Maurice Brosnan's eight football observations: Paudie's possessions, Donegal's despair, and Jack's quiet strength

Shane Ryan set it up. Immediately after the Kerry goalkeeper’s first possession of the final, he came out of his goal and began to roar. Mark O’Shea took one look at the screen in the corner and held up a thumb. Message received.

It was the Dr. Crokes man who collected possession from Ryan and fed it to Paudie Clifford, predictably. Then the midfielder jogged up the pitch to the opposite square. Graham O’Sullivan, Sean O’Brien and Mike Breen followed him. Already, Donegal’s defence was stretched.

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