Flashback: Dublin v Kerry All-Ireland SFC Final 2019

Dublin find themselves right in the mix to lift Sam Maguire and are ready to renew their rivalry with Kerry this weekend, as we hope to go one step further in pursuit of a first All-Ireland title since 2023.

The Dubs and the Kingdom have had their fair share of ding-dong battles over the years, but one of the most impressive performances against the Green and Gold came in our two All-Ireland finals against our historic rivals in 2019, which Conor Martin took a look at.

Sunday, 1st September 2019, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Croke Park - Dublin 1-16 (19) - 1-16 (19) Kerry

Few championship encounters have captured the imagination quite like Dublin and Kerry's unforgettable 2019 All-Ireland final. It was a contest that had everything, and by the time referee David Gough finally blew the full-time whistle after almost nine minutes of added time, those inside Croke Park had witnessed one of the modern classics.

It was football at its most dramatic. There were goals, a sending off, a remarkable goal-line clearance, a saved penalty, a thunderous effort off the crossbar, Hawkeye overturning an umpire's decision, a late Dublin equaliser and, with virtually the final kick, a chance for Dean Rock to win it for the reigning champions despite them playing with 14 men for more than half the game.

The tension during those closing minutes was almost unbearable. Kerry, inspired by substitute Killian Spillane's 56th-minute goal, gradually clawed their way back before edging in front as Dublin's grip on the game appeared to loosen. Momentum had swung decisively in the Kingdom's favour, but Jim Gavin's side had made a habit of refusing to accept defeat.

Even after Jonny Cooper's dismissal just before half-time for a second yellow card, Dublin never lost their belief. They continued to fight for every ball, every score and every opportunity. Dean Rock calmly slotted over the equaliser before fate handed him one last chance from an impossibly difficult angle near the Cusack Stand sideline. His free drifted agonisingly wide, leaving players and supporters alike wondering what might have been and ensuring these great rivals would have to meet again.

The foundations for an epic had been laid from the opening exchanges.

Dublin were clinical with the chances they created, but Kerry constantly asked questions of their defence. Inside six minutes, the Kingdom looked certain to strike for goal before James McCarthy somehow scrambled back to clear Paul Geaney's low effort off the line, producing one of the defining moments of the afternoon.

Six minutes later came another huge turning point. Kerry were awarded a penalty, with Cooper collecting a costly yellow card in the process, but Stephen Cluxton once again delivered when his county needed him most. The Dublin captain brilliantly denied Geaney from the spot, although Seán O'Shea converted the resulting '45' to keep Kerry ticking over.

Cluxton's heroics were far from over. In the second half, with Kerry chasing the game, he somehow managed to get fingertips to Paul Murphy's powerful goalbound effort, diverting it onto the crossbar in another breathtaking piece of goalkeeping.

After O'Shea had nudged Kerry into a 0-5 to 0-4 lead, Dublin responded in spectacular fashion. Brian Howard rose magnificently to claim Cluxton's kick-out before Jack McCaffrey exploded through the heart of the Kerry defence, finishing emphatically to the net to ignite the Hill and send Dublin into the ascendancy.

Despite losing Cooper before the interval, Dublin carried a deserved 1-9 to 0-8 advantage into the dressing room.

McCaffrey was simply outstanding. Time and again the flying Clontarf man burst through the Kerry defence, dragging his teammates with him as Dublin dug ever deeper despite their numerical disadvantage. His three second-half points helped stretch the lead to five with just 15 minutes remaining, but Kerry were never going away.

The introduction of Tommy Walsh gave the Kingdom renewed belief, while Spillane's goal transformed the contest into an all-out battle. Kerry surged in front, Dublin responded with the composure and resilience that had become the hallmark of Gavin's reign, and one final attack almost settled one of the greatest championship contests of the decade.

Paddy Small earned the free. Dean Rock stood over it with Dublin, dreaming of victory. From an angle that offered almost no margin for error, his effort faded just outside the upright, and the two counties would have to do it all again.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne, Jonny Cooper, Michael Fitzsimons; Jack McCaffrey (1-03 ), James McCarthy, John Small; Brian Fenton Michael Darragh Macauley; Niall Scully, Con O'Callaghan (0-01), Brian Howard; Paul Mannion (0-02), Dean Rock (0-10, 6f, 1 ’45’), Ciarán Kilkenny.

Subs: Paddy Small for Macauley 51 mins; Diarmuid Connolly for Howard 67 mins; Cormac Costello for Mannion 67 mins; Kevin McManamon for Scully 70 mins.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Jason Foley, Tadhg Morley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Gavin Crowley (0-01), Brian Ó Beaglaoich; David Moran, Adrian Spillane; Gavin White, Seán O’Shea (0-10, 4f, 3 ’45’), Stephen O’Brien (0-01); David Clifford (0-02), Paul Geaney, Jack Barry.

Subs: Killian Spillane (1-01) for Adrian Spillane 44 mins; Jack Sherwood for White 48 mins; Tommy Walsh (0-01) for Ó Beaglaoich 52 mins; Jonathan Lyne for Crowley 67 mins; Dara Moynihan for Barry 72 mins; Mark Griffin for Stephen O’Brien 77 mins.

Referee: David Gough (Meath).

Saturday, 14th September,  All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Replay, Croke Park - Dublin 1-18 (21) - 0-15 (15) Kerry

There are certain afternoons in Croke Park that live forever in the memory of Dublin supporters, and the replayed 2019 All-Ireland final against Kerry undoubtedly belongs among them, as Jim Gavin's remarkable side produced one more performance for the ages to become the first men's team in Gaelic football history to complete the elusive five-in-a-row.

Having been pushed all the way in the drawn final, Dublin returned to headquarters knowing another immense effort would be required if Sam Maguire was to remain in the capital, and they responded with a display that perfectly encapsulated everything that had made this team so special throughout one of the greatest eras the game has ever witnessed.

It is often said that championship replays are won by the side that learns the most from the first encounter, and Dublin certainly looked the better prepared from the outset, improving in every sector of the field before producing a magnificent second-half performance that gradually wore down a hugely talented Kerry side in front of a capacity attendance of 82,300.

The defining score arrived within seconds of the restart when Eoin Murchan, who had already made a tremendous contribution, reacted quickest to a breaking ball before surging through the heart of the Kerry defence, holding off the attention of David Moran and showing wonderful composure to guide his finish beyond Shane Ryan with the outside of his right boot, a goal that lifted the Dublin supporters and gave Gavin's men the platform they needed to drive towards another famous victory.

Although Murchan's goal will always feature prominently whenever this final is recalled, it was another complete team performance from the Boys in Blue, with Ciarán Kilkenny, Con O'Callaghan and Paul Mannion all contributing four points from play, while James McCarthy, Jonny Cooper and Michael Fitzsimons produced immense displays at the back, covering huge ground as Kerry searched desperately for a way back into the contest.

The first half had been every bit as competitive as expected, with Dublin racing into an early lead through Con O'Callaghan, Kilkenny and Mannion before Kerry gradually settled through the influence of Paul Geaney, David Clifford and Seán O'Shea, leaving the sides level at 0-10 apiece by the interval and setting the stage for one of the most memorable second halves of the modern era.

Even when Jack McCaffrey and later Murchan were forced off through injury, Dublin never allowed their standards to dip, as Diarmuid Connolly made an immediate impact from the bench with a superb turnover and inch-perfect pass for Kilkenny, while Stephen Cluxton produced another trademark save to deny Stephen O'Brien at a stage when Kerry threatened to swing the momentum decisively in their favour.

As the game entered its closing stages, Dublin found yet another level, stringing together five unanswered points to finally shake off the Kingdom's challenge before the final whistle confirmed a victory that was about far more than another All-Ireland title, as Gavin's side had achieved something no men's senior football team had managed before and cemented their place among the greatest teams Gaelic football has ever known.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne (0-01), Michael Fitzsimons, Jonny Cooper; Jack McCaffrey, Eoin Murchan (1-00), John Small; Brian Fenton, James McCarthy (0-01); Niall Scully (0-01), Ciarán Kilkenny (0-04), Brian Howard; Paul Mannion (0-04), Con O'Callaghan (0-04), Dean Rock (0-03, 1 ’45').

Subs: Diarmuid Connolly for McCaffrey HT; Philly McMahon for Murchan 54 mins; Cormac Costello for Scully 57 mins;Cian O’Sullivan for Byrne 67 mins; Kevin McMamamon for Mannion 67 mins; Michael Darragh Macauley for Howard 73 mins.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Jason Foley, Tadhg Morley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Gavin Crowley, Brian Ó Beaglaoich; David Moran, Jack Barry; Diarmuid O’Connor, Seán O’Shea (0-05, 3f), Stephen O’Brien; David Clifford (0-05, 1f), Paul Geaney (0-04), Adrian Spillane (0-01).

Subs: Gavin White for Adrian Spillane 51 mins; Jack Sherwood for Ó Beaglaoich 51 mins; Tommy Walsh for O’Connor 54 mins; Killian Spillane for Murphy 59 mins; James O’Donoghue for Barry 64 mins; Dara Moynihan for Crowley 71 mins.

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).