Dublin forward Ciarán Kilkenny was delighted to have got a decent challenge from Donegal on an exhausting day for football as Jim Gavin’s side progressed to the All-Ireland semi-final.
Jim Gavin’s side were always in control against their Ulster opponents, but a Ryan McHugh goal in the second half gave Rory Gallagher’s side renewed hope. However, the All-Ireland champions kept the scoreboard ticking when required and a Paul Mannion green flag late on put the seal on the victory.
Kerry are next up for the Dubs in the last four at Croke Park on 28 August.
For Kilkenny, the humid conditions made the task even harder against what he described were “quality” opposition.
“It was a great result against a quality side like Donegal who are so tough to break down, are good on the transition and have a brilliant inside line,” he told RTÉ Sport.
”I’m absolutely exhausted after it all. It was end-to-end stuff. The weather was roasting, so we’ll have to recover well after it. Delighted to get over the line and now we have three weeks to prepare for a great Kerry team. “
Reflect further on the meteorological effect on Saturday’s quarter-final, the Castleknock man added: “It was roasting out there. Typically, you’d lose two to three kilos on an average day, but you probably lost that in the first half today – it was that warm.
"We were doing so much running – the pace of the game was phenomenal. It’s really important now to get the fluids on board and recover well."
Paying a further compliment to the Donegal effort, Kilkenny said: "They got a great goal. Eamonn McGee went on a great gallop, passed the ball to Ryan McHugh, who got a great goal. It was a great move.
"That shows the great spirit and never-say-die attitude of this Donegal team . They really tested us in the second half. It was a great challenge. We’re delighted to come out the right side.”
