Kildare face into must win clash against Laois after Donegal disappointment 

KILDARE’S first shot at retaining their Senior Championship status for 2025 ended in frustrating disappointment in Kingspan Breffni, Cavan on Saturday afternoon, before a vociferous and supportive Lilywhite support.

Diane O’Hora’s charges lost out by a point to a battle-hardened Donegal team who have been dining at the top table of the senior championship for quite a number of years now.

Apart from a poor third quarter when Donegal turned a one point half time deficit into a three point lead by the 48th minute, Kildare enjoyed the better of the possession and they were very much at home in this vaulted company.

As well as that poor third quarter Kildare will also rue two gilt edged goal chances in the opening ten minutes. First a Róisín Byrne centre found Ruth Sargent in front of goals in the fifth minute but her point blank shot was brilliantly saved by Claire Friel in the Donegal goal. Friel came to the rescue again in the eighth minute when she saved from midfielder, Leah Doran.

Already shorn of the services of Trina Duggan and Lauren Murtagh, both injured in Round 3 against Dublin, Kildare suffered another blow when a clearly unfit Ruth Sargent had to leave the field on nine minutes, despite passing a late fitness test. Her replacement, Erin Brereton Foley, made a huge contribution with three great points off the left foot in the first half.

With Donegal happy to play 12 or 14 players behind the ball in the opening half Kildare had to remain patient to pick holes in the Northerns defence. Neasa Dooley opened the scoring in the second minute but Donegal quickly equalised through a free from top scorer, Susanne White, for a free on herself and the corner forward put her side in front with a point from play in the sixth minute.

After the two missed goal opportunities Kildare levelled the game through a Róisín Byrne free in the ninth minute and they went ahead again through a powerful Erin Brereton Foley, off the left foot four minutes later.

Although Donegal enjoyed something of a purple three-minute patch between the 24th and 27th minutes, when they went 0-5 to 0-3 up through full back, Abigail Temple Asokuh and two White frees, Kildare finished the half strongly. Firstly captain, Grace Clifford, drove through the Donegal defence to fire over a point and two great left footers from Brereton Foley left the Lilies 0-6 to 0-5 up at the break.

Donegal abandoned their defensive approach somewhat in the third quarter and put Kildare under a lot of pressure. Full forward Katie Herron levelled the game for the fifth time with a point three minutes after the restart. As Kildare found it difficult to get out of their own half Donegal turned a one point half time deficit into a three point advantage with points from Amy Boyle Carr and two more White frees, bringing her tally to 0-6 for the day.

Kildare rallied in the closing ten minutes and Leah Doran had another chance of a goal after good work from Grace Clifford but they drove at the Donegal defence resulting in two pointed frees by Byrne and Kildare were back to the minimum with five minutes remaining.

In a hectic closing minutes Referee, Eddie Cuthbert, drew the ire of the loud Kildare following when he sinbinned wing back Lara Gilbert three minutes from time when the majority in the crowd felt it was the Kildangan Nurney player who was sinned against.

Although Donegal were also reduced to 14 players near the end when Caoimhe Keon was shown a yellow for a cynical pull down, the Down official caused further frustration for the Kildare players and supporters when he played only two minutes injury time when it appeared that a further two would have been more appropriate.

Kildare had all the momentum in the closing stages but the score that might have drawn or indeed even won the game was denied by the battle-hardened Donegal defence.

Kildare must now beat Laois in next weekend’s Relegation Play Off to survive at this level for 2025. The O’Moore County lost to Tipperary in Saturday’s other Relegation Qualifier.

DONEGAL: Claire Friel; Shannon McLaughlin, Abigail Temple Asokuh 0-1, Evelyn McGinley; Katie Dowds, Niamh Boyle, Tara Heggerty; Roisin Rodgers, Eva Gallagher; Caoimhe Keon, Niamh McLaughlin, Amy Boyle Carr 0-1; Susanne White, 0-6 (5 frees), Katie Herron 0-1, Niamh Carr. Subs: Blathnaid McLaughlin for Katie Dodds, 39; Katie Long for Eva Gallagher, 54.

KILDARE: Anna Dunlea; Fiona Troute, Alex Reynolds, Aoife Clifford; Ellie O’Toole, Ruth Sargent, Lara Gilbert; Grace Clifford 0-1, Leah Doran; Claire Sullivan, Neasa Dooley 0-1, Mia Doherty, Ellen Dowling, Roisin Byrne 0-3 (3fs) Aoife Rattigan. Subs: Erin Brereton Foley 0-3 for Ruth Sargent, 9; Niamh Farrelly for Aoife Rattigan, 39; Sarah Munnelly for Claire Sullivan, 45.

REFEREE: Eddie Cuthbert (Down)