Leinster SFC first round

KILDARE 0-15 WICKLOW 1-10

By Ger McNally at Netwatch Cullen Park

Kildare began their Leinster Championship with a win over Wicklow in Carlow this evening but they were hanging on in the end after a thoroughly disappointing second half display.

Cian O’Neill’s team led by seven points with seven minutes to go but Darren Hayden’s 60th minute goal gave the men from the Garden County a lifeline they caused plenty of problems late on for Kildare.

There was little to suggest that it would be a close finish after a first half dominated by Kildare. They led 0-9 to 0-4 and really should have been further ahead after kicking seven wides.

Forwards like Ben McCormack, Adam Tyrell and Eoghan O’Flaherty were all showing well and causing Wicklow lots of concern.

The scores were tied at 0-3 each after 12 minutes but Kildare were totally on top from there until the half time whistle. They scored six points in a row and completely overpowered their opponents around the middle third, where Kevin Feely gave an exhibition of high fielding.

Kildare almost rounded off their half with a goal in one of the last attacks before the break but David Slattery’s shot was palmed away by Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson.

The intensity dropped from the game through the early stages of the second half and Kildare appeared to believe they had the game won and their focus slipped as a result. Unforced errors began to creep into their game and Wicklow suddenly sensed their was an opportunity for them.

Dean Healy put in a real captain’s shift for his team in the centre of midfield and having been narrowly off target with an earlier goal chance, danced his way through the Kildare defence on the hour mark to set up Hayden for the game’s only goal.

Patrick O’Connor then pounced on a poor David Hyland handpass to point two mintues later. If anything, Wicklow will regret not taking a couple of chances to cut the gap to a single point and really apply pressure to Kildare.

Neil Flynn’s 69th minute point was an important score for Kildare but the gap was cut again by Daniel Keane in injury time. Two points down, Wicklow had one chance in the last attack to drop a goal into the Kildare goalmouth but the Lilywhites survived for an unimpressive win.

Scorers for Kildare: A Tyrrell 0-5 (4fs), E O’Flaherty 0-4 (2fs, 1’45), B McCormack 0-2, P Brophy 0-1, D Hyland 0-1, F Conway 0-1, N Flynn 0-1f

Scorers for Wicklow: D Hayden 1-0, M Kenny 0-2, P O’Connor 0-2, C McGraynor 0-1f, T Smith 0-1, P O’Toole 0-1, D Healy 0-1, M Jackson 0-1f, D Keane 0-1.

KILDARE: Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, David Hyland, Mark Hyland; Peter Kelly, Eoin Doyle, Keith Cribbin; Kevin Feely, Fergal Conway; David Slattery, Ben McCormack, Eoghan O’Flaherty; Adam Tyrrell, Paddy Brophy, Jimmy Hyland. Subs: Cian O’Donoghue for Cribbin, 48; Neil FlynN for O’Flaherty, 48; Conor Hartley for McCormack, 56; Tommy Moolick for Slattery, 60; Jason Gibbons for Tyrrell, 68.

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Eoin Murtagh, Ross O’Brien, Jamie Snell, David Devereux, Shane Mooney, Daragh Fitzgerald; Dean Healy, Padraig O’Toole; Darren Hayden, Anthony McLoughlin, Theo Smith, Mark Kenny, Conor McGraynor, Patrick O’Connor Subs: Cathal McGee for McLoughlin, h/t; Chris O’Brien for McGraynor, 44; Oisin Manning for Mooney, 47; Daniel Keane for Hayden, 68; Saoirse Kieron for O’Toole, 70+1.

Referee: Noel Mooney.