Two western seaboard teams, one sailing well, the other anxiously eyeing the lifeboat. A bright sunlight broke over Ballyshannon yesterday and for Kerry, the rays seemed to guide them back towards a path which has eluded them too often. Paidi O Se's players have been winning games, certainly, but yesterday they secured a league semi-final place with a second half show of ominous potency.
Trailing by a point at half-time, Kerry trundled back onto the field following the break and burnt their hosts for 1-12, all engineered from play save a single Dara O'Cinneide free.
Afterwards, Paidi O Se whispered soft words of satisfaction. Although he didn't quite say as much, it would seem his half-time words had more colour and invective to them.
"We had a few words all right. But I think they understood themselves, they knew what was at stake and that it is a long way to travel without taking at least a point. We improved 100 per cent after that at midfield and our defence tightened up so it was very pleasing in the end."
That about said it. Whereas Donegal had foraged for everything over a tremendously spirited first half hour, their comparatively fragile frames betrayed them when the heat turned white. Jim McGuinness and John Gildea thrived early on, but were ultimately over-run as Kerry seamlessly stepped up a gear.
Dara O Se and Donal Daly fielded brilliantly and Kerry attacked with a swiftness of execution which bewildered Donegal.
As in the first half, Kerry initiated their second-half creative burst with a goal. Galvin sent a high ball towards the square which spilled towards Noel Kennelly and he rapped his shot past Tony Blake. The tide turned from that point, with Kerry now leading by 2-4 to 0-9. Aodhan MacGearailt ran for a squared ball from Mike Hassett and rifled a point. Dara O'Cinneide and Adrian Sweeney traded frees and then Kerry broke into expressive mode again. O Se linked with Mike Frank Russell who flicked a pass to Enda Galvin for a point.
From the kick-out Liam Hassett whipped a score. Donegal's defence was at this point looking paper-thin and the sense of adventure with which they attacked in the first half had deserted them.
And yet they weren't buried until the final 10 minutes. Having grafted feverishly to retire at the break with a slender lead, Donegal looked shell-shocked at seeing it disappear so emphatically early in the second half. Through Sweeney frees and a lone Johnny McCafferty attack, they stayed in touch, seesawing along a three and four point deficit and praying their luck would change.
It was in stark contrast to their first half performance. Kerry had set the tone with a 13th minute goal - Liam Murphy broke a ball for Liam Hassett to flick to Russell to break free and drill home - but from that instance, Donegal responded as if possessed.
The lightning corner forward Brian Roper running on his home patch had a golden half-hour, nailing four points from play and hurling himself into every tackle. Donegal's forked attack had Kerry reeling, and worringly, the full back void left by the injured Barry O'Shea was all too apparent. Tom Sullivan, his replacement, was called ashore after just 26 minutes.
"A full back is a prize position," reflected O Se. "We were very lucky not to concede a goal in that first half and possibly if Donegal had managed a goal at that time, they might have taken the points."
However, Donegal were forced to come hunting for goals when point options were the more prudent. With his team trailing 0-12 to 2-9 after 58 minutes, Jim McGuinness raced onto a flick from Sweeney and fired low and early, ignoring the point chance.
Kerry broke upfield and Galvin, ignoring the goal behind Tony Blake, palmed a point. Sweeney converted a free to bring Donegal within three for the final time in the 60th minute and then, as if suddenly restless, Kerry made hay with startling ease. MacGearailt landed another bomb, Mike Hassett roamed free to fist a point and Liam Brosnan trotted in off the bench to bag a couple of scores.
A black day by the Erne for the Ulster side. A pleasant trip back to the south for Kerry.
KERRY: D O'Keeffe; M McCarthy, T Sullivan, E Galvin (0-3); S Moynihan (0-1), E Fitzmaurice, M Hassett (0-1); D O Se, D Daly (0-1); N Keannelly (1-1), D O'Cinneide (0-2, one free), A MacGearailt (0-3); MF Russell (1-1), L Hassett (0-1), L Murphy. Subs: T O Se for T Sullivan (26 mins), S O'Sullivan for L Murphy (half-time), L Brosnan (0-2) for MF Russell (58 mins), T Griffin for L Hassett, K Dillon for D O Se (69 mins).
DONEGAL: T Blake; M Crossan, R Sweeney, D Diver; N Hegarty, S Carr, N McGinley; J McGuinness, J Gildea; N McCready, A Sweeney (0-7, 6 frees), J Gallagher; T Boyle (0-1, free), B Devenney, B Roper (0-5). Subs: J McCafferty (0- 1) for J Gallagher (half-time), J Ruane for D Diver (47 mins), E Reddin for N McGinley (64 mins), J Scanlon for N Hegarty (68 mins).
Referee: J Bannon (Longford).
