Gritty Kildare hold off Westmeath to book Leinster semi-final place
Kildare players celebrate after the game Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Kildare came through a tough battle against Westmeath in Cusack Park, Mullingar before booking a Leinster U20 semi final against Meath.
This was the second attempt to play this game after the abandonment of last week’s game in Kinnegad due to deteriorating playing conditions in the bad weather.
It was a much sunnier evening this time around but there was a strong wind. Kildare had the advantage of the conditions in the first half and made a flying start and aided by an eighth minute Ronan Kelly goal and some excellent two-point shooting by Kelly himself, Jimmy Lynch and Ben Ryan they moved into a 1-12 to 0-1 lead by the 18th minute.
Westmeath came back into the game and pulled a goal back through Cillian Rochford in the 24th minute and the same player almost got a second in the last action of the half but he was denied by Charlie Carroll and then from the second attempt Ryan cleared off the line.
Two Will Scahill two-point frees early in the second half gave Westmeath hope but Kildare took the sting out of the game with some patient, composed play. Joint captain Colm Moran pulled many of the strings while the excellent duo of Ronan Kelly and Jimmy Lynch kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Donnach Maguire scored Westmeath’s second goal of the game midway through the half and although Lynch nipped in to score a nice point at the far end.
A two-pointer by Matty Thornton left three in it with ten to play but Kildare stood up superbly and scored four points in a row before a consolation Scahill two-pointer in injury-time.
Niall Cronin’s team now move forward to a home semi-final against Meath on Wednesday 29 April.
Charlie Carroll; Cian McKevitt, Liam Kelly, Senan Gallagher, Callum Keaveny, Finn Dowling, Ben Ryan 0-2 (1tp); Evan Boyle, Ruaidhrí Lawlor; Daniel Colbert, Colm Moran 0-1, Jimmy Lynch 0-8 (1tpf, 2fs), Hugh Martin, Euan Cowzer 0-1, Ronan Kelly 1-7 (2tpfs). Subs: Liam Kenny for Cowzer, 16-22; Liam Kenny for Cowzer, 44; Rob Murray for McKevitt, 44; Cian Keaveny for Martin, 55; Harry Redmond 0-1 for Callum Keaveny, 58; Luke Murray for Lynch, 60 +4.
James Mitchell; Taylor Slevin, Ty Masterson, Adam Glynn, Eoghan Daly, Cian Whitney, Brian Doyle 0-1; Kealan Connell 0-1, Críostóir Ormsby; Donnacha Maguire 1-0, Will Scahill 0-8 (3tfs, 2fs), Mikey Weir, Matty Thornton 0-2 (1tp), James McHugh, Cillian Rochford 1-0. Subs: Conor Daly for Weir, 24; Henry Duncan for Daly, h/t; Sean Whittaker for Doyle, h/t; Brian Ronan for McHugh, 47; Hagan Niall for Maguire, 55.
Ian Howley.
