Kildare let winning position slip in opening round of McDonagh Cup
Simon Leacy wins the ball ahead of Kerry's Oisin Maunsell Photo: Sean Brilly
Kildare’s wait for a win in the McDonagh Cup goes on but they are unlikely to get much of a better opportunity for that first win than this after Kerry scored the last five points of the game to stage a real smash and grab victory at Cedral St Conleths Park.
After going winless through the 2021 and 2023 campaigns in this competition, Kildare were lacklustre through the first half but were much improved after trailing 1-7 to 0-9 at half time.
A scoring burst of four points in a row, including three by David Qualter, they led 0-16 to 1-9 with 15 minutes to go.
Kerry replaced the excellent Padraig Boyle with the equally excellent Dylan Moriarty and his first involvement after walking in from the sideline was to score a free from the halfway line to spark a bit of life into the Kingdom’s challenge once again.
Kerry got back to within a point but Kildare answered back with a run of three points, including a brilliantly worked point when Cian Boran fed Gerry Keegan who finished on the run. That made it 0-19 to 1-12 with six minutes to go but instead of inspiring Kildare, it actually proved to be their last score.
Kerry scored the last five points of the game while hit wides from Keegan, Qualter and Cuirtin and it was Oisin Maunsell’s 73rd minute point that proved to be the winner.
It’s a defeat that will hurt Kildare badly but the McDonagh Cup is relentless and they must quickly put this behind them with Westmeath to visit next week, but there is no doubt that this is one that Kildare could live to regret by the end of the competition.
D Qualter 0-10 (1’65, 4fs), C McCabe 0-3, G Keegan 0-2, D Melville 0-2, P Dolan 0-1, C Boran 0-1.
P Boyle 1-7 (5fs), D Moriarty 0-5 (3fs, 1’65), O Maunsell 0-3, K Goulding 0-2.
Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Simon Leacy, Rian Boran, Paul Dolan, Cian Boran, Daniel O’Meara; Cathal McCabe, Daire Guerin; David Qualter, Gerry Keegan, Darragh Melville; Jack Sheridan, James Burke, Jack Higgins. Subs: Muiris Curtin for Higgins, 46; Jack Travers for Guerin; 54; Jame Dolan (Celbridge) for Melville, 70+1.
Louis Dee; Kyle O’Connor, Flor McCarthy, Dara Kearney, Darragh Shanahan, Kevin Goulding, Darragh Conway; Paudie O’Connor, Daithi Griffin; Tom Doyle, Killian Hayes, Luke Crowley, Ronan Walsh, Padraig Boyle, Oisin Maunsell. Subs: Shane Nolan for Crowley, 48; Seanie Brosnan for Griffin, 57; Dylan Moriarty for Boyle, 59; Adam Segal for Hayes, 68; Rory Mahony for Walsh, 70.3
Colum Cunning.
