LEINSTER SFC FINAL
Dublin 2-15 Kildare 0-18
NEVER mind the players, the supporters are going to a take a long time to get over this loss.
Opportunities to beat the Dubs in their own back yard don’t come around too often but make no mistake, this was a chance for Kieran McGeeney’s young and inexperienced team.
Once they had recovered from an awful start that saw them concede 1-3 before they had even had a shot on goal, Kildare closed out the first half hitting some lovely scores and at half-time, it felt like they had one hand on the Delaney Cup - especially considering Ger Brennan’s idiotic 18th minute dismissal for lashing out at Ken Donnelly.
Credit has to go to Dublin, the Lillies didn’t wilt in the second half, they were just pipped at the post by a team who played their best football so far this year to clinch their fifth Leinster title in succession.
In hindsight, Kildare may have done some things differently in the second half if they had their chance again. Maybe Kildare slowed the ball up too much instead of letting early ball into the forwards, maybe the spare man could have been utilised better but Dublin defended brilliantly and didn’t allow Kildare the opportunity to hit the forwards early.
Kildare will also rue the defending for the two goals conceded.
Barry Cahill was allowed too much room to slice through the Kildare defence for his third minute goal with Hugh McGrillen buying Cahill’s dummy.
That goal was part of a barnstorming start for the Dubs that put them in control early on but the second Dubs goal in the 26th minute was a real killer for Kildare. It came at a time when Kildare had been getting on top, seven minutes after Brennan’s dismissal and three minutes after Ronan Sweeney had put Kildare in front for the first time. Alan Brogan’s simple long ball in, Emmet Bolton slightly misjudged the flight of the ball and once the ball landed in Jason Shelock’s hands, there was only one outcome.
It helped Dublin cling onto Kildare’s coat tails at a time in the match when they were really struggling.
Kildare shrugged that off and hit four points after that goal to lead by a point at half-time and with the confidence flowing through the forwards, Kildare fans dared to dream of a fourth Leinster crown in over 50 years - as many as the Dubs had won in the previous four.
Crucially Dublin got two early scores after the restart that put some momentum behind them. The magnificent Bernard Brogan kicked a wonderful point despite the attentions of Andriú Mac Lochlainn in the 42nd minute and Conal Keaney’s free a minute later put Dublin three points clear.
Suddenly Kildare were finding it very difficult to find their forwards and Padriag O’Neill hit the first Lilywhite score of the second half in the 46th minute.
McGeeney has built a resilient team and even when the tide was against them, they stuck at their task. Eamon Callaghan reduced the deficit to a single point before Barry Cahill put the Dubs two points clear once again.
Kildare were back in their stride now and points from Conway and Rob Kelly in the 62nd minute levelled the game for the first time since the early stages of the second half.
Almost 75,000 people watching from the stands were engrossed as the game reached a thrilling conclusion.
Two scores from Bernard Brogan in the space of a minute nudged Dublin clear again but Doyle and Conway levelled once more for Kildare four minutes from time.
Step forward Bernard Brogan again. He hit three points in the closing minutes, and was inches away from a goal, to win the game for Dublin. Hard for Kildare to stomach but solace should be taken in bringing the best out of Dublin in front of their home fans and it took an extra special performance from an extra special player like Brogan to be the difference on the day.
The summer isn’t over for Kildare though. Maybe the occasion got to some of the players early in the game, certainly Hugh McGrillen didn’t look like the assured presence that he has been this season before he was substituted after 16 minutes, but no team will want to face Kildare in the fourth round of the qualifiers.
After the game, McGeeney, Niall Carew and John Doyle all preached that Kildare must learn from the lessons learnt in this defeat and bring them forward into the next match. This is a team still early in its development and there is surely a lot more to come from them. Yes, this defeat hurts more than most but good times are still on the horizon for this talented young team.
KILDARE: Tom Corley; Hugh McGrillen, Mick Foley, Emmet Bolton; Morgan O’Flaherty, Brian Flanagan, Mikey Conway (.-.); Darrell Flynn, Dermot Earley (.-.); James Kavanagh (.-.), Padraig O’Neill (.-.), Ronan Sweeney (.-.); Alan Smith (.-.), Ken Donnelly (.-.), John Doyle (.-.). Subs: Andriu MacLochlainn for McGrillen, ..; Rob Kelly (.-.) for Flynn, ..; Eamon Callaghan ( for Doyle, blood ..-..; Gary White for O’Neill, ..; Eamon Callaghan for Ken Donnelly, ..; Karl Ennis for Kavanagh, ...
DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; David Henry, Denis Bastick, Paddy Andrews; Paul Griffin, Ger Brennan, Barry Cahill (.-.); Ross McConnell, Darren Magee; Paul Flynn, Alan Brogan (.-.), Diarmuid Connolly; Conal Keaney (.-., .fs), Bernard Brogan (.-., .fs), Jason Sherlock (.-.). Subs: Brian Cullen for Connolly, ..; Ciaran Whelan (.-.) for Magee, h/ t; Tomás Quinn for Sherlock, ..; Shane Ryan for McConnell, ..; Pat Burke for Flynn, ...
REFEREE: Pat McEnaney, Monaghan