Kingdom lord it over Donegal

Kerry 1-12

Only a mathematical miracle will keep the Ulster side in Division 1A after another abject display in Ballyshannon yesterday.

While the effort of most of their players cannot be faulted, Donegal looked a shadow of the team they threatened to become last summer. Devoid of confidence and with little conviction or pattern to their football, they were unable to get to grips with Kerry.

Paidi O Se’s team still play in patches, but they rarely had cause to move above half-throttle yesterday. Even against the strong breeze that cut across Fr Tierney Park all afternoon, they went into the break two points ahead, 1-4 to 0-5. Even at that stage, the road back seemed too long for Donegal.

They might be missing over half their regular attack, but that appears to be a help rather than a hindrance to Ó Sé in the past few weeks. No Mike Frank, no Cooper, no Ó Cinnéide. It doesn’t matter. Declan Quill gave an accomplished performance, his seven points all the more impressive when you consider Donegal’s best defender, Niall McCready, was detailed to watch him. Paul Galvin was lively, his movement enterprising in the half-forward line.

“We have been given the opportunity to look at a few new players and they have all worked out well,” said a pleased Ó Sé afterwards. “What the league has given us is a few more options.”

Where people see a flaw in this Kerry team is in the full-back line. Yesterday, faced with the stern test posed by Adrian Sweeney, Mike McCarthy was excellent. So dominant was McCarthy that Sweeney had to moved to centre-forward. Either side of him, Mossy Lyons and Tomas Ó Sé comfortably absorbed the fits and spurts of Donegal’s inconsistent attack.

“That was what I was really happy with, our full-back line was a lot tighter than it has been in recent games, we didn’t let Donegal create very much,” Ó Sé said. All too often, Donegal were their own worst enemy in this regard.

By the end, Donegal had kicked 13 wides, most from scoreable positions. “There is certainly a confidence problem, at the moment,” said Brian McEniff. “But, the quality of ball we were playing into our full-forward line was terrible, we tried some young players out there, but I felt sorry for them because they weren’t getting any ball. The quality of ball the two full-forward lines got was different.”

Donegal played with the wind in the first half and, for the opening 25 minutes, Jim McGuinness and James Ruane lorded it in midfield. Translating possession onto the scoreboard was a problem, as it has been for Donegal throughout the league.

Sweeney and Christy Toye nailed points before Kerry got a fortuitous break for their goal. Galvin was allowed to surge straight through the heart of the Donegal defence, his shot was initially blocked by Tony Blake, but Declan O’Sullivan reacted swiftly to the rebound. There were only seven minutes gone, and Kerry had edged in front with their first attack.

“It was a soft goal to concede,” McEniff sighed.

Elementary errors crept into their game, and with Seamus Moynihan beginning to orchestrate from centre-back, Kerry discovered an extra zip to their football.

Moynihan created a point for O’Sullivan in the 10th minute, after a 60-yard run, and having the vision to find O’Sullivan’s run. Quill got his first point of the afternoon a few moments later.

Although Rory Kavanagh sent a nice angled kick, when off-balance over the bar, and Sweeney tacked on a free to level the game in the 30th minute, two Quill points before the interval ensured Kerry went into the dressing-room in the healthier state.

Despite the returning Brendan Devanney, who troubled McCarthy more than an out-of-sorts Sweeney, Donegal only managed three points in the second half, Devanney nailing the first of that meagre total in the 44th minute with his first shot at goal. Kerry were dictating matters.

Dara O’Se, after a subdued first half, was imprinting more of a presence on proceedings, with Donal Daly’s wonderful fielding offering support.

When Sean O’Sullivan’s speed sliced through the Donegal defence in the 47th minute to put Kerry five points ahead, Donegal were floundering. Moynihan was at the hub of the bulk of Kerry scores, his strong running through the middle set up Daly in the 54th minute, a score that saw Kerry cruising at 1-10 to 0-7.

Moynihan’s superb 60-yard pass for the penultimate score of the game, a beautiful curling point by Billy Sheehan was the highlight of the second half, the pass a combination of vision and accuracy that illustrates why Moynihan will be a much more dangerous proposition at centre-half for the coming year.

Kerry should be in the final shake-up for the play-offs now, but it is the summer that is taxing their minds. The only problem in attack is who will end up being the final six.

Scorers: Kerry: D Quill (0-7, 3 frees), D. O’Sullivan (1-1), P. Galvin, D. Daly, B. Sheehan, S. O’Sullivan (0-1 each)

Donegal: A Sweeney(0-4, all frees), R Kavanagh, C Toye, B Monaghan, B Devanney(0-1 each)

KERRY: D. Murphy; T. Ó Sé, M. McCarthy, M. Lyons, E. Fitzmaurice, S. Moynihan, J. Sheehan; D. Ó Sé, D. Daly; L. Hassett, E. Brosnan, P. Galvin, D. Quill, D. O’Sullivan, R. O’Connor

Subs. S O’Sullivan for O’Connor (30 mins), T. O’Sullivan for Fitzmaurice (45 mins), S. Scanlon for Hassett (53 mins), B. Sheehan for Brosnan (58 mins).

DONEGAL: T. Balke; N. McGinley, R. Sweeney, N. McCready, D. Diver, E. Reddin, K. Cassidy; J. Ruane, J. McGuinness; C. Toye, B. Monaghan, R. Kavanagh, C. Dunne, A. Sweeney, B. Roper.

Subs. B. Devanney for Monaghan (h-t), J. Gildea for Dunne (52 mins), J. McCaffrey for Roper (58 mins)

Referee: E. Murtagh (Longford)