Donegal and Kerry face off in tomorrow's All-Ireland football final at the end of the first season under the new rules, which have changed Gaelic football.
The brainchild of Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee have undoubtedly had a positive impact, if you're a fan of high scores and unpredictable outcomes. Defenders and goalkeepers who struggle with their kick-outs may disagree.
With the modern GAA the only constant is change, and as we get used to new rules we are saying goodbye to another football championship structure - the All-Ireland group stage making way for a new system in 2026.
Jim McGuinness may say good riddance, seeing as his team will tomorrow become the first to play 11 Championship matches in one campaign.
The combination of a preliminary round game in Ulster (why the provincial champions play an additional game, go figure), losing to Tyrone and going down the preliminary quarter-final route meant that Donegal have played more games than any other side, without a single replay needed.
Kerry, by dint of being the kingpins of six-county Munster, have had a more direct route. Even if their loss to Meath meant they also had to play a preliminary quarter-final.
Donegal
After a cagey start Donegal began to assert themselves and before the break Ciaran Thompson won a kick-out and Dáire O Baoill strode forward to find the net and a flattering seven-point lead at half-time. Ahead by 1-23 to 1-12 deep into the last quarter it was just a matter of matching Derry scores and Donegal were able to bring in Jason McGee, Jamie Brennan and Oisin Gallen, the latter also getting on the scoreboard.
The much-fancied Donegal side were pushed right to the final hooter in Clones but ran out two-point winners, securing the 0-23 to 0-21 victory against the in-form Farney outfit. Donegal led by six points at the break, however, Monaghan fought hard to the death and were disappointed that the hooter brought an end to their comeback, as they had brought the tie to just one kick of the football by the end of the contest.
It was a six-point win in the end and while Down had their chances, the sense was that Donegal always had the measure of the Mourne side. A first-half goal proved decisive, with Donegal pulling away after that and Down just unable to catch up. Donegal held the ball up for long spells in the second half, with their opponents chasing scores.
Armagh had not held the lead at any point in normal time of the Ulster final, but Jarly Óg Burns edged them ahead in extra-time, and they held on to the advantage until after the hooter had sounded, when Niall O'Donnell brought the sides level again. But crucially Donegal were able to plunder the Orchard for a second goal on 83 minutes, Ciaran Moore accepting Michael Langan’s assist to smash his shot past Rafferty. Rafferty levelled again with a two-point free, but Niall O’Donnell had the last say, Langan again the provider for his glorious 88th minute winner.
Tyrone claimed the scalp of Donegal in a very entertaining All-Ireland series game in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey. Two first-half goals proved very important to the win as the visitors led by two at the break. Michael Langan and Michael Murphy got Donegal back level and then ahead in the second half with a two-pointer from Patrick McBrearty. But Tyrone finished the game stronger with Peter Harte delivering an orange flag which eventually clinched the win.
Records indicate that Donegal's 3-26 was the highest score Cavan have ever conceded in championship football. Donegal’s second-half performance was exceptional, with Cavan looking out on their feet for the final 20 minutes as the Ulster champions moved through the gears.
This contest between Donegal and Mayo at King and Moffatt Dr Hyde Park was the last ever round-robin game in the All-Ireland SFC, following the springtime decision to do away with the group structure. Donegal were much more dominant than an interval score of 0-09 to 0-06 suggested. The finale was pure Hollywood. Fergal Boland sending over a majestic equaliser on 69:50 that seemed to save Mayo's season, followed by a Ciarán Moore score after the hooter that meant Cavan would take the Connacht county’s place in the preliminary quarter-final draw.
The Wee County put it up to Donegal in the opening half, but a second goal from Ciaran Thompson on 49 minutes put the home side on their way. Thompson, playing in his 50th championship game for the county, took a crossfield pass from Oisin Gallen to find the corner of the net. From there the Louth challenge faded and the home side were able to keep the scoreboard ticking, finishing with 12 different scorers.
Donegal, playing their ninth game in the championship and their fourth in June alone, had goal chances that they wasted in the first 25 minutes or so. However, the energy and intensity of the second-half recovery, when they outscored Monaghan by 1-15 to 0-05, scoring 0-11 without response at one stage, underlined just why they are All-Ireland finalists. Michael Langan came alive with a huge second-half performance, scoring 1-03 in that period, while Shane O'Donnell kicked three important points and was named man of the match.
Donegal's five-point half-time lead looked ominous and the goals from Gallen and Moore before the 50th minute killed the contest entirely, the game petering out from there as the Ulster champions ran up the score. The 20-point margin at the finish was the largest in over three decades, equalling Cork's 5-15 to 0-10 win over Mayo in 1993.
Kerry
A stunning goal from midfielder Joe O'Connor in extra-time saw Kerry squeeze through to the Munster final with a two-point win over rivals Cork. With five minutes remaining Kerry midfielder O'Connor stunned the Páirc with a rocket of a shot smashing into the roof of the net to edge Kerry back ahead by two with three minutes to play after an uncomfortable afternoon in Cork city.
It was Kerry's Jack O'Connor who triumphed over his predecessor Peter Keane, David Clifford starring with 2-05 as the Kingdom won their fifth Munster title on the trot thanks to an 11-point win over Clare. In what was the Kingdom’s third provincial final win against the Banner in as many years, it was the hosts who eased into a comfortable 15-point lead – 4-10 to 0-07 at half-time, before the visitors narrowed the deficit to 11 by the close of business.
Kerry got their All-Ireland group stage off to a flying start with a convincing 10-point win as David Clifford starred for the Kingdom with 1-03. After what was, in truth, a lacklustre, pedestrian-like opening half, the Kingdom completely upped the tempo, and boosted by the introduction of playmaker Tony Brosnan, and Graham O'Sullivan in the 49th minute, Jack O’Connor’s men scored 2-03 without response in the space of six minutes to open up a 13-point lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
Cork led 0-13 to 1-07 at the interval, and then got wiped out by a Kerry drive that saw Jack O'Connor’s players hit three two-pointers during a 0-08 run in nine minutes. The Rebels did manage to force a few goalmouth scrambles late on, but at that stage Kerry were holding a commanding nine-point cushion.
Kerry kicked two early wides before Meath goalkeeper Billy Hogan converted a '45’ and that seemed to set the tone: Kerry scraggly and loose, Meath crisp and on point. The Royals fully deserved 0-14 to 0-08 half-time lead. By the 50th minute Kerry were within two points, 0-16 to 0-14, but not exactly pulling up trees, while Meath never flinched as Kerry breathed down their necks. When Bryan Menton raised the game’s only green flag Meath were ahead by 10 points with 13 minutes left to play.
David Clifford's hat-trick of goals eased Kerry to victory, and on the surface things were going in the right direction in the Kingdom. But there were as many goal chances squandered – Clifford as culpable as anyone – and there was a spell in the second half when Cavan cut a 12-point deficit to six in with three shots. It was as close as Kerry came to a scare, but Clifford's third goal made it 3-16 to 1-15 on the hour mark and the home side saw it out from there.
Kerry reignited their summer with a spectacular second-half display to dethrone All-Ireland champions Armagh at the quarter-final stage. A blistering 15-minute spell in which Kerry scored 0-14 without reply and laid waste to the Armagh kick-out provided the platform for a famous victory, avenging last year's painful semi-final loss.
Kerry powered their way into an All-Ireland SFC decider thanks to a dominant second-half display, Tyrone's challenge fizzling out badly after a bright opening. David Clifford racked up 1-09 but the game's most influential figure was undoubtedly Joe O'Connor, who delivered an extraordinary, all-action display both defensively and in attack. Only leading by three at half-time having played with the wind, Jack O'Connor's side kicked for home in a dominant second-half display, racking up 0-09 without reply to kill the game and book their place in a third All-Ireland final in four years.
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Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship final, Donegal v Kerry, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
