Donegal captain Michael Murphy.
Donegal 0-06 Kerry 1-03
Donegal are level with Kerry at half time in their All-Ireland Senior Football Final clash at Croke Park as Jim McGuinness’s bid to win their second title in three years.
Donegal made the worse possible start, conceding a goal in the first minute, when Paul Geaney climbed to collect a high ball by Stephen O’Brien to turn and shoot low to the back of the net.
Donegal lived dangerously in the open period and after a Johnny Buckley shot hit the post, Kieran Donaghy put the ball over the bar from 15 metres to put the Kingdom four points in front with only four minutes on the clock.
A Michael Murphy free, after a foul on Leo McLoone inside the 45, got Donegal off the mark in the fifth minute.
The Donegal captain put over another free from 50 metres to reduce the deficit six minutes later.
Geaney restored the three point lead when he put over a free from 14 metres following a foul on Kieran Donaghy.
Donegal had a let off when keeper Durcan came for, and missed, a high ball and could only look on as the ball bounced narrowly wide of an empty net.
Murphy stepped up once again in the 16th minute to put over another free over the bar to reduce the deficit to two points on a scoreline of 1-02 to 0-04.
He got his, and Donegal’s fourth, again from a free in the 23rd minute to make in a one point game.
Kerry keeper Brian Kelly pulled off a brilliant save a minute later to get a leg to a low O’Connor shot, the ball going wide, referee Eddie Kinsella, from Meath, wrongly awarding a goal-kick instead of a 45.
Donegal got lucky when, from close in, Paul Keaney blasted over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Odhran MacNiallais scored a brilliant point off the ground from play from 30 yards to reduce the deficit before Carl Lacey levelled the game in the 30th minute.
All to play for the in second half – come on Donegal !!
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