Donegal’s new era began in defeat as Rory Gallagher’s new-look side fell to a three-point defeat against Kerry in Letterkenny.
Donegal 1-17 Kerry 2-17
By Chris McNulty, Donegal Sport Hub, at O’Donnell Park
Two goals by Paul Geaney, who top-scored with 2-4, helped Kerry take charge of the contest and deliver a harsh reminder that the Tir Chonaill transition will need time before it can be expected to bear fruit.
Donegal hopes were raised in the 24th minute when Michael Murphy – who returned last week from a trip to French rugby outfit Clermont Auvergne as part of RTÉ’s Toughest Trade series – drilled home a penalty.
Within a minute, Geaney was wheeling away celebrating the first of his two goals and when the Dingle man blasted in a second on 44 minutes the curtain could have falled at any moment.
Murphy dispatched from the spot after the lively Martin O’Reilly was pulled down, but Donegal allowed Kerry get in for a goal almost instantly – and there was a hint of near-inevitability about the move.
Kerry quickly transferred and Jack Savage fed the in-rushing Geaney, who lashed to the bottom corner of Mark Anthony McGinley’s net.
Kerry led 1-11 to 1-5 at half-time and they got in for a second when Donnchadh Walsh fed Geaney in space and he slipped beyond the advancing McGinley to open up a nine-point lead.
Donegal supporters in the 6,320 crowd were filing for the exits with 20 minutes left as they endured yet more agony in O’Donnell Park.
The Sallaghagrane venue has not been kind to Donegal of late.
Since inter-county football made its return here in a Brendan Devenney-inspired win over Kerry ten years ago, Donegal have won only once in the subsequence 12 games.
Donegal were already beginning the new age without legendary footsoldiers like Christy Toye, Rory Kavanagh, Eamon McGee and Colm McFadden – all of whom retired in the off-season – not to mentioned the absentees of Anthony Thompson, Leo McLoone and Odhrán Mac Niallais from the roster.
The enforced withdrawal of the flu-suffering Neil McGee punched a further hole in the vessel for this one.
In all, Rory Gallagher handed out four debuts – with former Leitrim player Paul Brennan joining Jamie Brennan, Jason McGee and Michael Langan in making their bows at this level.
Caolan Ward, who made one brief appearance against Mayo as a substitute during last year’s League, was making a first League start on his home turf; going to full-back in McGee’s absence.
Donegal gave themselves hope with a lively start to the second half, Patrick McBrearty clipping a free and Ciaran Thompson blasting over when a little less leverage could have yielded a goal.
But Geaney soon had the issue put to bed as his second major left Donegal with too stiff a climb.
A trio of quick-fire points, two of them by Kingdom debutant Savage and the other by substitute Jack Barry, had Kerry 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the 20th minute, after Jonathan Lyne and Patrick McBrearty exchanged early jabs.
Donegal led only briefly thanks to Murphy’s penalty, but Kerry regained the upper hand as Geaney goaled down the other end.
Seven minutes of added time were played at the end of the first half due to the injury that led to Kerry’s Shane Enright being carted off on a stretcher.
His replacement, Barry, made a telling impact having also had a big part for Geaney’s goal and the Kingdom were well on their way by the interval as Donnchadh Walsh, Tom O’Sullivan, Geaney (2), David Moran and Lyne posted to put them six up at the changeover.
Under Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Kerry had never won on the opening day of the League, but now they have a monkey off their back as Donegal look set for a springtime of learning ahead of a summer voyage into the unknown.
Kerry – who finished with 14 men after O’Sullivan was black-carded – lifted the foot off the gas in the closing stages and Donegal brought themselves closer, but not quit close enough to rattle the wily Kingdom.
Scorers for Donegal: Michael Murphy 1-3 (1-0pen, 3f), Patrick McBrearty 0-4 (3f), Ciaran Thompson 0-3, Darach O’Connor 0-2 , Ryan McHugh, Conor Gibbons, Martin O’Reilly, Paul Brennan, Eoin McHugh 0-1 each
Scorers for Kerry: Paul Geaney 2-4 (2f), James O’Donoghue, Jack Savage (1f), 0-3 each, Jonathan Lyne 0-2, Tom O’Sullivan, David Moran, Paul Murphy, Donnchadh Walsh, Jack Barry 0-1 each
DONEGAL: Mark Anthony McGinley; Paddy McGrath, Caolan Ward, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Frank McGlynn, Ryan McHugh, Paul Brennan; Jason McGee, HughMcFadden; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan, Martin O’Reilly; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Jamie Brennan. Subs: Eoin McHugh for McGlynn (26), Conor Gibbons for Langan (42), Darach O’Connor for J.Brennan (48), Eamonn Doherty for McGrath (50), Ethan O’Donnell for O’Reilly (58), Stephen McBrearty for McFadden (60).
KERRY: Brian Kelly; Jason Foley, Mark Griffin, Shane Enright; Peter Crowley, Killian Young, Tom O’Sullivan; David Moran, Tadhg Morley; Jonathan Lyne, Paul Murphy, Donnchadh Walsh; Jack Savage, Paul Geaney, James O’Donoghue. Subs: Jack Barry for Enright (9), Michael Geaney for Lyne (49), Barry John Keane for O’Donogue (52), Brendan O’Sullivan for Murphy (57), Conor Geaney for Savage (60), Barry O’Sullivan for Walsh (67).
REFEREE: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
