Kieran Donaghy backs ref Eddie Kinsella after Dubs cry foul in Killarney

Kerry captain Kieran Donaghy defended the performance of referee Eddie Kinsella in the wake of Sunday’s fiery league encounter with Dublin, insisting the Laois official was justified in flashing 12 cards.

Jim Gavin’s side bore the brunt of Kinsella’s decisions, with Michael Fitzsimons sent off for a frontal charge on Fionn Fitzgerald deep in second-half stoppages.

Fitzsimons’ red card offence, and, indeed, the heated altercations in front of the Kerry goal stemmed from a clash between Bernard Brogan and Anthony Maher. Both were yellow carded, Brogan bringing to five the number of Dubs to see yellow — Rory O’Carroll, Eoghan O’Gara, Tomas Brady and Cormac Costello all disciplined.

Donaghy, meanwhile, was the second Kerry footballer to receive yellow and left the field prior to full-time with a bloodied lip.

While Gavin claimed Dublin fell foul of the law, the Kerry full-forward had no qualms with Kinsella.

“Kerry and Dublin is notoriously feisty, I thought Eddie and his officiating team did a great job,” he said. “There were a few skirmishes here and there. I thought he handled it very well. When the cards needed to be given out, he gave them out. I didn’t see (Fitzsimons’ challenge). I was off – I got a bang myself – I was getting that tended to when that row broke out.”

Celebrating his 32nd birthday on Sunday, Donaghy was delighted to mark his debut as Kerry captain with victory. Trailing by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break, he was heartened by the manner the way Kerry restarted.

“It was a big day for me. I wanted to come back in the Tuesday or the Thursday after the Stacks lost, but Eamonn wanted me to take a week off and come back in the following Saturday. It’s unbelievable to be given this opportunity and I want to play as many games as I can. To get the chance to lead the boys out into this battle was something I was looking forward to.

“I said to the boys at half-time, ‘Ye didn’t expect anything else, this is going to be a war and a battle’. I think that’s what I’m most proud of with the team, that we were able to pull through in a battle.”