Former Clare defender Gordon Kelly recalls marking David Clifford on his championship debut with Kerry.
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Gordon Kelly blocking a shot from David Clifford in 2018. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Kelly, who would later go on to receive praise from Clifford for his efforts, coughed up just one point from play in the 2018 encounter and two from play 12 months later. Any defender would be happy with that. Kelly is happy to have that memory, but modestly adds some context to his achievement. Unsurprisingly, the St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay defender got a sense of what Clifford could do immediately from the first play. He needed to adapt. Fast.
“When I marked him, I was in my 15th season,” says Kelly. “I had a few tricks for how to get out in front of a player. He’s probably referring to some of the things you do to make sure you’re in the right position.” Jonny Cooper was the first choice to mark Clifford in the 2019 All-Ireland final that ended in a draw, but when he was sent-off Fitzsimons took over for the remainder of that game and the replay.
How do you handle a player who is blessed with all of the attributes that Clifford has? Where can you begin to go about getting the better of someone who has already distinguished himself as one of the greats?
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