Kerry 1-21, Galway 1-16

Michael Meehan and Galway's gallant display ended in disappointment and despair as Kerry march on to another All Ireland semi final as a brave performance came up short at Croke Park on Saturday.

Cormac Bane.

The heavens opened and the Croker lights had to be switched on in this classic encounter on a summer's evening, but in the end it was the long-time experts who had all the answers at the end. In the dreadful wet conditions, it was Kerry who finished in a flourish when they out scored Galway by 0-10 to 0-3 in the final quarter to end a Galway dream of having their first championship win over the Kingdom in forty years.

Games are seldom won by individual performances but for Galway's Michael Meehan he will wonder just how the Tribesmen failed to win this game. Meehan was exceptional and scored points from all angles, but he received little help on a scoring front from his colleagues.

Meehan had landed six points before Mark Lydon scored and Cormac Bane had Galway's only other score in the opening half. The Galway half forward line never commanded authority on their game wand while there were some individual patches, it was the Kerry half back line that set up most of their good moves.

The introduction of Joe Bergin was welcomed and made a huge difference, but it was the Kerry bench that made the greatest influence.

Just when Galway were looking to cause an upset, Daniel Bohane came in and tidied up the full back line. Tommy Griffin, Eoin Brosnan and Darren O'Sullivan also made an impact, while apart from Bergin, no other Galway sub made any great impression.

Tommy Walsh had Kerry's opening score, but Michael Meehan pushed Galway three ahead by the tenth minute. Kerry had levelled by the end of the opening quarter when Killian Young and Kieran Donaghy set up Donnacha Walsh for a Kerry goal. Kerry raced into a 1-8 to 0-6 lead and would have had the game out of sight had Declan O'Sullivan scored a goal when the ball went off the post and wide. Three unanswered points before the break from Mark Lydon, Michael Meehan and Cormac Bane had Galway just two adrift at the break with Kerry leading by 1-8 to 0-9.

Kieran Fitzgerald came in for Damien Burke at half time but it was Michael Meehan was causing the Kerry defence untold problems and when the Caltra player pointed twice to cancel Kieran Donaghy's only point of the game at the start of the second half, Galway were just a point adrift.

Ruled out of championship football this season Joe Bergin made an immediate impact on his 2008 when he latched on to a long ball from Padraig Joyce and crashed the ball to an empty net and pushed Galway into the lead. Gareth Bradshaw and Bergin added points and Galway led by two points entering the final quarter.

A needless foul on Kieran Donaghy led to another Sheehan point and as Galway goal chances failed to yield fruition Kerry quickly turned a two point deficit into a four point advantage.

Six minutes from the end Padraig Joyce had his first point of the game, and another Meehan point sandwiched a Darren O'Sullivan effort. Bryan Sheehan and Declan O'Sullivan pointed before Matthew Clancy had the closing score of the game as Kerry marched on.

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