Kerry finally show grit in win over Dublin | Galway must improve: Peter Canavan column

It was a privilege to be in Croke Park on Sunday for Kerry vs Dublin. We don't have enough games like that.

It was a perfect day for football. There was a real buzz around the city. And the atmosphere was electric. All we needed was a game to match it, and we got it.

There were so many aspects to savour. The attacking play from David Clifford was special.

You had leadership from James McCarthy, that gave you an indication why Dublin have been such a force for so long. McCarthy and Ciarán Kilkenny really stepped up in the second half.

You had talking points, you had black cards, you had penalties, controversial decisions, and a free-kick the likes of which you may never see again as well. It was just quality from start to finish.

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Some were bemoaning the number of turnovers, but that was down to the quality of tackling, which was of a really high level.

It was enthralling, utterly compelling from start to the finish.

We were always aware of Kerry's attacking prowess, but the real test of this team was after the Dublin goal.

They have been criticised in recent years, that they have failed to deliver when it really mattered. Sunday was a game they could easily have lost.

The Kingdom withstood a serious onslaught in that period. Their work rate was immense. The way they protected their own D, the turnovers that they won was a testament to their tenacity and grit. And that is not something we have associated with this Kerry team in the past.

It looked as if Dublin had got to grips with David Clifford and Sean O'Shea, who had caused so many problems. So Kerry needed to find alternative answers.

Paudie Clifford stepped up, and was the player of the second half. He was winning kick-outs, involved in turnovers, and the vision and quality of his passing was something to behold. He also scored two crucial points

It took everything for Kerry to get over the line, and they were deserving winners.

Winning close games in Croke Park is not something this Kerry team have been doing.

Had they come out with another agonising defeat, I don't know where it would have left the side.

Beating Dublin is going to be a massive release to them, and they now go into the final in a great frame of mind, knowing they can withstand serious pressure when teams are on top. And they have the quality up front to get the scores when required, both from play and placed balls.

It puts them in a great position.

Galway get the job done

Derry will regret not getting more from their period of dominance in the first half. They went 0-3 to 0-0 up, but should have been five or six ahead.

Their shot selection had been excellent all year, but it let them down.

For Galway to get back into the game in the first half, having played so poorly, it was a sign that they were beginning to get on top.

The real sign of a leader is when things aren't going well, and when Galway were struggling and didn't look like they were going to get a score, it was Damien Comer who got them up and running with their first point from play.

Comer was asking questions of Brendan Rogers from early days, and his first goal was the turning point. Once that went in, the Tribesmen played with a swagger. They were comfortable in possession, and Derry had to do something that they didn't have to do all year, and that was chase the game.

That left them vulnerable at the back.

Odhran Lynch is receiving criticism for coming out the field for Galway's second goal, but they were five points down, they had to go for it. There was no point in sitting back. It was do-or-die at that stage. I think you prefer your team to have a go and try and win, rather than sit back and accept you're going to get defeated.

But it was a poor Derry performance compared to all year.

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Padraic Joyce will know that there has to be serious improvement for Kerry. If they play like they did in the first 20 minutes last Saturday, the Munster champions will make them pay.

The Galway defence was superb.

But they need more going forward. Other than Comer, their starting forward line only scored one point from play.

It will be very interesting to see how Galway approach the final now. They played with confidence. Even when Derry were on top, they stuck to their plan and played with a swagger and game management that was similar to Galway teams of previous eras.

Hawkeye controversy

We need to get to the bottom of what happened on Saturday. Was the system calibrated for hurling? If so, that is probably a straightforward remedy.

By and large, hawkeye has been a success.

So it will be interesting to see the feedback from Saturday.

But if referees and umpires are in the proper position, there's no need for it. It's only when there's doubt or uncertainty.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of it returning for the decider, but we've got to diagnose Saturday's issue, because it could have had a massive bearing on the All-Ireland semi-final.