Kerry topple Donegal to top Division 1

Kerry 2-16 Donegal 1-8

Kerry went top of Allianz Football League Division 1 following their third win in four outings - a well-merited defeat of Ulster champions Donegal.

Bryan Sheehan led the way with a personal haul of 1-7 as the Kingdom recovered from a sluggish start at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Patrick McBrearty, Anthony Thompson and Michael Murphy (free) shot the visitors into a 0-3 to 0-0, before Darran O’Sullivan and Paul Galvin started to pull the strings for Kerry in attack.

Newcomer Patrick Curtin profited from some good approach work from Barry John Keane to send a rising shot into the Donegal net for Kerry’s first goal, 17 minutes in.

Murphy replied for the Tir Chonaill men, taking his own tally to 0-3, before Kerry’s Kieran Donaghy delighted the home crowd with two terrific points from right under the stand.

Sheehan added to the Kerry lead by kicking his third and fourth frees of the afternoon, including a booming effort from 55 metres out.

That left Jack O’Connor’s men with a 1-8 to 0-6 buffer heading into the second period, and Donegal’s task grew more difficult just after the resumption.

With only 30 seconds on the clock, Curtin was brought down for a penalty which Sheehan converted past goalkeeper Paul Durkan who got a touch to it.

Brian Maguire and Murphy traded points to leave it 2-10 to 0-8, and the latter fired home a penalty after Kerry substitute Shane Enright had been booked.

A second yellow card for Eamon McGee thwarted Donegal’s comeback bid and O’Connor’s charges had little difficult in seeing out the result.