Donegal Ladies were defeated for a third successive game, losing by two points to Kerry in the Lidl Ladies National League Division 1.
Kerry 2-10 Donegal 1-11
A higher scoring game than Donegal’s opening two games, the game was dominated by one player from each team, with Susanne White for Donegal and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh both scored 1-8 each.
Kerry led for the majority of the game, with Síofra O’Shea’s goal on 50 minutes putting them clear before being pegged back again.
But Ní Mhuircheartaigh’s penalty with five minutes to go gave Donegal very little chance of taking anything home from Austin Stack Park at five points down.
Two quick points gave them a bit of hope with a late free for White to take, but she fired narrowly over the bar with a host of Kerry players on the line defending the net.
Donegal began at a quick pace, with Shannon McGroddy kicking over inside 70 seconds after good play from the visitors.
Susanne White’s point effort smashed the bar moments later and when Laoise Ryan played McGroddy in 1-on-1 she didn’t realise how far out she was and tried to punch into the net from too big a distance.
But Kerry then began to find their form, with Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh getting off the mark from a tight angle, and Síofra O’Shea fired over from distance.
Patrice Diggin then poked over from off the ground after O’Shea’s shot bounced back off the bar, and Ní Mhuircheartaigh made it 0-4 to 0-1.
Susanne White levelled the game however after Ciara McGarvey played the ball over the top to Tara Hegarty and she squared it to White who fired in easily.
White then put Donegal ahead with a good score but Ní Mhuircheartaigh levelled from a free then just squeezed one over from another dead ball with the help of the cross bar.
Ní Mhuircheartaigh fired over a third in succession after a mistake at the back from Donegal.
Donegal’s keeper Aoife McColgan came forward for a free and fired over well but Ní Mhuircheartaigh raced forward, jinking outside and in before firing over for the last kick of the half, 0-8 to 1-3.
Donegal again started bright in the second half, with White firing over from the right after 20 seconds.
But again two Ní Mhuircheartaigh frees had Kerry three points clear.
Donegal weren’t going away though and two White frees brought them back to within a point, helped by a massive save from McColgan to deny O’Shea a goal at the other end.
O’Shea only needed a second invitation at a goal chance and when Niamh Ní Chonchúir’s long ball was spilled into her path, she made no mistake in rifling the ball into the net, 1-10 to 1-6.
Another couple of White frees gave Donegal hope in the final ten minutes, but an unfortunate error led to a penalty being awarded to Kerry, and Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck a near perfect penalty into the bottom right corner of the net, leaving McColgan with no chance.
Donegal had a bit of a mountain to climb now, 2-10 to 1-8 down with five minutes of normal time remaining, but Maxi Curran’s side again showed heart to mount their best effort, with a quick McGarvey point and a seventh White point, again from a free, left a goal in it.
Donegal were given a late lifeline with a free from close range and White tried to keep it low in a goal attempt but she narrowly fired over, with the game ending on 2-10 to 1-11.
A much more positive performance from the Donegal team against one of Ireland’s top sides, but they still remain winless after three games.
Donegal: Aoife McColgan (0-1f); Niamh Carr, Evelyn McGinley, Saskia Boyle, Amy Boyle Carr, Emer Gallagher, Tara Hegarty; Shelly Twohig, Róisín Rodgers; Susanne White (1-8,2f), Katie Long, Laoise Ryan, Catherine Boyle, Shannon McGroddy (0-1), Ciara McGarvey (0-1).
Subs: Caoimhe Keon for Boyle (6 mins), Nicole McLaughlin for Rodgers (41 mins), Jodie McFadden for Saskia Boyle (44 mins)
Kerry: Mary Ellen Bolger; Ciara O’Brien, Kayleigh Cronin, Aoife Dillane, Ciara McCarthy, Emma Costello, Aishling O’Connell; Mary O’Connell, Cáit Lynch; Patrice Diggin (0-1), Niamh Carmody, Anna Galvin, Síofra O’Shea (1-1), Rachel Dwyer, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (1-8,4f).
Subs: Hannah O’Donoghue, Lorraine Scanlon and Niamh Ní Chonchúir for McCarthy, Carmody and Dwyer (41 mins)
