David Clifford starred in East Kerry's victory over Mid-Kerry to win the senior county championship, but there was one moment that shows why he is the best.
If you were to freeze the clip at the point where Clifford is on the ground, with the ball barely in his grasp, and were then told that he would kick a point just three seconds later from that position, you would find it hard to believe. With that accolade already in the trophy cabinet, along with the Munster county championship, All-Ireland county championship, club county championship and another All-Star, it's fair to say that he is having a decent year. East Kerry are senior county champions, and a lot of that is to do with the incredible performances of one David Clifford.
David Clifford says the hurt of losing in the first round of last year's Kerry SFC drove East Kerry on to reclaim the title on Sunday.
It was tight in the first half. We played them in 2020 and it was actually a similar game. "100%.
At the All-Star awards on Friday night at the Convention Centre on Dublin's docklands, the newly-minted Footballer of the Year was asked just what life was.
What a ball from Paudie to set it up, arrowing it with the outside of the boot from around the 45 to David inside who controlled it with one hand, turned and looped it over the bar off his right. We've played all the way up together, with school games and stuff like that, so it's great to be playing with your friends on the biggest day of the year. All three were involved in a move that was all about quick hands until it found its way to David lurking on the edge of the square. I'm lucky enough to be on the receiving end of a lot of good kickers.' And another TG4 Player of the Match Award to find space for on the mantelpiece. How it feels to operate in Gaelic football's goldfish bowl and the constant pressure of expectation since he was the anointed wunderkind of Kerry football.
FIRST HALF. 4 - Darragh Roche picks out Ruairí Murphy who gets East Kerry up and running. 5 - Less than sixty seconds later East Kerry double their total ...
East Kerry 1-16 Mid Kerry 0-10 David Clifford spent last year learning to accept defeat at every turn; this time round titles and awards are tumbli...
Losing 1-9 to 0-7 at the interval, the manager had to earn his salt by producing a number of telling switches, chiefly in defence, before sending his team out to overwhelm their opponents by 2-13 to 0-7 in terms of second-half scores. O’Mahony must have felt the script was going according to play when his charges turned over 1-5 to 0-6 ahead with the prospect of a fresh wind in their backs for the second half. A reward for this victory is a Munster SH club encounter against All-Ireland champions Ballygunner next Sunday. The Fossa man was again unmarkable on Sunday as Mid-Kerry knew from early on that there would only be one result – and Clifford’s goal midway through the second half killed the game off as a spectacle. I knew nobody in Clonoulty, bar Declan Ryan, being familiar with the name, but now I’ve lads ringing me, texting me, it’s unbelievable. I suppose the All-Ireland is the big prize you set out to win at the start of the year.