Donegal hold off Kerry to claim first win on Kingdom soil in 37 years
Conor O'Donnell scored three points from play for Donegal in the Allianz Football Division 1 clash with Kerry. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Kerry sought a smash-and-grab reprisal. Donegal’s pace and Shaun Patton’s missiles dictated otherwise. A first Donegal League win on Kingdom soil in 37 years.
Donegal led their hosts by four points on four separate occasions. Just over 10 minutes into the second half, they led by six. Kerry never led. Not once. But neither did they go away. The longer they hung in, larger grew the possibility of them reproducing their Celtic Park heroics.
The so impressive Diarmuid O’Connor brought them within the minimum on 61 minutes. Paudie Clifford turned Finbarr Roarty and floated possession across the large rectangle. Ready was O’Connor to palm across the paint. 0-20 to 1-16.
Substitute Killian Spillane had the opportunity to equalise in the subsequent action. Spillane was wide. Donegal substitute Jamie Brennan punished the let off to double their lead.
Kerry came with another two opportunities to gain parity. Neither were taken. Ruairí Murphy was wide, teenager Roarty blocked Spillane.
Patton’s range then took over. Two restarts sailed comfortably into the Kerry half. Brennan collected the first, Ciarán Thompson the second. Both ended in white flags. Both white flags were needed as they sandwiched Kerry’s one and only two-pointer of the afternoon, that from the boot of Seán O’Shea on 68 minutes to once again bring the home side within the minimum.
So, a second League win for Donegal. Kerry remain on the two points brought home from Derry.
The obvious and outstanding takeaway from the opening half was the consistent ease at which Donegal cut through a sheepish Kerry defence.
Jack O’Connor’s rearguard men were routinely left trailing when Ryan McHugh, Ciarán Moore, and Conor O’Donnell shifted into fifth gear. Few of Jack’s rearguard men had access to such upper gears.
While only early February and conscious that teams are at different levels of preparedness and fitness, there was no escaping the heavy-footed nature of some of the home defenders. That observation also extended to some of their teammates' part of the 12 v 11 effort. That observation did not extend to full-back Jason Foley.
Donegal’s ease at finding central avenues to tear down and through contributed to their early four-point lead and later four-point interval advantage. The visitors swung open the Kerry backdoor upon their arrival and never allowed it be closed.
Conor O’Donnell was the first to hare inside his opposite number. His handpassed effort came back off the post. Ryan McHugh opened their account on five minutes. The opening two-pointer of a crisp afternoon in the Kerry capital.
Donegal’s second two-pointer served to re-establish a slight gap after Barry Dan O’Sullivan’s point-taking and restart-fetching had brought the hosts level for the first time on 27 minutes.
Caolan McGonagle took down a Patton restart. He was fouled and then impeded. Patrick McBrearty and the visitors took full advantage of the dissent to split the posts from just outside the arc.
McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, and an Oisín Gallen free, following Ciarán Moore’s latest break, ensured Jimmy’s charges concluded the opening period as smartly as they opened. 0-11 to 0-7.
Cillian Trant was a late addition to the Kerry starting team for his league debut. The St Senan’s newcomer put in a fine opening half on the main stand flank but did not reappear after half-time. Dylan Geaney had a fine first half, though not as prominent in the second.
On the scoreboard and on the field, Kerry chased all afternoon long. Unlike last week, the legs weren’t there to bring them past or up alongside their opponents. Donegal bridge the gap to the away league victory of 1988.
R McHugh (0-5, 1 2pt); P McBrearty (1 2pt free), O Gallen (1 2pt, 0-1 free), C O’Donnell (0-3 each); S O’Donnell, C Thompson, J Brennan (0-2 each); P Mogan, E Bán Gallagher, C Moore (0-1 each).
S O’Shea (0-4, 1 2pt, 0-1 free); D O’Connor (1-1); C Geaney (0-2 frees), D Geaney (0-3 each); T O’Sullivan, G O’Sullivan, BD O’Sullivan, P Geaney (0-1 free), C Ó Beaglaoich (0-1 each).
S Patton; E Bán Gallagher, B McCole, F Roarty; R McHugh, C McGonagle, P Mogan; M Langan, H McFadden; D Ó Baoill, S O’Donnell, C Moore; O Gallen, C Thompson, C O’Donnell.
P McBrearty for Langan (four mins, inj); J Brennan for McFadden (50); E McHugh for Ó Baoill (59); M Curran for R McHugh (60); O Doherty for Gallen (67).
S Ryan; D Bourke, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; G O’Sullivan, T Morley, S O’Brien; D O’Connor, BD O’Sullivan; P Clifford, S O’Shea, C Trant; C Geaney, D O’Sullivan, D Geaney.
M Breen for Morley (30); R Murphy for Trant (HT); P Geaney for D O’Sullivan, C Ó Beaglaoich for BD O’Sullivan (both 51); K Spillane for C Geaney (59).
B Cawley (Kildare).
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