Donegal forwards let Kerry off the hook

Kerry made it two wins on the trot when they overcame the strong challenge of Donegal at a rainswept Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney yesterday.

The home team struggled to find their form, however, and it was a combination of solid defending and the squandermania displayed by the Donegal forward line which decided it. Indeed, with 12 minutes remaining, Kerry trailed by a point and it was only after a flare-up near the sideline - after which Donegal's Noel McGinley was yellow-carded - that the Kingdom seized the initiative and fired over six points in a row.

Kerry were helped by the brilliance of their full-back line: Seamus Moynihan, Mike Hassett and particularly Michael McCarthy had their opponents on the rack all afternoon.

At the other end only Aodan Mac Gearailt and the sublime Maurice Fitzgerald played to form. Donegal, with the wind in the first half, opened the scoring with an Adrian Sweeney free in the first minute, but O Cinneide quickly levelled.

Then came a barren spell as Kerry did not register a score for 21 minutes and Donegal added only three points, two from Sweeney and one from Brian Roper. In the same period they kicked eight inexplicable, and ultimately ruinous, wides.

Kerry enjoyed a purple patch during a five-minute spell and points from Mac Gearailt, Mike Frank Russell and O Cinneide had the sides level on four points apiece with five minutes left in the half. Fitzgerald then played an exquisite ball to O Cinneide, who missed an open goal. Late points from Noel Hegarty and Sweeney had Donegal 0-6 to 0-4 in front at the interval.

Kerry made a whirlwind start to the second half and swept a point clear within three minutes following fine efforts from Mac Gearailt, Noel Kennelly and Mike Hassett. Paul McGonigle equalised for Donegal and suddenly they began to play better against the wind. Noel McGinley put them in front in the 13th minute and Kerry had to wait until the 20th minute to equalise when Tomas O Se's long delivery was allowed to bounce over the bar. Then came the flare-up and once Fitzgerald had punched Kerry in front they finished the stronger and O Cinneide with two fine efforts and Fitzgerald with two magnificent points secured victory.

KERRY: D O'Keeffe; M Hassett (0-1), S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T O'Sullivan, T O Se (0-1), K Scanlon; D O Se, D Daly; D Dwyer (0-1), M Fitz- gerald (0-3), N Kennelly (0-1); MF Russell (0-1), D O Cinneide (0-4), A Mac Gearailt (0-2). Subs: E Brosnan for Mac Gearailt; W Kirby for D Daly; M Lyons for M McCarthy.

DONEGAL: T Blake; P Campbell, E Doherty, N McGinley (0-1); M Crossan, M Coll, S Carr; J McGuinness, P McGonigle (0-1); M Hegarty, J Gildea, B Roper (0-1); A Gallagher (0-1), A Sweeney (0-4), B Devenney. Subs: N Hegarty (0-1) for M Coll; M Doherty for B Roper; R Sweeney for M Crossan; J McCafferty for B Devenney.

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).