Kerry win bad-tempered encounter

Fermanagh 0-8 Kerry 1-12

Three players saw red, including 2006 Footballer of the Year Kieran Donaghy, as Kerry today claimed their second Division 1A win at Breffni Park.

The All-Ireland champions finished with 13 men as Donaghy and Ronan S Flatharta were both sent-off by Tyrone referee Michael Hughes.

Donaghy offloaded for Mike Frank Russell to smash home a 12th-minute goal.

Bryan Sheehan’s six-point haul helped Kerry lead 1-7 to 0-2 at half-time, but Donaghy received a straight red for kicking out at his marker before the break.

Ciaran O’Reilly and Eamonn Maguire kept Fermanagh ticking with scores before S Flatharta (59 minutes) and Fermanagh ‘keeper Christopher Breen (62) were also dismissed.

Fermanagh, who remain winless in the league, struggled to cope with Kerry’s talent-laden full-forward line of Declan Quill, Donaghy and Russell in the opening exchanges.

Thirteen minutes in and the Ernesiders were 1-3 to 0-0 down. They lost Mark Little and Mark Murphy to injury before the throw-in and Paul Johnson and Tom Brewster were called up in their places.

Kerry also had a late change in attack as Daniel Bohane was forced out, with Cromane clubman Donncha Walsh getting a call-up to the starting side.

Brewster saw little of the ball in the first half as the Kingdom reigned in the possession stakes. Sheehan landed a point from play and added a 30-metre free to set the visitors on their way before Russell hit 1-1 in the space of a minute.

Sheehan, registering two more frees, then swapped scores O’Reilly and Maguire before Kerry lost inspirational wing back Tomas O’Sé to injury.

Minutes later, having just hit a wide, Donaghy lost his cool in an off-the-ball incident and Hughes reached straight for his red card. It was Donaghy’s fifth sending off in the space of 12 months - four for Kerry and one for his club Austin Stacks.

Despite their numerical advantage, Fermanagh could not find a way back into the tie with Diarmuid Murphy denying Maguire with an excellent stop, late in the first half.

O’Reilly hit three of the second period’s first four points - Walsh was on target at the other end - but Kerry’s accuracy in front of goal was too much for the home side with Quill (free) and Russell adding to the Kingdom’s tally.

Flatharta then earned his second yellow card for a shoulder challenge on O’Reilly and Breen followed him - this time for a straight red - as he put in a late tackle on Russell.