Donegal make heavy weather of shaking off shadow Kerry
BRUSH OFF: Kerry defender Charlie Keating under pressure from Donegal's Kieran Gallagher in Sunday's Allianz FL Division 1 clash in Ballyshannon. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho
THIS was a game Donegal couldn’t afford to lose. That was obvious at the finish. The final minute saw Kerry desperately search for an equalising goal as the home side tried to not panic. A Michael Murphy point finally settled them and the game.
Donagh O’Sullivan’s late goal made it a one-score tie. It was a play that epitomised the glorious carnage Gaelic football has become. Sean O’Shea floated in a long ball. Gavin Mulreany missed it. Joe O’Connor accidentally cleared it off the line. The ball was floated into the square again, Darragh Lyne broke it down and O’Sullivan slotted in. Subsequent goal efforts were unsuccessful and Donegal finished with a sweeping counter-attack move to tee up a well-received Murphy point.
The All-Ireland champions arrived at a sold-out Fr Tierney Park in Ballyshannon in search of Jack O’Connor’s first ever win in Donegal. Five of the Kerry team that started in last July’s final took their place for the throw-in, with Killian Spillane coming in for David Clifford late on. On the other side, Donegal had ten players who started in that tie.
Boil the first half down and it was a battle of centre-forwards, Sean O’Shea and Shane O’Donnell. O’Shea finished with 0-11, including four two-point frees. His placed ball kicking was awesome. He also claimed an offensive mark when he moved to the edge of the square.
Donegal led 1-9 to 0-8 at the break after a storming finish. A scuffed Daire Ó Baoill shot led to a goal chance for Shea Malone. Eventually Finnbarr Roarty forced a 45. Gavin Mulreany came forward to drill the kick and from there, Donegal squeezed.
They stole five Kerry kickouts in a row. Malone won a break and was very nearly punished for failing to lift his head with a free man wide open inside. It was Shane O’Donnell who demanded the ball and found Daire Ó Baoill. The jolt energised them right until the sound of the hooter as they hit 1-3 without reply.
Keeping Kerry in the game was O’Shea. He had help from Tony Brosnan as well. O’Shea swung over a beautiful two-point free at the start, he won a free for Brosnan soon after and set him up for another score from outside the arc on the 17 minute mark. That was the Kingdom’s first score from play.
With the wind at their backs, Donegal invested heavily in two-pointers. Michael Langan landed one from the throw-in and a second minutes later. Hugh McFadden curled over a rasper.
One of the moments of the match came when Shane O’Donnell pressed O’Shea deep in the Kerry half. He hounded him until David Coldrick had no chance but to call steps. That offered Murphy a tapover free and quelled the Kingdom’s first fight back.
Donegal did well to hold off the second before the final bell. Expect another in the not too distant future.
D. Ó Baoill 1-2; M. Langan 0-4 (2tp); C. O’Donnell (f), F. Roarty 0-3 each; H. McFadden (tp), P. Mogan, M. Murphy (1 f) 0-2 each; O. Gallen, S. Malone, G. Mulreany (45), C.Moore 0-1 each.
S. O’Shea 0-11 (4 tpfs, 1 mark, 1 45); T. Brosnan 0-6 (2 tp, 1f); D. O’Sullivan 1-0; A. Heinrich 0-1.
: G. Mulreany; C. McColgan, B. McCole, P. Mogan; F. Roarty, C. McGonagle, C. Moore; H. McFadden, M. Langan; D. Ó Baoill, S. O’Donnell, K, Gallagher; C. O’Donnell, J. McGee, S. Malone.
: R. McHugh for Gallagher (44); M. Murphy for Malone (52); T. Carr for O’Donnell, O. Gallen for Ó Baoill (both 62); K. Muldoon for O’Donnell (68).
: S. Murphy; E. Looney, J. Foley, D. Casey; A. Heinrich, M. Breen, T. Morley; S. O’Brien, C. Trant; J. O’Connor, S O’Shea, M. Burns; K. Splliane, T. Kennedy, T. Brosnan.
: L. Smith for O’Brien (Inj – 20); C. Keating for Breen (35); D. Lyne for Spillane (42); D. O’Sullivan for Burns (52); R. Murphy for Trant (55).
: D. Coldrick (Meath).
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