Kerry strike late to sink Derry in Division One
- Published
Paul Geaney's two late goals helped Kerry earn a dramatic victory at Celtic Park as Derry remain without a league point after two games
Kerry hit three late goals to snatch a dramatic 5-15 to 1-24 win over Derry in the Allianz Football League Division One contest at Celtic Park.
Derry looked to have sealed the game in the 64th minute as Shane McGuigan riffled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to help them move five ahead.
However, a Paul Geaney goal gave Kerry hope before Donal O'Sullivan and Geaney again netted in the closing moments as a shell-shocked Derry remained without a point in Division One following last weekend's defeat by Tyrone.
Jack O'Connor's two match-winning substitutes finished with a combined 3-2 tally.
Derry led 0-13 to 2-5 at the break despite playing against the breeze with Conor Geaney hitting the net twice as he produced a first-half haul of 2-2.
Either side of the interval, the Oak Leafers notched seven points in a row which put them five up midway through the second half.
Brendan Rogers and Dylan Geaney trading two-pointed efforts as both sides notched two scores from outside the 40-metre arc over the course of the contest,
The real drama came right at the death with Kerry fighting back to level the game for the seventh time before McGuigan's major and further scores from Lachlan Murray and McGuigan seemed to have sealed the deal for Paddy Tally's men.
But with 90 seconds left in injury-time, O'Sullivan caught the Derry defence napping and finished to the net to level the game for an eighth time.
The drama didn't end there as the Kingdom poached the kickout of debutant Derry keeper Neil McNicholl before Paul Geaney twisted and turned to fire home the decisive goal.
McNicholl was preferred to regular keeper Odhran Lynch despite playing outfield for his club Glenullin.
Kerry are back in action next Saturday when they welcome Donegal to Killarney after last weekend's game was postponed due to Storm Eowyn.
Derry host Galway in Celtic Park in a fortnight's time hoping to get their first points of the season after two defeats from two.