Kerry impress as victory over Donegal sends them top of Division 1

Kerry will travel to Clones next Sunday to face Monaghan as Division One leaders after a nine-point win over Donegal at a wet and windy Killarney this afternoon put the Kingdom top of the league with a superior scoring difference to Armagh and Mayo, with all three teams having taken five points from the first three rounds.

Victory in Fitzgerald Stadium was built on a seven-point half time lead playing with a strong gale, but Kerry manager Jack O'Connor will surely be more pleased with how his team won the second half by two points playing against the elements.

David Clifford’s fortuitous goal was central to Kerry finally putting the meek Donegal challenge to bed, though Sean O’Shea’s seven points and all round contribution was key for Kerry, as was the graft of Adrian Spillane and solid performances at the back from Dan O’Donoghue and Tadhg Morley in particular.

As for Donegal, it was hard to fathom what their plan of attack was. Declan Bonner’s team might have been reasonably confident of turning over that 0-9 to 0-2 half time deficit, but they never really looked able to go after Kerry or the deficit in any meaningful way.

Indeed, Kerry started the second half with a clear message that they wouldn’t be sitting back on their lead when, inside the first minute after the restart, the excellent O’Shea saw his low shot come back off the post with Shaun Patton beaten in the Donegal goal.

Five minutes later Jack Barry almost beat Patton only to see his looping shot for a goal drift just wide, so when the inevitable Kerry goal came it was no surprise. No surprise that it came from David Clifford either, though he has scored prettier ones.

Clifford was on the field just 10 minutes when he took possession, rounded Ethan O’Donnell and