Donegal 0-13
Kerry 1-9
Alan Foley reports from Ballybofey
DONEGAL CAME FROM six points down to post an unexpected victory over Kerry with Patrick McBrearty kicking a dramatic 74th-minute winner.
The concession of an opening goal on 14 minutes – a gift tucked home by Dara Moynihan – stiffened the home side’s task, although it made their priorities straight forward and Paddy Carr was delighted to post his first win as manager.
Donegal is a bit of a non-sovereign monarchy since Michael Murphy abdicated the throne in November and in the Kingdom, well, they’ve one with his feet up for a bit.
First-time league starter Darragh Roche scored three first half points and Barry O’Sullivan’s five-year sabbatical is at an end, just like Donegal’s Martin O’Reilly whose last championship appearances came that same year in 2018. Another first-timer, Caolan McColgan of Donegal, kicked three points from wing-back.
It was 0-2 apiece with both teams still at the sussing-out stage, when Shaun Patton played a short kick-out to Mark Curran. In turn Brendan McCole attempted to round Moynihan, only to get pickpocketed and Moynihan had the easiest job in the Twin Towns to slot into the empty net.
Kerry built from there and Tom O’Sullian and Killian Spillane helped them into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead by the 25th minute. It made for a decent start but they would only muster three more scores in the match.
Kerry had some right to complain about a McColgan point, which may have drifted wide at the last minute. One of three Donegal league debutants with Curran and McColgan the others, Johnny McGroddy kicked a fine long-range score as the half drew to close, with the visitors 1-6 to 0-6 in front when it did end.
Having kicked the last three points of the first half, Donegal put over the first four of the second to turn a six-point deficit into a one-point lead. Ó Baoill, O’Donnell and then Jamie Brennan scored to give the defiant – they love a bit of defiance in Donegal – home support reason to raise their supportive voices and on terms.
Then, Luke McGlynn – just over a minute after landing on the field – kicked Donegal into a lead of 0-10 to 1-6. Kerry’s first score in 24 minutes, which came from Paul Murphy, tied it up.
From there till the end, three times Donegal went in front again – Patton from a 45 which was the only placed ball scored in the match and McColgan – and twice Kerry levelled, with Ronan Buckley and Donal O’Sullivan’s fist doing enough. But when McBrearty got in on the act, that was that.
Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Donegal v Kerry in the Allianz National Football League here!#GAANOW pic.twitter.com/mNoZzyom1I
— The GAA (@officialgaa) January 29, 2023
Donegal scorers: Caolan McColgan, Conor O’Donnell 0-3 each, Daire Ó Baoill 0-2, Johnny McGroddy, Luke McGlynn, Jamie Brenna, Shaun Patton, Patrick McBrearty 0-1 each.
Kerry scorers: Darragh Roche 0-3, Dara Moynihan 1-0, Paul Murphy 0-2, Tom O’Sullivan, Killian Spillane, Ronan Buckley, Donal O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Donegal
Shaun Patton
Mark Curran
Brendan McCole
Caolan Ward
Caolan McColgan
Stephen McMenamin
Martin O’Reilly
Caolan McGonagle
Jason McGee
Johnny McGroddy
Daire Ó Baoill
Conor O’Donnell
Hugh McFadden
Patrick McBrearty
Jamie Brennan
Subs:
Luke McGlynn for McFadden (42)
Jeaic Mac Ceallabhui for McGroddy (64).
Kerry
Shaun Murphy
Graham O’Sullivan
Jason Foley
Tom O’Sullivan
Mike Breen
Tadhg Morley
Paul Murphy
Jack Barry
Barry O’Sullivan
Michael Burns
Dara Moynihan
Adrian Spillane
Tony Brosnan
Darragh Roche
Killian Spillane
Subs:
Ronan Buckley for Breen (47)
Ruairi Murphy for A Spillane (47)
Donal O’Sullivan for Burns (55)
Stefan Okunbar for B O’Sullivan (55)
Greg Horan for Moynihan (62).
Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).
I can’t see many having sympathy given his past.
He shamed the country. I feel sorry for the other riders whose horses ran without drugs and didn’t cheat. And that’s saying nothing about the staged burglary to steal the B blood sample from the HQ of Show jumping Ireland in the dead of night. It made us look like a bunch of gombeens.
Here come the horsey set with their red thumbs in support of Cian, tally-ho suckers !
The brown envelope comes to mind with this decision .. Shafted ..
They did however win the Most Ironically Named Horse Award.
Why did the fella run out in front of him?
Shame Sepp Blatter wasn’t in charge. Could of made a deal.
Juicstice served?
I see a lot of people saying stuff like this.. what did he do I know nothing about the man?
He won gold. Horse later tested positive. B samples went missing after a suspicious break in. Something like that.
Sound mate
Good. He’s only a cheat anyway.
I feel sorry for a lot of irish jockeys lately . Bertram Allen and yesterday Richard Howley have both being wronged by the FEI on tiny, tiny infringements. Yet they ,themselves, don’t make a big call like this which is an infringement on the actual course .
They .the FEI
Was it not when that man was in the way that O’Connor did not follow procedure to point out the unexpected obstacle?
In saying that it is a pity.
Yes. The rules are that he had to pull the horse up during the round and lodge the complaint straight away. Cian didn’t….he finished the round. Had one fence down, which was the fence directly after the man running across him, but he completed the round. Only lodged a complaint and apply after he lost out on qualification by one place because of the four faults. An International showjumper at that level should know the rules. Even more so for Cian considering his past.
Exactly, in cases like this you must stop your round and ask the judges to let you re-start it. Had he done so I am sure the judges would have allowed him to re-start. However by carrying on he was looking for two bites at the cherry. Correct decision to reject his appeal.
How is Show Jumping in the Olympics anyway? It’s presence makes a mockery off all the competitors in the real sports. Shouldn’t really be allowed. Dressidge is another one. Who came up with that nonsense?
Why isn’t horse racing included like showjumping?
What a stupid comment to make… showjumping is one of Irelands most successful sports, people who partake in any equestrian sport train just as hard as anyother sport.. its takes a lot of time, commitment and work to get to the levels of these riders and animals and its not dressidge its dressage..if you dont know the sport dont comment on it
Janis, I hardly think people who partake in equestrian “sport” have to work hard. Show Jumping and Horsey Racing are pretty much spectator sports for the riders. Sit back, relax is what’s on the cards during a ride. The only time a rider would break sweat is if they’re hitting the horse really hard with the riding crop, or maybe kicking it with the spurs. Horsey people love being cruel to animals. They’re all involved in fox-hunting and badger-baiting and the like. Stuck-up idiots
I’m surprised O’Connor took the rap…
Clearly the gag went over people’s heads (the horse usually gets the rap).
Oconnor unfairly shafted again
The rules are the rules for everyone, maybe Cian might try learning them and then following them. He lost the appeal let that be the end of it.
Not surprised at all. The incident may have cost Ireland their place because O’Connor was more concerned about the guy running out in front of him than getting on with the job and setting his horse right for the next jump. Anyway, when the jockey’s arse is bigger than the horse’s arse, our expectations weren’t high.
I Connor plus drugs equals trouble for everyone around him. Shame on him as his behaviour deserved a lifetime ban since he threatened our most valuable industry horses and farming( both linked by their very nature). I hate when people clap him at the RDS as it is like Roy Keane in the World Cup. Yet they both did well from their disgusting behaviour. This guy should have been jailed but no in Ireland he gets rewarded, just like some of our politicians snd bankers.
Most likely your man was on the same drug as Waterford crystal