Kildare 0-12 Donegal 0-11ALL GAMES take on a life of their own. This repeat of last year's league semi-final had a slow-beating rhythm until the exhilarating finale saw the hosts record a first victory of the campaign.
There was plenty of bite, so much so that the slightest hint of decent attacking football usually led to a player being dragged to the dirt. An afternoon for the free-takers really.
Buckets of cynical fouls and a little trigger-happy refereeing by Joe McQuillan led to 10 yellow cards and at least seven black.
Kildare's novice manager, Kieran McGeeney, had an interesting view on this stuttering, but typical display of March madness.
Many people fail to realise that as football has progressed over the years defenders are becoming better athletes; they stay the distance and it does make it hard.
Gaelic football is a wee bit different from other sports; itis man-to-man. So you are giving men the responsibility of negating somebody else. People see that as a negative skill but that's what they are told to do.
"You think you are hard to beat, but there is always somebody out there."
The last sentence was McGeeney answering the question he actually was asked. And he's right; there are plenty of sides out there with the attacking arsenal to blow Kildare away, but the former Armagh defensive general's signature is already visible. Kildare play hard. It's frustrating for the purist, but it brings results.
The concern, and McGeeney partially conceded this, is the lack of forwards capable of scoring regularly from play. This has been Kildare's problem for some time.
In John Doyle and, in the latter part of yesterday anyway, Michael Conway, they possess dead-ball specialists who colluded for 0-8, including the decisive injury-time free from Conway.
Late replacement Stephen McDermott was adjudged to have fouled Ken Donnelly after an inspirational burst into the Donegal defence by Dermot Earley. The veteran midfielder gradually began to dominate as the game went on, an impressive achievement since he was just back from Army duties.
He was away all week working and Ronan Sweeney had an injury, explained McGeeney. In fairness to Earley it was a very slow start, but in the second half he was magnificent.
Several times Earley gathered clean possession from kick-outs - and remember Neil Gallagher was also contesting the aerial duels - and this usually led to an immediate foul.
Brian McIver may have been alluding to the awarding of that eminently kickable late Conway free when he paused to say: "My diplomacy doesn't even go close to comment on that game."
We could not seek clarification because the Donegal manager disappeared onto the team coach for the 200-mile trek home.
Nobody could envy those men this morning, back in the office, classroom or wherever; such a journey always seems longer in defeat. And that is a feeling they have not experienced in the league for a long time.
McIver was obviously disappointed with the seven yellow cards his team received and the soft frees conceded, but in private he may also have a few words on how his charges failed to close out a game they led for long periods, right up to the final minute.
Hardly surprising though. After last year's excellence en route to the national league title was followed by such disappointment in the championship, we've learned not to trust Donegal football.
The first half was a slow affair, with Doyle and Colm McFadden keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Doyle had a genuine goal chance in the opening skirmishes when he accelerated past the Donegal captain, Kevin Cassidy, only for his outside-of-the-boot shot to drift wide.
Another clear goal opportunity fell to Pádraig Mullarkey early in the second half, but this was not a case of Kildare dominance; Ryan Bradley had an equally straightforward sight of an open goal, which he also spurned, moments later.
Matters stumbled into the final quarter, when Donegal really should have pulled away, but successive wides from Bradley, McFadden and David Walsh left the door open.
Conway gratefully accepted, first levelling matters and then landing the late pressure free that saw the Kildare faithful exit St Conleth's Park in high spirits.
The rain came began to fall soon after, just around the time the Donegal coach was pulling onto the motorway.
KILDARE: T Corley; E Bolton, K O'Neill, M O'Flaherty; A Rainbow, A McLoughlin (0-1), G White; D Earley (0-1), K Brennan (capt); J Doyle (0-5, five frees), P O'Neill (0-1), A Smith; J Kavanagh (0-1), P Mullarkey, K Donnelly. Substitutes: M Conway (0-3, two frees) for A Smith (half-time), T Fennin for J Kavanagh (60 mins), E Callaghan for E Bolton (61 mins). Yellow cards: K Donnelly (11 mins), K Brennan, P O'Neill (both 22 mins).
DONEGAL: P Durcan; K Lacey, N McGee, N McCready; K Cassidy (capt), E McGee, F McGlynn; N Gallagher, K Rafferty (0-1); C Toye, M McElhinney, B Roper; C McFadden (0-8, six frees), R Bradley (0-2, one free), D Walsh. Substitutes: D Walsh for K Lacey, B Monaghan for E McGee (both half-time), K McMenamin for M McElhinney (45 mins), S McDermott for R Bradley (68 mins), L McLoone for C Toye (70 mins). Yellow cards: N Gallagher (4 mins), R Bradley (9 mins), E McGee, N McGee (both 22 mins), K Lacey (27 mins), B Roper (65 mins), K Rafferty (69 mins).
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
