Five-star minors move into Leinster semi-final
Aidan Tobin celebrates his first half goal for Kildare during the Leinster Minor Football Championship quarter-final against Westmeath at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar Photo: James Lawlor
Kildare are through to the semi-finals of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship semi-finals after a sparkling first half display against Westmeath in Mullingar.
Just a couple of days after Kildare’s interest in the Senior Championship was ended by the same county, this was the perfect tonic as the visiting attack ran riot with five first half goals.
Cian Kehoe, in for his first start of the year, got the first after just two minutes and the excellent Aidan Tobin added the second three minutes later.
Mark Monaghan landed a seventh minute two-point free but Westmeath struggled to make their mark as Kildare remained on top.
The two goalscorers combined in the 12th minute when Kehoe sent Tobin through and he fisted over the bar. Jack Doran then added a point from the right hand side.
Liam Mescal was a particularly sharp thorn in the side of Westmeath throughout the game and he coolly finished in the 18th minute for Kildare’s third goal, making it 3-4 to 0-4.
Jack Doran palmed home the fourth goal two minutes later after being set up by Jamie Flood, and Flood himself scored the fifth in the 26th minute. There were also fine scores by Fionn Lawlor and Jack Reilly in an all round excellent first half.
Although not among the array of scorers, captain Charlie Doran deserves a special mention for that first half performance as he was the heartbeat of much of the team’s best play.
That all left Kildare 5-8 to 0-4 ahead at half time.
Paidí Ryan increased Kildare’s lead early in the second half but there was a bit of a dip through the third quarter as Westmeath scored four points in a row.
Ryan ended that run of scores in the 45th minute after Mescal’s pass and Eadestown man Mescal was involved again ten minutes later. He linked up delightfully with Tobin before firing over, leaving the score at 5-12 to 0-11.
That was the first of four in a row for Kildare as they finished with a flourish and it was Eoghan Lyons, Logan Tennyson and Reilly who rounded off the scoring as Kildare move confidently into the last four.
Joe Crotty; Luke Shanahan, Ryan Crawford, Eoin Markey, Jack Doran 1-1, Charlie Doran, Liam Mescal 1-1; Greg Kelly, Páidí Ryan 0-2; Jamie Flood 1-0, Fionn Lawlor 0-1, Eoghan Lyons 0-3, Cian Kehoe 1-2, Jack Reilly 0-2 (1f) Aidan Tobin 1-2. Subs: Logan Tennyson 0-1 for Flood, 43; Gearóid Clare for Lawlor, 51; Fiachra Martin for Ryan, 55; Rory Cooke for Mescal, 55; Callum Cowzer for Tobin, 57.
Tom McCaul; Tom Weir, Cian McKeown, Louie Dillon, Eoghan Daly, Tomás Brennan, Conor Cleary 0-1; Mark Monaghan 0-4 (1tpf, 1’45), Dean Kelly 0-1; Darragh Murray 0-2, Billy Stenson, Alex Mullen Adamson, Stephen McWade 0-2 (1f), Aaron Connaire 0-2 (1tp), Darragh Deegan. Subs: Finn Brennan for Stenson, 20; Tristan Boyce Jordan for Deegan, h/t; Rhys Brady for Dillon, h/t; Aaron Claffey for Daly, h/t; Colm Clinton for McWade, 51.
Eamonn O’Connor
