Donegal's late surge sees off Kerry

NFL Division One A/ Donegal 1-15 Kerry 0-13:In the first League fixture played at O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny in 30 years Donegal maintained their impressive form by surging past holders and All-Ireland champions Kerry in the final quarter of yesterday's Allianz National Football League Division One A match.

After a disappointing opening half by the home side, they picked it up in the second with local shooter Brendan Devenney putting his familiarity with the pitch to good effect by firing over six points, four from play for Donegal to run out winners by what Kerry felt was a slightly flattering five points. But in the first half it was only the shot-stopping of Diarmuid Murphy that prevented the visitors from being cut to ribbons before the match even got to half-time.

Kerry had the additional concern of losing full forward Kieran Donaghy after barely 20 minutes to a shoulder injury. Two X-rays taken locally hadn't clarified the position but it was accepted that the Footballer of the Year had probably dislocated his AC joint.

Donaghy's early enforced departure - his third of the campaign after two red cards - marked a turning point, as the inside threat never recovered. Kerry had started promisingly, working the ball creatively into the full forwards and scoring with an unfussy accuracy. None of their forwards missed throughout the 70 minutes.

Their economy contrasted with Donegal's. Kerry hit just four wides whereas Donegal - aside from four excellent goal opportunities, one of which was scored - recorded 10 wides which was one reflection of a well -deserved win.

It wasn't, however, until the last 15 minutes that Donegal hit the front but once they got that upper hand they relentlessly finished off their opponents.

In the early stages Kerry were well on top. Michael Russell and Declan Quill hit good points, Donaghy linked well and at centre forward Séamus Scanlon distributed the ball expertly and was involved in half of the first-quarter's six points.

Darragh Ó Sé was the controlling figure at centrefield and Donegal looked in danger of a first defeat of the season. The crucial score, though, came before half-time. Colm McFadden, rampant at times in the first half, held up the ball for the incoming Kevin Cassidy whose thunderous finish nearly took the net off its hooks.

That cut the margin to one, which it remained at the break so Kerry went from cruising to battle stations.

Yet strangely Donegal looked to have blown themselves out in the third quarter. Despite a steady stream of possession they managed only two points, from Devenney and Ciarán Bonner. Meanwhile, Quill and Tomás Ó Sé, twice in the space of a minute, pointed to extend the lead.

By now the exchanges had become at times confrontational and a couple of players ended up stretched out in mysterious circumstances. For the third quarter Donegal went up a gear. They swamped centrefield and won the breaks, pouring forward. Marc Ó Sé was assigned his third marking task - he had already relieved Pádraig Reidy of McFadden - as Devenney began to cause serious trouble, scoring five points in the final quarter.

Complicating things for Kerry was the departure of Tomás Ó Sé, who had to go off in the final 10 minutes after an energetic return to the team. "Tomás is just back after a hamstring injury," said manager Pat O'Shea. "He felt a little twinge and we felt it was too much of a risk to leave him on."

Michael Hegarty and Adrian Sweeney came on to demonstrate Donegal's bench options and from the moment Quill elected to go short from a 63rd-minute free that might have tied the match, Kerry were left floundering.

"It was definitely a great result," said goal scorer Cassidy. "We came here looking for two points. There was a lot about the ground but in the end it was just a game we had to win. We showed them too much respect in the first half and were very disappointed to be a point down. They were finding men inside too easily and we knew we had to work harder."

Visiting boss O'Shea was resigned. "They scored 1-15 and any day you concede 1-15 you don't deserve to win."

DONEGAL: P Durcan; N McGee, P Campbell, K Lacy; P McConigley, B Monaghan, B Dunnion; N Gallagher (capt), K Cassidy (1-0); R Kavanagh (0-1), B Roper, C Toye; C McFadden (0-3, one free), B Devenney (0-7, three frees), C Bonner (0-3). Subs: M Hegarty (0-1)for Roper (54 mins), K McMenamin for McFadden (63 mins), A Sweeney for Toye (66 mins), E McGee for Monaghan (71 mins).

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé (0-2), A O'Mahony, M Lyons (0-1); D Ó Sé (0-2), T Griffin; B Sheehan (capt; 0-1 free), S Scanlon, D Walsh; D Quill (0-4, two frees), K Donaghy, MF Russell (0-3). Subs: S O' Sullivan for Donaghy (21 mins), P Galvin for Walsh (32 mins), Darren O'Sullivan for S O'Sullivan (59 mins), B Guiney for T Ó Sé (59 mins).

Referee: V Neary(Mayo).