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.

In the end, happy boss Kieran McGeeney could afford to take both Doyle and the outstanding Dermot Earley off.

It was all a far cry from the first round mauling in Newbridge by Down, after which McGeeney wondered if he was speaking French to his players. Certainly, the instructions were heeded ahead of this one.

Donegal mis-fired badly however, and their tactic of aiming the long ball into Michael Murphy and Colm McFadden paid little dividend.

Damien Hendy may have been starting his first game in more than two years but the man McGeeney called “Mr Dependable” was outstanding on Murphy, with Hugh McGrillen, Emmet Bolton, Keith Cribbin and Mark Scanlon on hand regularly to mop up any breaking ball.

Murphy wasn’t on his game though and one wonders if the rumoured presence of AFL agent, Ricky Nixon, in Newbridge had an effect, as he kicked some atrocious wides.

Dermot Earley and Darryl Flynn dominated midfield and with Doyle, Ken Donnelly, Karl Ennis and Pádraig O’Neill all showing very well in attack, the home side just had too much firepower for Donegal.

The Ulster men actually got off to a good start with a pointed free from Murphy inside the opening minute but it was all down hill from there.

By the time they got their next score, a fortuitous goal from Stephen Griffen in the 24th minute that McGeeney described as “awful”, Kildare had a goal and five points on the board.

Kildare’s goal came from wing-back Gary White, who finished left-footed to the corner of the Donegal net, after some delightful foot passes from Doyle and Ennis.

And they responded well when Griffen’s speculative lob went all the way to the net, Doyle kicking two points from play and O’Neill sending over with the outside of his right boot to give them a 1-8 to 1-2 half time lead.

On the resumption, Kildare carried on in their merry way. Earley produced the score of the game after good work from Hendy, Scanlon, O’Neill and James Kavanagh, and with Flynn and Donnelly also kicking points, the All Whites stretched their advantage to 10.

Tom Corley made up for his lapse for Griffen’s goal with a splendid point-blank save from Kevin Cassidy but it was a rare opportunity for the Tír Chonaill men.

Murphy finished with a brace of late points, the second his first score from play deep in injury time, but there was very little consolation for Donegal.

KILDARE: T Corley; E Bolton, D Hendy, H McGrillen; G White 1-0, M Scanlon, K Cribbin; D Flynn 0-1, D Earley 0-1; D Whyte, P O’Neill 0-2, J Doyle 0-6(2fs); K Ennis 0-2fs, J Kavanagh, K Donnelly 0-3.

Subs: M Foley for Hendy, temp (50-51); W Heffernan 0-1 for Ennis (58); R Sweeney for Whyte (59); H Lynch 0-1 for Earley (62); K Brennan for Doyle (65); Foley for White (60+1)

DONEGAL: M Boyle; J Keaney, N McGee, K Lacey; A Thompson, F McGlynn, K Cassidy; N Gallagher, B Monaghan; F McNulty, D Walsh 0-1, S Griffen 1-0; C McFadden 0-2(1f), M Murphy 0-4(3fs), C Dunne.

Subs: L McLoone 0-1 for McNulty (25); O Waide for Keaney (47); A Hanlon 0-1 for Walsh (55); B Dunnion for McGlynn (61)

Referee: M Collins (Cork).