1-6 to 0-1, it is happening again. Mayo people looked at each other, grimacing. They’d seen this film before, a left-footed Kerry forward was scoring an early goal into the Davin stand, but somebody fired the DVD out the window and put in a new one.
Jack Carney, Ryan O’Donoghue and Darragh Beirne responded with scores when things looked their worst.
The white knights of Mayo were not to be denied.
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Despite years of derision and unfathomable defeats, they appeared when least expected and scaled the mountain.
Joe Brolly Points To Fatal Mistake Kerry Made As Mayo Claimed Sam Maguire
Writing in The Irish Independent, now Mayo resident Joe Brolly pointed to what he believes was the moment Kerry allowed the game to slip from their grasp.
Kerry, thinking Mayo were no good and the game would be a formality, switched off. Meanwhile, Mayo were suddenly cloaked in the delightful glow of the confident underdog.
Having lost six of their first eight kick-outs, having kicked four balls into the Kerry keeper’s hands and looking gripped in terror, they suddenly looked bigger, faster and better than Kerry, except for David Clifford.
He had scored 1-2 with his first three touches and as the glamorous brunette said at half-time, “Thanks be to the good God, they have stopped passing him the ball.”
The Fossa man notched 1-6 from play and fired over an unbelievable two pointer off his right foot into Hill 16 in the dying minutes but his final left footed shot sailed wide as he looked to level the game.
In Brolly’s eyes, when others on the Kerry team faltered, David Clifford stood up but Kerry could not get him the ball enough times to claw themselves back into the game.
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