Donegal deliver 13-point drubbing to lacklustre Kerry
Donegal joint-captains Michael Langan and Shane O'Donnell lift the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh trophy. Pic: Tom Maher/Inpho
Gaelic football has become a game of inflation. What it experienced last year was a changeover akin to the euro replacing the punt in 1999.
Just like back then, it’s going to take some time to work out the arithmetic, but 21 points is a large chunk of change in any currency.
That was the difference between Donegal and Kerry with 14 minutes to go here.
An unprecedented level of humiliation was facing Kerry after the team they hurt to the tune of 10 points last July hit them for three goals in as many second half minutes and then added six further points without reply to lead by 21 points.
Jack O’Connor offered a wry smile when Kerry’s historically highest Croke Park defeat to Meath was highlighted in the media auditorium afterwards.
David Clifford’s consolation goal five minutes from time and a glut of consolation points avoided that 15-point watermark recorded in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final being surpassed.
Nevertheless, this was an abject display and for a superstitious county it will raise fears that without the Division 1 title that has preceded all five of his All-Ireland successes O’Connor will not be guiding Kerry to All-Ireland No.40 in four months’ time.
Matching Kerry’s 29-point total of last July, Donegal were as present as they could be in a game at this time of year. For a team who couldn’t kick a two-pointer against Kerry eight months ago, their total of four to Kerry’s one was a tidy improvement.
Their execution of choreography on the Kerry kick-out was excellent too.
Kerry couldn’t raise a gallop.
There had been reports from the camp that last Sunday’s draw with Armagh had taken a lot of the players physically.
Still, this was one meek performance aside from the personal efforts of a couple of players in front of a 35,071 crowd.
Donegal were purposeful throughout and those three second-half goals between the 43rd and 45th minutes nailed Kerry’s coffin.
Conor O’Donnell blasted his fourth goal of the campaign when he benefitted from lovely work by Michael Langan and a patient Donegal build-up.
Michael Murphy intercepted Mark O’Shea and his finish to Shane Murphy’s bottom corner was perfect. The pièce de resistance was Caolan McGonagle’s lob on Murphy for the third goal to propel Donegal 15 points clear.
And the hits came on coming for Kerry, another six points including a two-point free by Murphy before Armin Heinrich eventually stopped Donegal’s 3-6 blitz.
Donegal scored one point in the final 14 minutes to Kerry’s 1-6 as some blushes were saved. At the same time, their cheeks should be scarlet after this no-show.
So lax were Kerry from the middle of the half that their collapse didn’t come as much of a surprise.
They trailed 0-13 to 1-2 at the break and the breeze in Donegal’s favour wasn’t enough of a mitigating factor to believe they would recover.
Before they disappeared in the second quarter, Kerry had turned up in the first. Peadar Mogan had to be sharp to clear off the line from Graham O’Sullivan less than two minutes in after a David Clifford shot dropped short.
Clifford sent over a fifth minute point and after three points from Michael Langan with two kicks they found the net in the 13th minute.
Keith Evans ghosted in off the wing to take a pass from Joe O’Connor, breaking Mogan’s tackle attempt and beating Gavin Mulreany to put Kerry one up.
It was another 20 minutes before Kerry managed their third and final score of the half as Donegal made mincemeat of Shane Murphy’s kick-out.
Kerry players struggled to gather Murphy’s restarts. The wind played havoc but not enough to excuse the poor retention.
“We were able to get our hands on the ball, and it settled us into the game,” said Jim McGuinness who believed that possession was the fundamental difference between this final and the counties’ previous showdown. “That had a big impact on it.
“We managed to get our hands on the ball early in the game, and that had a big impact on everybody settling down, relaxing, and kicking scores.”
Murphy’s namesake Michael was instrumental in foiling his long kicks to the right, although the former Donegal captain was extremely fortunate to remain on the field after landing closed fists on Dylan Casey. As Casey received treatment in the 16th minute, Murphy was booked.
The scoreline read one point in Donegal’s favour at that point, 0-5 to 1-1. Twelve minutes later and the margin had ballooned to nine.
Ryan McHugh sent over a couple of points as did Max Campbell, a late replacement for Finnbarr Roarty. McHugh’s second in the 23rd minute was a goal attempt that Murphy was able to deflect over for a point.
Joe O’Connor had a sniff of a goal on the half-hour mark that was kept out by Mulreany but Kerry were otherwise snatching at things.
Two minutes from the interval, Seán O’Shea ended that 20-minute spell without a score. Tomás Kennedy was on for Liam Smith who could hardly have imagined a quieter half. Kerry needed inspiration. It never came. Only torture.
“They're in great shape,” said O’Connor of Donegal. “They have a lot of running power, and they just have too much running power for us, way too much running power for us out there, and if you are a bit off in Croke Park, with the size of the pitch and the pace of the pitch, you'll be well exposed.”
Consider Kerry laid bare.
M. Murphy (1-5, 2 tpfs, 1 45); M. Langan (0-6, 2 tp); C. O’Donnell (1-1); C. McGonagle (1-0); M. Campbell, M. McHugh (0-3 each); P. Mogan, F. Roarty (0-1 each).
K. Evans, D. Clifford (1-1 each); P. Geaney (0-2, 1 tp); A. Heinrich (0-2); S. O’Shea, D. Geaney, T. O’Sullivan, T. Kennedy (0-1 each).
G. Mulreany; E. Gallagher, B. McCole, C. McColgan; P. Mogan, C. McGonagle, M. Campbell; J. McGee, H. McFadden; S. O’Donnell, M. Langan (c), R. McHugh; S. Malone, M. Murphy, C. O’Donnell.
F. Roarty for M. Murphy (56); S. McMenamin for S. Malone (60); S. Martin for M. Campbell (63); E. McHugh for R. McHugh (64).
S. Murphy; D. Casey, T. Morley, J. Foley; A. Heinrich, M. Breen, T. O’Sullivan; M. O’Shea, L. Smith; G. O’Sullivan, S. O’Shea (c), J. O’Connor; D. Clifford, D. Geaney, K. Evans.
T. Kennedy for L. Smith (32); M. Burns for G. O’Sullivan (46); T.L. O’Sullivan for J. Foley (inj 53); P. Geaney for D. Geaney (56); C. Trant for K. Evans (60).
D. Gough (Meath).
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