HOW DO YOU STOP DAVID CLIFFORD?

Donegal need the answers to curtailing Kerry's 'greatest player'

- BY GARRY DOYLE

IT was meant to be a battle for the ages. Instead it became as one-sided a challenge as the Lions against the Christians, the Iceberg against the Titanic, the comb against Kojak.

Tyrone denied David Clifford a meaningful touch until the 18th minute of their All-Ireland semifinal. Unfortunately, games of football last 70 minutes.

And by the time the clock had moved to that point, Clifford had 1-9 to his name, Pádraig Hampsey in his pocket and a sixth All-Star pencilled onto his CV.

That's the thing about Clifford. His duels are more like concerts than contests. Other players give their best; he gives exhibitions.

Under the old rules, teams could triple-mark him. Now they don't have that choice; his average points-per-game outlay has increased from 5.73 to 8.29 since Jim Gavin changed the game in 2025.

Tomás Ó Sé recently dubbed him the best player to ever come out of Kerry. Colm Cooper has called him a magician, Joe Brolly a great. So how do you stop him?

That's like asking how do you solve the mystery of Shergar?

Or how do you get Conor McGregor to become a humble recluse?

And yet come 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon, Jim McGuinness has to come up with an answer.

Otherwise Donegal will remain stuck on two All-Irelands and Kerry will be celebrating their 39th.

HUNT IN PACKS

In his Irish Independent column, ex-Dubs star Philly McMahon wrote about one of the few occasions when Clifford was effectively shut out of a big game, the 2023 All-Ireland final.

Yet Clifford still delivered 1-2 in assists and 0-2 from play in that game. And that’s what people call a bad day.

“Look back at the shots he missed in 2023 at the Canal End,” McMahon wrote. “Most of them are from the left-hand side, kicking with his left.”