PATRICK MCBREARTY ADMITS that he couldn’t recall playing in a more physical league game in his five years with Donegal as Sunday’s clash with Kerry.
Twenty-two-year-old McBrearty (pictured above by Oliver McVeigh/ Sportsfile) said that there may well be something of a rivalry growing between Donegal and Kerry, as there’s nothing to choose between the top teams in Division 1 and few are willing to give an inch.
Alan Fitzgerald from Kerry and Donegal’s Leo McLoone were both red-carded in the first half, one that was blighted by a number of unsavory incidents, although the fare did improve after the break.
When Jim McGuinness’s Donegal overcame Kerry 1-12 to 1-10 in the 2012 All-Ireland quarter-final it was the first time the two western counties had faced one another in championship football.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s Kerry extracted their revenge in 2014 by winning Sam on a 2-9 to 0-12 scoreline and with the top sides unwilling to yield to one another, that means league fixtures are becoming more and more intense.
“There is a big rivalry developing there between Donegal and Kerry,” McBrearty said. “There was the quarter-final in 2012 and the All-Ireland final in 2014. We were going down there with six points and wanted the win. Their backs were to the wall and needed to win. Every day we go out, we don’t lie down. Things probably did look out of hand to spectators.”
The Kilcar clubman, though, said that the toughest thing about Tralee was having to turn for home with nothing, following a 1-13 to 1-8 loss.
“It was a tough game, but it was a tougher result. When we got back to 0-7 to 0-7, we should have kicked on because we had them rattled. We switched off for the goal and we couldn’t get back after that. It was a tough loss.
“It was probably the most physical league game I’ve been involved in. It was definitely the most high profile game in terms of that. There was a good deal of physicality to it, but it was just two teams going at it.
“It’s Division 1 – the place to be because you’re meeting the teams you’d be meeting in the Championship. There is nothing between these teams.”
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