Kildare going well, Donegal going down

MIRROR images. Donegal's fall through the relegation trapdoor may not indicate terminal illness - not just yet, anyway - but their prognosis is still in marked contrast to the good health currently enjoyed by Kildare.

Mick O'Dwyer's second coming has ignited a new self-belief in Kildare, who ensured the top place in the Division One table with an eminently comfortable win at Newbridge yesterday.

The O'Byrne Cup hiccup at the hands of Offaly (the League quarter-finals offer an early opportunity to exact revenge) a little over a week ago cast some doubts about the exact strength-in-depth at O'Dwyer's disposal, but yesterday's performance, on a sticky sod with a difficult and stiffish crosswind, confirmed the mainly favourable impression which had persisted over the winter months.

In Niall Buckley, Kildare possess one of the game's great individuals. Yesterday saw him at his best. His return to fitness is a source of considerable relief to all Kildare folk and, crucially, his deployment at centrefield hasn't diluted his scoring prowess.

He contributed eight points to his side's tally, hammering in the remaining nails in Donegal's coffin and consigning them to taste Division Two football next season for the first time since 1988.

Still, given the final score and the predictability of the outcome, Donegal actually looked good at times yesterday, especially in the first half. They won plenty of possession and the ploy of using a physically strong half forward line (with two transformed midfielders, Brian Murray and John Ban Gallagher, and a converted full forward, Tony Boyle) actually ensured plenty of ball in Donegal hands.

Finishing proved to be Donegal's Achilles heel indeed, from the sixth to the 12th minutes, three different kickers squandered four gilt-edged scoring chances from hard-won frees - the culprits were Manus Boyle (twice), Tony Boyle and Adrian Sweeney - and left them with an impossible battle to transform their fortunes.

Kildare, in contrast, were far more economical and clinical with their chances, despite playing off more limited possession at this stage of the match. Not surprisingly, Buckley was the architect: the Sarsfields player had opened the scoring with a pointed free in the third minute, but accumulated further points from a 45, another free and then with an intelligent punched effort before Donegal finally and belatedly got off the mark with a Sweeney free in the 26th minute.

By half-time, Kildare were 0-5 to 0-2 in front and always destined to assume the winners' role. Donegal's over-indulgence in the short-passing game was leaving them in cul-de-sacs in various parts of the pitch and, against a Kildare side who are as close to championship fitness as anyone, such extravagance proved an unnecessary luxury.

Yet, Donegal were manfully staying in touch - thanks to some industrious work in the full back line by Sean McEwan and John Cunninghan - until Kildare's goal arrived in the 48th minute. Naturally, Buckley was involved, playing a quick free in to Declan Kerrigan who beat McEwan to the ball and rifled home a shot that gave goalkeeper Paul Callaghan no chance. The goal put Kildare ahead by 1-8 to 0-5 and, effectively, out of reach.

McEwan was injured in attempting to quell Kildare's goal attack and his substitution meant the shackles on Martin Lynch were loosened to allow him have a greater influence, highlighted by a subtle pass to Buckley for a point almost immediately and later by a finely taken point himself from an acute angle.

The last five minutes produced a string of Kildare points to confirm their superiority. Eric Dockery, Lynch, Buckley and Michael Ryan, who kicked his point almost from the endline in a fine individual effort, turned on the style to give the mainly Kildare support in the 7,000 crowd a feel-good kind of afternoon.

And it was only in injury time that Brian Roper, who had worked hard without any reward till that late stage of the game, grabbed Donegal's consolation goal. But it was too little, too late. Not only had Donegal lost the match, but they'd also lost their grip on Division One status.