Winning kick-outs made a big impact - McGuinness on Division 1 triumph

Jim McGuinness put the difference between last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry and the Division 1 win on Sunday against the Kingdom down to early aerial dominance.

The Donegal boss watched his side go 0-13 to 1-1 ahead in the first half an hour of Sunday’s win in Croke Park, with the final eight of those scores coming without reply in a fifteen minute spell.

And the Glenties native was delighted with that start.

“It’s great, coming up the road, you want to win the game, and that’s the reality,” McGuinness said after the 3-20 to 2-10 win.

“You also want to give a good account of yourselves, and we also did that.

“It was a very different (first) 20 minutes from last summer, we were able to get our hands on the ball, and that settled us into the game, and that had a big impact on it. We used the ball well, then when we got it.

“We were looking at the analysis against Armagh, and Kerry won a serious number on the Armagh kick out early in the game, and were ten points to nil up.

“Then all of a sudden, it starts to turn, and Armagh are back level, but that’s just the game. “It’s hard to get them away, and the 40 metre arc has changed the game. 

“If you have a good day and you’re able to win it clean or win a break, then the next one, there’s massive momentum from that.

READ NEXT: Setting the early tone was the foothold Donegal needed - Peadar Mogan

“And that’s how it played out today, we were able to get our own away, and we won a number of Kerry’s early in the game, and that’s what settled us.”

Donegal’s half-time lead was helped by the aid of a breeze, but their second-half performance was just superior, hitting 3-6 without reply.

Conor O’Donnell’s super goal got that going, with McGuinness praising the Carndonagh man.

“It was great, he’s a very clever player with a nice turn of pace, but having really good pace, you have to know when to use it. 

“He kept the ball really well, and it was a very similar goal to the Armagh goal in the National League, where it was about patience and control in waiting for an opportunity to appear and not force things. He did that really well, and the finish was very good.”