Kerry victory one of Donegal hurlers' biggest ever scalps - Mickey McCann 

Mickey McCann has heralded Donegal’s NHL Division 2 win over Kerry as one of the county’s best ever results. 

The hosts had trailed 2-1 to 1-10 at the changeover but playing with the breeze in the second stanza, Donegal delivered a spectacular second-half performance to run out 5-14 to 3-16 winners. 

“As results go and certainly during my tenure it is by far the biggest result in my time involved with Donegal hurling,” said a clearly delighted McCann.

“We’ve won the Nickey Rackard Cup, we’ve beaten Down here in the league in 2018 but to beat a Munster team is special.

“It is a big feather in all those lads’ caps and a day they will always remember - the day they beat Kerry in the league in O’Donnell Park.” 

Kerry, a Joe McDonagh Championship team and perennial Division 2 tenants, were raging hot favourites going into the weekend. But McCann nor his players heeded any of that. 

“Everybody came to see Kerry play. But our lads proved today that they can play hurling too.

“We knew we had the ability to step up. But we were quietly confident that we could give a good account of ourselves against a team of the quality of Kerry. 

“For some reason we seem to play better against better teams. Down the divisions, teams try to stop you from playing and bring you down to their level. Today there was no standing back, especially in the second half.

“We went man to man with Kerry and we came out on top after being six points to win by four points which proves we were the better team and they scored a goal in the last few minutes too”.

Young guns Conor Gartland and Liam Og McKinney scored the goals in the opening period and, against the elements, that was a crucial platform.

“We felt going in six points down that we were within touching distance and still very much in the game. 

“Kerry played with  the advantage of a strong wind which we felt was an eight-point  wind at the very least.” 

Donegal got the second half off to a flier within seconds of the throw when Peter Kelly, with his first touch, rattled the back of the Kerry net for Donegal’s third goal. 

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“From Peter’s goal on I thought we out- hurled Kerry in the second half and for me not one Kerry forward bothered us in the second period”.

Once McKinney, Gerard Gilmore and Gartland stepped up in the forward line and Brian MacIntyre in midfield, Kerry were on the back foot and Donegal were the better team.

Replacements Ruairi Campbell and Peter Kelly, two young lads in the attack, and Conor O'Grady another that came on at wing-back, they all contributed to the performance and a famous win.

McCann explained: “The substitutions worked today which was important because we worked so hard, lads tired and it was good to have the fresh legs to come in.”