Gutsy Kildare go down fighting

LEINSTER SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3 

GALWAY 4-22 KILDARE 1-22 

For thirty-five minutes ildare’s hurling community were in dreamland.

Galway came into this third round Leinster Senior Hurling Championship round robin tie with fifteen and eleven-point wins over Kilkenny and Offaly behind them and no doubt expected the home side to afford them free passage to a third easy win on only their second visit to Newbridge, their first in fifty years.

They didn’t reckon with the spirit, skill and physicality of this emerging Kildare side. Unfortunately, nor did many GAA supporters within the Short Grass County, with visiting supporters again outnumbering the home crowd despite the long trip from the far side of the Shannon.

What those dressed in maroon would not have envisaged for one minute was that their team would be outplayed, outfought and outthought throughout an enthralling first half by Brian Dowling’s men.

A strong wind played its part as well, of course, but it would be unfair to put Kildare’s ten-point half-time lead entirely down to help from the conditions.

Aided by that breeze blowing into the Kilcullen End, Kildare had torn into the Tribesmen, and they were full value in opening up a half-time lead of 1-15 to 1-5. It surely was the most impressive half of hurling from a Kildare team in the long history of the famous ground, considering the occasion and the reputation of their opponents.

Rory Burke’s goal for Galway on the half-hour mark felt crucial in keeping the visitors’ heads above water, coming as it did when Kildare were twelve points clear (1-14 to 0-5) and growing in confidence. Burke slammed to the net from a handpass from the dangerous Conor Whelan, who may have been lucky to get away with overcarrying in the build-up.

Earlier, Kildare were in dreamland when the diminutive Muiris Curtin rose to claim Conan Boran’s long delivery above his marker in the goalmouth and finish to the net after only five minutes. Curtin, who finished on 1-3, proved a thorn in the Galway defence all through with various markers despatched to try to curb him.

With Rian Boran imperious at full-back as well as landing two inspirational points before half-time, Galway were struggling to match their opponents’ intensity in the opening period.

Crucially, perhaps, a couple of other first half goal chances went abegging. Curtin, immediately after his goal, was put through after a move down the right involving Darragh Melville and Dan O’Meara but his shot was deflected out for a ’65.

Later, immediately after Burke’s goal had given Galway a boost, it was perhaps a case of the wrong man in the right place when defender Liam O’Reilly turned up in the opposite goalmouth but his shot didn’t have enough venom and after goalkeeper Darach Fahy batted it out his defence scrambled it away for a ’65.

To be fair Galway had their goal chances too before Burke found the net. Tiernan Killeen dropped the sliotar and handled it on the ground under pressure in the ninth minute, Cian Daniels forced a fine save from Paddy McKenna while Cathal McCabe, outstanding as ever, produced a marvellous hook on Whelan when he had, for once, skipped inside Rian Boran with the goal at his mercy.

By and large, though, Galway were toothless and discommoded by the ferocity of their opponents, as evidenced by two close-range passes from the Tribesmen trickling out over the stand-side sideline much to the delight of the home support.

Ten points was a surreal half-time lead but certainly didn’t feel conclusive given the wind. Indeed, you felt Kildare would need another goal early in the second period to really put Galway under pressure.

But the away side looked like a team who had had a stern half-time lecture from Micheál Donoghue and they charged into challenges with renewed vigour. They already had points on the board from Cathal Mannion and Conor Cooney when O’Meara coughed up possession under pressure in the 40th minute near the terrace sideline and Burke and Daniels sent Monaghan through to finish through McKenna’s legs from an acute angle and make it 2-7 to 1-15.

Galway pushed on from that point and their third goal owed a lot to the space awarded them down the centre of a tiring Kildare defence. Mannion burst through and had his low shot pushed out by McKenna. Whelan was unable to apply the finish, but Daniels was on hand to sweep the loose ball home to make it a two-point game (3-9 to 1-17).

That gap was bridged within another two minutes thanks to points from the excellent duo Killeen and Whelan.

Daire Guerin briefly restored Kildare’s lead but with space opening up in their defence and Monaghan making a huge impact on his way to a 1-4 haul, the inevitable fourth goal arrived just before the hour mark when Mannion’s crossfield pass found Burke and he set up Whelan for the finish (4-14 to 1-19).

With the McDonagh Cup holders tiring, Galway outscored them by eight points to three in the final ten minutes to put a gloss on the scoreline, leaving the Tribesmen on six points while Kildare await their first points in the competition with games to come against Kilkenny (away) and Offaly (home) to come.

If they continue to apply themselves to the task at hand as they did here, that elusive first win is by no means beyond them.

GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Joshua Ryan, Cillian Trayers, Darren Morrissey; Pádraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Gavin Lee; Cian Daniels 1-0, Tiernan Killeen 0-2; Conor Cooney 0-1, Cathal Mannion 0-5 (3fs,1’65), John Fleming 0-1; Rory Burke 1-3, Conor Whelan 1-3, Colm Molloy. Subs: Ronan Glennon for Ryan HT, Tom Monaghan 1-4 for Molloy HT, Darragh Neary 0-1 for Cooney 50, Cianan Fahy for Fleming 56, Oisín Lohan 0-2 for Killeen 64.

KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Rian Boran 0-2, Richy Hogan; Paul Dolan 0-1, Conan Boran, Simon Leacy 0-1; Cathal McCabe 0-1, Dan O’Meara; Jack Travers, Daire Guerin 0-1, Gerry Keegan 0-4; Darragh Melville, Muiris Curtin 1-3, Jack Sheridan 0-8 (6fs,2’65s). Sub: Cathal Dowling 0-1 for Dolan 46, Tim Ryan for Melville 59, Caolan Smith for Travers 60, Evan O’Briain for O’Reilly 64, Harry Carroll for Leacy 70+2.

REFEREE: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).