Moylough ), Matthew Tierney (Oughterard ), Johnny Heaney (Killannin ), Rob Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra ), Damien Comer (Annaghdown ), Shane Walsh (Kilkerrin-Clonberne ). Subs Finnian Ó Laoí (An Spidéal ) for Finnerty (46 ), Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra ) for Conroy (58 ), Eoin Finnerty (Mountbellew-Moylough ) for Heaney, (63 )Niall Daly (Kilconly ) for Tierney (74 ).
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone )
