Kerry won the war but it was not without casualties.
The Kingdom recorded the second win of their league campaign and condemned Donegal to their first Division 1 defeat of the year with a 1-13 to 1-8 win in Tralee.
If it lives long in the memory it will be for all the wrong reasons. A nasty, mean-spirited and, at times, violent encounter saw both teams finish with 14 men.
After a first half where Alan Fitzgerald and Leo McLoone were dismissed for striking, referee Eddie Kinsella called both managers to his dressingroom to plead for better discipline in the second half.
It had some effect, with the cards limited to three yellows afetr the break- compared to two reds, two blacks and three yellows in the opening period. However Kinsella still ended up awarding a staggering 59 frees.
VIDEO: Paul Galvin thought the Kerry player who boxed Neil McGee was dead right to protect himself https://t.co/I6t3znwRHU
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The worst incident saw Kerry full-forward Fitzgerald dismissed for punching Donegal’s Neil McGee in the nose, however the full-back stayed on the pitch as neither the unpires or the officials saw McGee viciously bend Fitzgerald’s fingers.
It was all very unsavoury and Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice admitted his side failed to keep themselves in check.
“Maybe the fact we got a red card and two black cards today might suggest that our discipline was not where it needed to be today. Situations like this will always happen when two teams go at it as hard as both teams did today.”
Kinsella’s performance drew much ire from fans but Donegal boss Rory Gallagher said the Laois whistler had a thankless task.
“It is very difficult to referee those games, to be fair. You always think that some things could go your way,” he said.
“It’s very hard to see everything that is going on. I didn’t see the Kerry sending-off and I didn’t see Leo’s but he said that he didn’t do a lot. He thought it was a second yellow card.”
