New-found attention buoying Donegal ahead of Lilywhites task - Brian MacIntyre 

Fresh from last weekend’s slaying of Kerry in O’Donnell Park Donegal are back on the road this Sunday facing a daunting trip away to Kildare in Newbridge. 

The Lilywhites are currently locked on four points with Donegal but have a game less played while Down continue to lead the way on six. Meath also have four points but have accumulated that maximum haul from just two outings. 

MacIntyre acknowledges that Donegal have been the centre of what is, by-in-large, new-found attention this week as national outlets take an interest in the team after taking the Kingdom’s scalp in Letterkenny. 

“Kildare is another massive game and a massive challenge for us,” said the St Eunan’s clubman. 

He scored a peach of an effort in that spectacular second-half effort in O’Donnell Park but it was his lung-busting runs at the heart of the Kerry defence that really broke the visitors’ resolve. 

And it was one of those darts that paved the way for Liam Óg McKinney’s second, and Donegal’s fourth, to restore Donegal’s three-point lead once more. 

That intervention came seconds after Oisin Mounsel had tied up the game with Kerry’s second green flag with ten minutes remaining, so it was a crucial intervention. 

McIntyre explained: “Kildare are another Joe McDonagh championship team and they hammered Kerry when they played them earlier. They are a serious team. 

“But look, Kerry are a Joe McDonagh team as well and we mastered them. And Meath are a top Christy Ring team and we should have beaten them in what was another tight game.” 

Reflecting on last Sunday’s 5-14 to 3-16, the St Eunans ace said it was a result that has the potential to help spike interest in the game in the north west. 

“It is unbelievable really. We were 18/1 to win and in the eyes of the bookies we had no chance whatsoever. But we believed that we could win. Hopefully, the attention draws even more interest and encourages people to get involved in the game”. 

Donegal trailed by six points at half-time, 1-10 to 2-1, but that did not bother the home midfielder because his side had played into a very stiff wind blowing directly up from the River Swilly end of O’Donnell Park. 

“The wind was nearly impossible to play into in the first half. So the plan was to keep it tight and we felt if we could hold them to five or six points we had a chance.

“Mickey felt it was at least an eight-point wind so to be only six down at half-time, and that was after conceding a few soft scores in the last five minutes of the half, it gave us hope.

“The two goals scored by Conor Gartland and Liam were crucial scores and made sure we were still in the game at half-time.” 

And Donegal got the second half off to a dream start with a Peter Kelly three-pointer inside a minute of the restart to cut the Kerry advantage to three points.   

“Peter is always good for a goal and that brought us right back into the game. The strength in the squad is unbelievable at the moment. 

“Rory Campbell also came on, Conor O’Grady came on,  Declan Coulter too and they all got on the scoresheet. The morale in the squad is brilliant at the moment and long may it continue.” 

MacIntyre says it was when Kerry scored their second goal with ten minutes of normal time remaining that Donegal displayed their true metal. 

“It would have been easy for us to crumble when they scored their second goal to draw level, playing against a more experienced and higher level team. 

“But we showed great heart and Liam responded almost immediately with our fourth goal and when Ruairi Campbell scored his we were suddenly six up again with five minutes to go.

“From then to the end it was a matter of playing safe and maintaining possession though I found it hard to keep going in the last few minutes because I was out on my feet.” 

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

The win pushes Donegal four clear of bottom-placed Tyrone and two ahead of second from the foot of the table, Derry. 

If Donegal could get a positive result against Kildare, Donegal will secure their Division 2 status for a second year. 

But if Donegal draw a blank in Newbridge, their survival will come down to a shoot-out in O’Donnell Park, in the last round against Derry.