Clinical Kildare stun the Dubs to reach O’Byrne Cup Final
Kildare's Mark Dempsey gets the better of Dublin's Conor Dolan during the O'Byrne Cup Semi-Final, St. Conleth's GAA Park, Newbridge. Photo: INPHO/Bryan Keane
Kildare manager Brian Flanagan faces a selection headache as they head into a League opener with Tyrone in Omagh in two-weeks’ time, after his new-look charges stormed past an experimental Dublin side in the second half to book their place in next week’s Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup final against Westmeath.
Having turned around three points behind at the break at a well-attended Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Kildare outscored their opponents by 1-14 to 0-5 in a dominant second half with their bench crucially contributing eight points to that tally.
Flanagan has been hit with the retirements of Mick O’Grady, Daniel Flynn, Niall Kelly and David Hyland from his Tailteann Cup winning side as well as injuries to the likes of Darragh Kirwan, Jimmy Hyland, Ben McCormack and James McGrath. On top of that the likes of Kevin Flynn, Tony Archbold, Aaron Masterson and Ryan Houlihan have stepped away.
But Flanagan lauded his young side for coming good in the second half.
“We took our time. I thought we were very sloppy in the first half, but I felt we got into the groove around 40 minutes, put a couple of scores back-to-back and I thought the lads stuck the chests out, dropped the shoulders back and played with a bit of energy and confidence,” he told the Kildare Nationalist.
Flanagan name-checked Dara Crowley, Eoin Lawlor and James Harris as young players who have done well over the last two weeks.
“They’re really pushing hard and they’re fighting for starting places and there’ll be a few tough decisions in the next few weeks.” Flanagan won’t rush those experienced players back from injury.
“I get it is the National League in a couple of weeks, but you don’t want to fast-track anyone back from a hamstring injury and all of a sudden they’re gone for another six or eight weeks,” Flanagan sensibly points out, particularly when he has a group that has impressed him in the last couple of weeks.
“Regardless of age, there’s been a really calm, composed approach to everything we’ve done. Nothing has been erratic, there’s no sense of panic amongst the group or anything like that. Maybe it’s that youthful enthusiasm about them. They’re coming in fearless and they just see it as an opportunity.” Ger Brennan’s Dublin had looked impressive in the opening half, their kick-passing causing the Kildare defence problems while at the other end the home side were their own worst enemies at times, sloppily losing possession time after time to Flanagan’s frustration.
But they found form after the break, particularly in a devastating spell between the 37th and 45th minutes when they outscored Dublin by 1-6 to a point to open up a five-point advantage, a two-point free from star man Alex Beirne and a well-finished goal from an unlikely source in corner-back Harry O’Neill proving crucial.
Dublin briefly rallied with the next three points, two from substitute Dylan Kettle, but Flanagan’s bench saw the game out with James Harris landing a huge two-pointer and a single and Eoin Cully and Darragh Swords accounting for two points each.
After a bright start from Kildare saw them go into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead, Dublin got their attacking game into gear and five points in a row including two exquisite two-pointers from St Patrick’s Donabate wing-forward Clyde Burke helped Brennan’s side go three clear.
Beirne was offering most resistance for Kildare and he sweetly struck a ’45 before adding the first of two left-footed points to reduce the gap to one with six minutes left in the opening half.
But three minutes later, Robert Shaw dropped a high hanging ball in on top of the Kildare square and corner-forward Jamie McCarville timed his run and jump to perfection to beat goalkeeper Didier Cordonnier to touch into the net.
That extended Dublin’s lead to four before Beirne matched Burke’s five-point first-half haul with another fine point to make it 1-8 to 0-8 at half-time.
The sides shared the first four points of the second half, but Kildare gained huge confidence from O’Neill’s low, drilled finish from Brian McLoughlin’s pass and they went on to comfortably clinch their place in the decider as they seek to consolidate their place at the top of the O’Byrne Cup roll of honour with a twelfth win in the competition.
D Cordonnier; M Dempsey, P Spillane, H O’Neill 1-0; E Lawlor, B Byrne, D Crowley; K Feely 0-1, B Gibbons; B McLoughlin 0-3, A Beirne 0-7 (1tp,1f,1’45), L Killian; B Loakman 0-1, N Dolan, S Doran 0-2.
D Swords 0-2 for Killian and M Spillane for Dempsey (both h-t), E Cully 0-2 for Dolan, J Harris 0-3 (1tp) for Lawlor and R Fitzgerald for P Spillane (all 42), E Bagnall for Beirne (46), A Browne 0-1 (f) for Loakman for (52), A McNally for Byrne (60).
S Moloney 0-1 (’45); E O’Callaghan, L Smith, F Potts; C Tyrrell, E O’Connor Flanagan, R Shaw 0-1; E Kennedy 0-1, C Dunne; C Dolan 0-1, J Lundy, C Burke 0-5 (2tp); J McCarville 1-1, N O’Callaghan 0-2, J Quigley.
J Feehan for O’Connor Flanagan and L Gifford for Quigley (both h-t), S Kirwan for Smith, P Duffy for Dolan and D Kettle 0-2 for N O’Callaghan (all 46), L O’Brien for McCarville, D Knight-Sands for Burke and F Bruton for Tyrrell (all 52).
Eamonn O’Connor (Offaly).
