McBrearty points the way as Carr gets started with dramatic win over Kerry

A fantastic Patrick McBrearty point in the last minute of injury time gave Paddy Carr a dramatic victory in his first outing as Donegal manager against Kerry in Ballybofey.

Donegal 0-13 Kerry 1-9

In what was a brave performance from Carr’s inexperienced team, they came from six points down in the first half to post an encouraging victory with new captain McBrearty’s winning score on 74 minutes - just to add to the tension - clipping Shane Murphy’s crossbar on its way over. That’s what it came down to and that’s where it ended up

The concession of a catastrophic opening goal on 14 minutes - a gift tucked home by Dara Moynihan - stiffened Donegal’s task, although it made their priorities straight forward. 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.

If ever there was a chance to redress some of the balance against the Kingdom, it was in the Division 1 opener, with Jack O’Connor missing a host of players including the entire forward line who started last July’s All-Ireland final win over Galway.

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 of 2018.

Another first-timer, Caolan McColgan of Donegal, kicked three points from wing-back in a man-of-the-match display and he was ably assisted by his Inishowen wingman Conor O’Donnell, who scored the same.

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.

A minute before half-time, Daire Ó Baoill managed to stave off a few challenges and worked himself into a shooting position - albeit from an angle that was decreasing all the time - and his effort flew across the face of goal and just wide. Just beforehand, 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. Although it was spluttery with enough errors to keep the video analysts busy for the next few days, it was certainly exciting enough for the last weekend in January.

Just so their followers couldn’t totally relax, Donegal were fond of trying to frequently play and sometimes overplay with the ball at the back and Kerry kicked five chances from the decent category wide in the second half.

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, with Carr giving the MacCumhaill Stand a fist-pump or two to raise the roof. He’s off and running.

Donegal scorers: Caolan McColgan 0-3, Conor O’Donnell 0-3, Daire Ó Baoill 0-2; Johnny McGroddy, Luke McGlynn, Jamie Brennan, Patrick McBrearty 0-1; Shaun Patton 0-1, 45.
Kerry scorers: Darragh Roche 0-3; Dara Moynihan 1-0; Paul Murphy 0-2, Tom O’Sullivan, Killian Spillane and Ronan Buckley, Donal O’Sullivan 0-1.

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).