Well, Joe Brolly. What do you think of that?
Ever since a certain Derry pundit claimed the production line in Kerry was finished, the Kingdom have won one senior All-Ireland, appeared in another final and lost a semi-final.
And, oh, their minors have gone and won three All-Ireland titles in a row.
St. Brendan’s are Hogan Cup champions and another new Kerry team is dominating the country.
It was business as usual for David Clifford and co as they ran through Galway and clinched another under-18 title, the final score in Croker reading 3-7 to 0-9.
Goals from Diarmuid O’Connor, David Shaw and David Clifford – obviously – did the damage as the Munster champions held the Tribesman at bay throughout a cagey and defensive affair lit up by moments of magic from that man Clifford.
David Clifford could be one of the greats – this man has it all https://t.co/5jkAKRtkpD
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 28, 2016
It could’ve been a little messier when Billy Courtney saw a ball head for the end line and assumed it was out. The Kerry ‘keeper took off to his other post looking for a cone and another piece of leather to kick out, unaware that Jon Maher had actually caught up and fisted the ball towards goals brilliantly.
In the end, it was cleared – just about – off the line but it was a wake-up call for the champions.
Always make sure the ball is out of play before you go looking for another.
Lucky escape for Kerry #GAAThisIsMajor pic.twitter.com/Emw18Ne8QA— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) September 18, 2016
And they used that call in deadly fashion.
Diarmuid O’Connor netted their first and then David Clifford climbed like Odell Beckham Jr himself to pluck one from the sky above two Galway defenders and lay in Shaw for Kerry’s second.
David Clifford, Jesus Christ.
He climbs into the sky, arches his back, plucks the ball with one hand and sets up Shaw goal#GAAThisIsMajor— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) September 18, 2016
Meanwhile, whenever Denis Conneely got a sniff at the other end, the Galway attacker had this sight to look up at.
Clifford didn’t have as much problems and he finished the game emphatically.
A solo off the left, a solo off the left and an absolute hammer of a right-footed effort into the stanchion put the result beyond doubt.
It confirmed what we already knew that David Clifford is a talent like no other in the country. It also confirmed that the Kingdom is coming. Again.
Minor players are embarking on their adult lives, many are about to finish school and start college, they have hopes and dreams and ambitions, but for this one moment in time, the Electric Ireland Minor Championships is the major thing in their lives. Follow the conversation at #GAAThisIsMajor.
