Kerry 2-13

Galway 2-11

Kerry claimed their fourth All-Ireland junior football championship title in-a-row this afternoon after edging out Galway by two points in Ennis.

Goals from Paudie Clifford and Niall Ó Sé in either half helped the Kingdom clinch their 19th title here, with the latter's 56th minute penalty swinging the pendulum back in the way of the Munster champions.

A brother of senior star David, Clifford's early major saw Kerry into a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after eight minutes and Jimmy Keane's charges would hold the lead at half-time by the minimum. 

Padraic Cunningham netted Galway's first goal on 21 minutes and nearly sent the sides level in on 1-6 apiece prior to Evan Cronin looping over a late point at the other end.

The Post Match Celebrations!!! pic.twitter.com/weHdPVcnlM

- Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) July 21, 2018

The winners landed the first three scores of the restart as they looked to pull away but the Tribesmen hit an unanswered 1-2, including a goal from corner-forward Jonathan Ryan, which saw them leading in the final quarter.

Thomas Hickey's point of this decider brought matters level and Kerry dug their deepest in the late stages, with Clifford earning their penalty which Ó Sé coolly slotted home with four minutes to go.

Galway battled to the end but Hickey's fourth score of the afternoon was enough to ensure yet another success at this level for Kerry.

Kerry - D O'Shea; T Wallace, D O'Donoghue, P O'Sullivan; P O'Connor, A Barry, S Moloney; K Murphy, R Murphy; E Cronin (0-2), P Clifford (1-0), D Daly (0-1); T Hickey (0-4, 2f), L O'Donoghue (0-2), N O Se (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-2f). Subs: K Fitzgerald for R Murphy, R Buckley for L O'Donoghue, C O'Shea for P O'Connor.

Galway - M Breathnach; E O'Sullivan, S Cunniffe, C Reilly; A Ward, S O Currin, D O'Reilly; A Molloy (0-1), M Day (0-1); P E O Curraoin, A O Laoi (0-1), T Gleeson; J Ryan (1-2, 0-1f), P Cunningham (1-1), M Coady (0-1). Subs: M Reddington for T Gleeson, T Rabbitte for A Ward, S Gaffney (0-4f) for M Coady, D Hennessy for P E O Curraoin, A O hIarnain for J Ryan, J Kirrane for D O'Reilly.

Referee - B Cawley.

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