KERRY boss Jack O’Connor hailed his troops for winning a ‘hurling-style’ clash against Derry.
The Kingdom needed late goals from Dónal O’Sullivan and Paul Geaney to triumph after trailing by five points heading into the closing stages.
If supporters got used to scrolling through their phones during Gaelic football’s previous life, nobody was able to take their eyes off this box-office battle at Celtic Park.
And O’Connor said: “It was a mad game. We were five down with five minutes to go, so you wouldn’t have given us much of a chance.
“It is a different game with the two-pointers. It is almost turning into hurling-style scoring.”
Shane McGuigan’s 62nd-minute goal gave Derry the lead after O’Sullivan’s second point levelled matters moments before.
McGuigan and Lachlann Murray put the home side five points up before the fireworks began.
A long ball from Seán O’Shea was missed by the Derry defence and Paul Geaney pounced to raise a green flag.
McGuigan then nailed his fourth point for a three-point lead in the 68th minute.
But a defensive error allowed Kerry in for O’Sullivan’s goal to level matters again.
And the drama continued when Néill McNicholl’s rushed kick-out went straight to Geaney who raced in to bag Kerry’s fifth goal to win the game.
Derry had seconds to save their skins but the sound of the hooter beat any hopes of a comeback.
Kerry got the rub of the green 15 minutes from time when Dylan Geaney breached the halfway line.
It was missed by referee Martin McNally, with a Derry defender punished for stepping over in the play.
With the ball carried forward to the edge of the arc, O’Shea kicked a two-pointer as Kerry benefited from good fortune.
But in the end, goals won the game.
If the second half was epic, the opening period would have been seen as just as good under the old rules. Brendan Rogers’ two-pointer sent Derry three ahead before Conor Geaney bagged a fifth-minute goal.
With midfielders Anton Tohill and Conor Glass in fine form, the Oak Leafers stayed in touch until Conor Geaney’s second goal opened a 2-5 to 0-8 lead for Kerry in the 28th minute.
But Ben McCarron bombed over a two-pointer for Derry, who edged 0-13 to 2-5 ahead at the interval with scores also arriving from Diarmuid Baker and Donncha Gilmore.
Gilmore put Derry three up midway through the third quarter before a two-pointer from Dylan Geaney was another Kingdom gain.
While Diarmuid O’Connor pulled Kerry back into it, Derry’s attack kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Penned in and without the short restart option, a Rogers catch and Tohill run led to an Ethan Doherty point.
Conor Doherty fielded the kick-out that led to Shane McGuigan’s goal — a fine finish lost in the blockbuster ending.
But Kerry were reading a different script and they forced several Derry mistakes to allow O’Sullivan and Paul Geaney to complete the smash and grab.
Derry lost to Tyrone in the first round and Oak Leaf gaffer Paddy Tally said: “I thought we played really well but we conceded some terrible goals and that was the difference.
“We were three points up and to lose it within a minute is very disappointing.
“I think we’re much, much better today. But you can’t give away five goals in a game and expect to win.
“It’s just impossible so I think that’s the biggest learning for us.”
Derry 1-24 Kerry 5-15
KERRY: S Ryan; D Bourke, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; G O’Sullivan, T Morley, S O’Brien 0-1; D O’Connor 0-1, BD O’Sullivan 0-2; P Clifford, S O’Shea 0-5, 1tpf, 2f, R Murphy; C Geaney 2-2, K Spillane, D Geaney 0-2, 1tp. Subs: D O’Sullivan 1-2 for R Murphy 47 mins; K Evans for Spillane 49; P Geaney 2-0 for C Geaney 53; C Ó Beaglaoich for O’Sullivan 57; E Healy for O’Brien 63.
DERRY: N McNicholl; D Baker 0-1, E McEvoy, M Doherty; C Doherty, B Rogers 0-2, 1tp, D Gilmore 0-3, 1tp; C Glass 0-2, 1 45, A Tohill; E Doherty 0-3, P Cassidy 0-2, C Murphy, N Toner 0-4, 2f, S McGuigan 1-4, 1f, B McCarron 0-2, 1 tp. Subs: L Murray 0-1 for Murphy 48 mins; P McGurk for McCarron 52; D Higgins for Tohill 58; D Cassidy for Gilmore 59; J McDermott b-s for Baker 64.
REFEREE: M McNally (Monaghan).
