McGeeney delight as Kildare take off

THE three-week sabbatical had startlingly different effects on these two sides, with Kildare looking much like their old selves and Donegal but a pale shadow of the team that steamrolled Laois last time out.

The disciplined tackling and movement around the field that were features of their Kildare’s play last summer was back for this outing and so too was Johnny Doyle.

The team captain was playing his first game of the league after suspension and looked very sharp throughout, kicking four points from play and adding two frees for good measure.