Six sent off as sublime Clifford kicks Fossa to All-Ireland glory

David Clifford led Fossa to the All-Ireland Club JFC title with the same awesome class and genius that has inspired Kerry to Sam. Eleven points from the game's top player inspired his side to a three points win at Croke Park, and that was all prior to his dismissal on a second booking late on. Tyrone champions Stewartstown finished the game with just 11 men after having four players sent off, three of them on straight red cards in the second half. They just couldn’t contain man of the match Clifford as he turned in another sparkling display at GAA Headquarters. Clifford, marked tightly by Darren Devlin with Connor Quinn shadowing as well, burst through for the leveller after Gareth Devlin had shot the Harps in front from a free. The Tyrone champions worked the ball smartly from deep, with Mark Rooney and Tiernan Rush linking the play, and two more Devlin scores had them ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 by the 13th minute. Clifford was always a danger, from play and placed balls, knocking over a free before the pacey Damien O’Keefe sent Harry Buckley in for the leveller at the end of an evenly contested opening quarter.

But the Red Hand champions got in for a 24th minute goal, full-back Fintan Coffey and goalkeeper Shane O’Sullivan failing to deal with Dylan McElhatton’s cross from the right, and the predatory Devlin nipped in to punch the loose ball to the net from close range. Midfielder Macauley Quinn galloped through for his second score and a four points lead, and with Paudie Clifford driving at the Stewartstown defence, the Kerrymen looked for an instant response. Emmet O’Shea and Clifford, with his fifth, were on target, but it was Stewartstown who led by 1-7 to 0-7 at the interval. The Clifford brothers fired over a volley of