[7] Their first meeting in a decade and their first All-Ireland final clash in twenty years, reigning champions Dublin faced a young and inexperienced Kerry team on 28 September 1975.

Jimmy Keaveney points from placed balls kept the Dubs in touch to some degree in the second half, but Kerry always had that extra gear they could use and a Ger O'Driscoll goal and a Pat Spillane sealed a surprise 2-12 to 0-11 victory.

Kerry captain Mickey "Ned" O'Sullivan was unable to accept the Sam Maguire Cup as he was knocked unconscious during the game and had to be hospitalised.

The Dubs unveiled a new hero when Kevin Moran careered through the Kerry defence, took a return pass from Bernard Brogan and sent a shot screaming narrowly wide to set the pace for a fast, thrilling match.

In a move started by Brian Mullins, the ball eventually found its way to Tony Hanahoe, who slipped it off to David Hickey and the latter shot brilliantly to the back of the net for Dublin's second goal.

Goal number three saw Hickey, Hanahoe and Bobby Doyle combine to set up Bernard Brogan for the clinching score as Dublin ran out five-point winners.

The ball won the raceand it curled inside the near post as Paddy crashed into theoutside of the net and lay against it like a fireman who hadreturned to find his station ablaze.

In the 32nd minute a foul was awarded against Dublin goalkeeper Paddy Cullen who continued to remonstrate with the referee as Mikey Sheehy lined up to take the free.

Jim Ronayne's controversial hand-passed goal provided little solace for Dublin, whose 3-13 to 1-8 defeat brought the curtain down on their great team of the decade.

Bizarrely, an article in the RTÉ Guide described the Kerry squad as "a cowardly blend of experienced players, has-beens and a few newcomers" and acted as motivation for the entire team.

Kerry had been in charge for three quarters of the match, with Dara Ó Cinnéide contributing six points, primarily from placed balls, and also providing the pass for Aodán Mac Gearailt to score a goal after just 11 minutes.

For long stages it looked like Kerry would run out easy winners as Collie Moran and Dessie Farrell spurned two goal chances in the first half.

When referee Michael Curley awarded Kerry a somewhat dubious free, Dublin manager Tommy Carr was quick to vent his frustration and remonstrated strongly with the Galway official.

Vinny Murphy and Darren Homan bagged quick-fire goals as Dublin scored 2-3 without replay to give them a one-point lead as the game drew to a close.

Dublin still had a chance to win but substitute Wayne McCarthy didn’t have the distance into the wind from a 45 straight in front of the posts and the game ended in a 2-11 to 1-14 draw.

Kerry were reduced to fourteen men when Tomás Ó Sé was handed a straight red card for a foul on Collie Moran as the Dublin player bore down on goal.

The Dubs had two opportunities to rescue a draw, the first of which occurred in the 69th minute when corner back Coman Goggins raced towards goal but Kerry goalkeeper Declan O'Keeffe managed to save and the ball was cleared after a goalmouth scramble.

Ciarán Whelan, operating between midfield and centre forward where he was named to start, saw a thundering shot rebound off the crossbar as the sides were level at the interval.

Kerry made the match-winning break just after the interval when man-of-the-match and team captain Declan O'Sullivan’s goal was followed by a string of points which put them 1-12 to 0-9 ahead after 49 minutes.

That score launched the Kingdom into a compelling, enthralling exhibition of controlled football that simply blew their opponents away and they led by 1-14 to 0-3 at the break, with Gooch hitting 1-4 and skipper Darran O'Sullivan three points.

And in a gripping finish, Cluxton kept his cool to make history as the first goalkeeper to score an All-Ireland final winner, when he slotted over a stoppage time free to seal a 1-12 to 1-11 victory.

Michael Darragh Macauley and Bernard Brogan struck early for the Dubs, but they were knocked back by James O'Donoghue’s seventh-minute goal.

60 seconds later Diarmuid Connolly floated in a tantalising delivery from the left, and a flying Paul Mannion rose to punch to the net past a helpless Brendan Kealy.

Kerry rallied late on and Donaghy did his best under the high ball to pinch a crucial goal, but the best they could muster in the closing stages was a converted free from Bryan Sheehan as Dublin ran out 0-12 to 0-9 winners.