Dublin achieved sporting immortality at Croke Park this evening as they defeated Kerry by 1-18 to 0-15 to claim a fifth successive All-Ireland.

On a special day in GAA history, Jim Gavin’s invincible side outscored the Munster champions by 1-8 to 0-5 in the second half to deservedly retain the Sam Maguire Cup – their seventh All-Ireland success of the decade and 29th of all time - Eoin Murchan spectacularly netting the game’s only goal at the start of the second half.

With Ciaran Kilkenny pulling the strings, the winners proved to be a class apart as the match progressed, Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, Brian Howard, Con O'Callaghan and Paul Mannion also mightily impressive for the 2019 All-Ireland champions, captained to glory by goalkeeper supreme Stephen Cluxton yet again.

Twenty points were shared during the course of a magnificent opening period, the Dubs starting with fierce intent but the Kingdom refusing to read the script, hanging in there wonderfully before levelling on the stroke of the short whistle.

The sides played out a thrilling draw here 13 days ago, with 14-man Dublin battling back to earn a rematch courtesy of an injury-time Dean Rock equaliser that day. Both managers named unchanged starting sides for the replay, but there were late tweaks from the respective managers, with Murchan replacing former Footballer of the Year Michael Darragh MacAuley in the Dublin XV and Kingdom captain Gavin White making way for Diarmuid O’Connor.

Dublin won the toss and opted to play into The Hill, O’Callaghan opening the scoring off his left boot after 17 seconds, followed quickly by a Kilkenny score after a strong Murchan break out of defence. Mannion cancelled out a Sean O’Shea free and Kilkenny swung over his second to make it 0-4 to 0-1 after five minutes.

Mannion pointed his second at the end of a lengthy spell of Dublin possession and – with a brief glimpse of goal - Paul Geaney lashed over the Munster champions’ first point from play in the twelfth minute. David Clifford pointed after Kilkenny was denied a clear free-in but O’Callaghan was on hand to make it double scores with 15 minutes gone.

Dubs corner back David Byrne split the posts but Kerry refused to give up and Adrian Spillane landed a lovely point on the run followed quickly by an exquisite curling Clifford strike. Clifford’s third had it back to a one-point game after 20 minutes but Kilkenny responded in kind.

Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton raises the Sam Maguire Cup

Geaney pointed for the challengers, then O’Callaghan hammered a fierce left-footed drive over the bar after tearing through a stagnant Kerry defence. O’Callaghan placed Rock to cancel out O’Shea’s second straightforward free – that free having been awarded when O’Callaghan pulled back raiding full back Tadgh Morley as he bore down on goal at the end of a rapid counter-attack and referee Conor Lane gave full back Fitzsimons a tick when Kerry supporters wanted the Dublin full forward black carded.

O’Shea stroked over another free and Geaney fired over the equaliser in injury time at the end of a breathless opening period.

McCaffrey was unable to continue in the second half, having sustained a hamstring problem, Diarmuid Connolly replacing his during the break. If that was dramatic, what followed was even more so: within ten seconds of the restart, Murchan sprinted upfield and calmly planted a shot into the bottom right corner of the Kerry net, followed instantly by an O’Callaghan point.

Clifford’s fourth was again pure class, as was Geaney’s, the Kingdom showing their quality with two excellent points as their arrears was halved back to two. O’Shea and Kilkenny exchanged delightful scores and Mannion pointed after Jim Gavin’s charges patiently held possession for almost three full minutes.

Stephen O'Brien sliced open the Dublin defence but fired his shot straight at the advancing Stephen Cluxton at the start of the fourth quarter, Clifford’s free cancelling out the next Mannion point. Niall Scully blazed a goal chance over the bar as the hosts moved four clear again with 13 minutes left, the next exchange of points arriving courtesy of James McCarthy and O’Shea.

Rock thumped a terrific point over his shoulder in the 69th minute and losing goalkeeper Shane Ryan denied both Connolly and O’Callaghan with a fine double-save in injury time, Rock spearing over the resultant ‘45’ to complete the dream five in a row.

Dublin - S Cluxton; D Byrne (0-1), M Fitzsimons, J Cooper; J McCaffrey, E Murchan (1-0), J Small; B Fenton, J McCarthy (0-1); N Scully (0-1), C Kilkenny (0-5), B Howard; P Mannion (0-4), C O'Callaghan (0-3), D Rock (0-3, 1'45). Subs: D Connolly for J McCaffrey, P McMahon for E Murchan, C Costello for N Scully, C O’Sullivan for D Byrne, K McMamamon for P Mannion, M D Macauley for B Howard.

Kerry - S Ryan; J Foley, T Morley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, G Crowley, B O Beaglaoich; D Moran, J Barry; D O’Connor, S O’Shea (0-5, 3f), S O’Brien; D Clifford (0-5, 1f), P Geaney (0-4), A Spillane (0-1). Subs: G White for A Spillane, J Sherwood for B O Beaglaoich, T Walsh for D O’Connor, K Spillane for P Murphy, J O’Donoghue for J Barry, D Moynihan for G Crowley.

Referee - C Lane.

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