Heroic Kildare land first ever McDonagh Cup title
Kildare captain Rian Boran lifts the Joe McDonagh Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
The two Jacks, Travers and Sheridan, scored the goals as Kildare turned in a quite magnificent second half performance in Croke Park to crown a famous McDonagh Cup victory against neighbours Laois today.
It's a win that sets up a Liam McCarthy Cup preliminary quarter-final against Dublin in Cedral St Conleths Park next Saturday and secures a place in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship next year - and on the basis on the second 35 minutes here, Kildare are full value for their place in such exalted company.
It's the unlikeliest of Championship wins given how low Kildare felt after the opening round defeat to Kerry but their response since then has been incredible and this performance rounded it off.
Kildare had a slight edge during the opening half hour, although they were never more than two points ahead, but as the half came to a close, Laois began to get on top. They scored three points in a row to take the lead for the first time in the 35th minute at 0-11 to 0-10, although crucially missed a couple of frees during that spell too and in total hit 11 wides during the first half.
Their inability to take full advantage of their purple patch allowed the unerringly accurate David Qualter to equalise with the last puck of the half.
Disaster seemingly struck Kildare when straight from the throw ball at the start of the second half, Paddy Purcell burst through their defence and although his shot was saved, Ben Conroy on hand to bundle the rebound home.
Whether Kildare would have played as well in the second half without conceding that goal or whether what followed was in response to that setback is a moot point now but the remainder of the second half will go down in the annals of Kildare hurling. You would need to be of a certain vintage to remember a Kildare hurling team playing as well at such a high level.
Within six minutes of Conroy's goal putting Laois three points ahead, Kildare were back level. There was also a quite stunning double save by Laois goalkeeper Cathal Dunne during that spell to deny Cathal McCabe and then even more impressively keeping out Sheridan's effort from the rebound.
By the time Paul Dolan sent over his customary point from the halfway line in the 46th minute, Kildare were back in the lead again.
The scores were level again with 17 minutes to go but Gerry Keegan's third of the game, sandwiched between two Qualter frees, gave Kildare some breathing room.
They had one hand on the trophy in the 61st minute when pressure from Darragh Melville forced a turnover from Dunne's puck out and he fed the ball into Sheridan. The Naas marksman was again denied by the Laois 'keeper but this time there was no heroic double save as Jack Travers smashed home the rebound with practically his first touch.
That put six points between the teams and the final nail was hammered into the Laois coffin when Sheridan finally beat Dunne for the goal he so richly deserved in the 66th minute.
Kildare could enjoy the closing stages after that the game played out before the final whistle confirmed the monumental achievement by this group of men.
Those outside the county may have only been noticing Kildare hurling in the last weeks but nobody can ignore this team any longer. Kildare hurling is now well and truly on the map and ready to mix it with the very best teams in the country.
D Qualter 0-13 (0-11f, 0-1 65), J Sheridan 1-4, J Travers 1-1, G Keegan 0-3, J Burke 0-2, S Leacy 0-1, P Dolan 0-1, M Curtin 0-1.
T Keyes 0-6 (0-5f), B Conroy 1-2, P Delaney 0-2fs, J Keyes 0-2, P Purcell 0-2, PJ Scully 0-2 (0-1f), L Cleere 0-1, F Fennell 0-1, J Duggan 0-1.
Paddy McKenna; Richy Hogan, Rian Boran, Daniel O'Meara; Paul Dolan, Cian Boran, Simon Leacy; Daire Guerin, Cathal McCabe; Cathal Dowling, Jack Sheridan, David Qualter; Darragh Melville, James Burke, Gerry Keegan. Subs: Jack Travers for Dowling, 59; Muiris Curtin for McCabe, 64; Conn Kehoe for Melville, 69; Liam O'Reilly for Dolan, 69; Oisin Lynam for Keegan, 72.
Cathal Dunne; Fiachra C Fennell, Jordan Walshe, Cody Comerford; Padraig Delaney, Lee Cleere, Diarmaid Conway; Aidan Corby, James Keyes; Paddy Purcell, Tomas Keyes, David Dooley; Mark Dowling, Jer Quinlan, Ben Conroy. Subs: Aaron Dunphy for T Keyes, 54; Padraic Dunne for Comerford, 60; James Duggan for Dowling, 62; Ryan Mullaney for Walsh, 64; PJ Scully for Conroy, 66.
Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
