Kerry dispose of Donegal with minimal fuss in Killarney

Kerry ran out comfortable winners in the Allianz League Division 1 against a limp Donegal in Killarney.

Kerry 1-13
Donegal 0-7

Trailing 0-9 to 0-2 at half-time having played against a massive gale, Declan Bonner’s side didn’t make use of the wind at their back in miserable conditions. It was a day to forget for Donegal, who will look to pick themselves up with Tyrone in Ballybofey under the lights next Saturday night.

Goalkeeper Shaun Patton missed a free in the 39th minute with his team still seven down, with it being Donegal’s first shot at goal of the match - as both first half scores came from fisted efforts - which told a story in itself. Kerry were comfortable throughout and Sean Ó Shea excelled with seven points.

Substitute David Clifford’s goal 14 minutes into part two, cutting in from the right and miskicking his shot for a point as he later admitted, squirmed into the top corner of Donegal net. It squirmed past Patton, who had knelt to get his body behind the ball only to turn around in horror, like the famous line about "the fireman who had returned to find his station ablaze."

Both teams went into the match without their talismen with Clifford starting on the bench following his Sigerson Cup exploits with UL, while Michael Murphy wasn’t available for Donegal having hobbled off against Kildare. Michael Langan, Donegal’s in-form player thus far this season, didn’t travel either. Hugh McFadden played for the first time since last July.

Despite Donegal having plenty of the ball to begin with, O’Shea opened the scoring from a sideline ball before Killian Spillane got away to post a second Kerry point on five minutes.

Eoghan Bán Gallagher, after another concerted spell of the visitors’ possession, opened Donegal’s account on nine minute when he punched over. Shane O’Donnell did the same to level after picking up a loose ball following a challenge by Jason Foley and Peadar Mogan. Both Shane O’Donnell and Rory O’Donnell were making their first starts in the Allianz League.

O’Shea, though, showed Kerry’s economy and kicked two more points with Dan O’Donoghue getting in on the scoring act from corner-back, as did Paul Geaney at 14, for a 0-6 to 0-2 Kerry lead on 21 minutes.

The strong wind was a huge factor that was made even more evident with a Shaun Patton kick-out drilled well into the gale only to nosedive in and around the midfield.

O’Shea’s fourth point of the half was another monster and for Donegal, it was a case of trying to get hands on the ball and limit the damage before the changing of ends. Two weeks’ beforehand, Kerry had blitzed Dublin by 1-9 to 0-0 in the second quarter in their 1-15 to 0-11 win.

All in all, Donegal, who hadn’t scored since the 12th minute, managed to weather the storm towards the break adequately in the circumstances, 0-9 to 0-2 down at the interval with Paudie Clifford and Spillance scoring the last points of the half.

Both sides went into the contest with three points apiece, with Kerry held in Newbridge and before that comfortable success over Dublin, while Donegal shared the spoils with Mayo before a home victory over the Lilywhites.

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With the wind having died down little in the second half, although still a factor, Donegal knew they had work to do and a change of tact might provide it as the sun made a welcome appearance through the clouds.

However, it was Kerry who almost netted when O’Shea skipped inside Paul Brennan and opting to go low, hit the butt of Patton’s post. A further example of the elements came moments later when Patton’s kick-out cleared everyone and made its way through to his opposite number Shane Ryan.

Jack Barry then shot wide on the turn with Kerry opting to use attack as the best form of defence, with Clifford arriving on the scene on 44 minutes. Finally getting a move forward in order, Donegal posted a first point in some 35 minutes through Conor O’Donnell.

But on 49 minutes, Patton’s mistake that led to Clifford’s goal really extinguished any lingering hopes Donegal might’ve had. O’Shea burst through the Donegal defence moments later to slam another point and Kerry were 1-10 to 0-3 in front and home and hosed.

Donegal managed a couple of points from Shane O’Donnell and Patrick McBrearty before, on the hour-mark, Clifford improvised to lift the ball over Patton, only to see it come back down off the crossbar.

A couple more Donegal scores - four in a row now - came from Conor O’Donnell and McBrearty to leave their deficit at 1-10 to 0-7. However, a loose ball from Jack Savage let Ryan McHugh in, only his centre to McBrearty was overplayed and the chance of a Donegal goal went with it.

O’Shea got in again to score his sixth and seventh points to cap an impressive man-of-the-match performance and Clifford, in-between, added a point to his earlier goal. For Donegal, the road home will be a long one as the search for positives.

Kerry scorers: Séan O’Shea (0-7, 1s, 2f), David Clifford (1-1), Killian Spillane (0-2), Dan O’Donoghue, Paul Geaney, Paudie Clifford (0-1)

Donegal scorers: Shane O’Donnell (0-2), Conor O’Donnell (0-2) Patrick McBrearty (0-2, 1f), Eoghan Ban Gallagher (0-1).

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Dan O’Donoghue, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch; Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry; Adrian Spillane, Séan O’Shea, Dara Moynihan; Paudie Clifford, Paul Geaney, Killian Spillane. Subs: David Clifford for K Spillane (44), Stephen O’Brien for A Spillane (55), Tony Brosnan for Geaney (58), Jack Savage for P Clifford (65), Greg Horan for Barry (67)

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Caolan Ward, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Paul Brennan, Odhrán McFadden-Ferry; Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden; Ciaran Thompson, Peadar Mogan, Shane O'Donnell; Rory O’Donnell, Patrick McBrearty, Conor O'Donnell. Subs: Stephen McMenamin for Brennan (40), Niall O’Donnell for R O’Donnell (43), Oisin Gallen for McFadden (50), Daire Ó Baoill for S O’Donnell (66), Ethan O’Donnnell for McFadden-Ferry (70)

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).