The meltdown began on 29 minutes. Stephen Cluxton went short to Davy Byrne with a kickout that was intercepted by Paul Geaney; two passes later the ball was in the Dublin net. Draw match.
The next kickout flew over James McCarthy’s head and out over the sideline after Kerry put all sorts of pressure on a now rattled Cluxton. The sideline ball was celebrated by the Kerry supporters like they had scored a goal. Rattle Cluxton you rattle Dublin.
He went long with the next kickout, straight to David Moran, who sent up another score. Then, to cap off a crazy seven minutes he failed to deal with a high ball from Anthony Maher and conceded again, desperately lunging to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Those seven minutes before half time on Sunday were as dramatic as I’ve ever seen. Outside of that seven minutes Dublin absolutely dominated the game. The main character in the seven minute drama was Stephen Cluxton, the greatest goalkeeper the game has ever seen.
Cluxton doesn’t make many mistakes, especially on his kickouts. To make three in a row and for all three to result in Kerry scores was unbelievable to watch. High balls are not his speciality but he’s usually solid and fists them away.
Cluxton has brought goalkeeping, and kickouts in particular, to a new level. How many goalkeepers attempt to copy his kickout strategies? How many now kick 45s because he started it?
Cluxton isn’t your traditional, big, unfit goalkeeper. His fitness, reflexes and strength and conditioning is equal, and above, most outfield players.
Since Tiger Woods showed up the next generation of golfers are all stronger, fitter and better. He raised the bar and the younger generation had to follow. Cluxton has had that effect on Gaelic football goalkeepers.
On Sunday week, whenever Cillian O’Connor has a free Mayo need to be already pushed right up because, outside of set pieces like that, Cluxton’s restarts are so fast they won’t have a chance to get the pressure on.
Importantly for Mayo, Cluxton’s meltdown last Sunday can be traced to earlier in the game when he got involved in some pushing, shoving and verbals with the Kerry forwards.
A lot of the talk this summer has been the targeting of top forwards to put them off their game but the Kerry lads seemed to get inside Cluxton’s head.
Cluxton is highly strung and has a short fuse so targeting him like that might throw him off his game.
I’ve no doubt Mayo will have taken note.
Listen to Wooly, Conán Doherty, Senan Connell and Barry Cahill dissect Dublin v Kerry in the latest GAA Hour.
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