Kildare see off Westmeath to book Leinster semi-final place
Alex Beirne celebrates scoring Kildare's first goal during the win over Westmeath Photo: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes
Kildare dug deep in a manner we haven’t seen for some time to clinch a dramatic two-point win over Westmeath in the Leinster Senior Football Championship Quarter Final at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Saturday night.
It was a win almost 30 years in the making, Kildare having not hosted a provincial championship match in Newbridge since the May 1995 defeat to Louth, and on a poignant night when a pre-match presentation was made to Karl O’Dwyer after the passing of Micko, the game certainly lived up to the occasion.
For a team who have proven goal-shy for the past few years, ironically it was Kildare’s ability to find the net that told in the end, with Alex Beirne and David Hyland getting the crucial three-pointers.
It was, though, a win that looked somewhat unlikely for long periods, with the home side suffering an almost complete wipe-out on kickouts in the opening half with Ray Connellan superb at midfield for Westmeath and Luke Loughlin giving Mark Dempsey a searching examination on his return to the Kildare starting line-up after a three-year absence.
Kildare roared into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead inside the opening seven minutes of a game played at a hectic pace and offering a resounding endorsement of the new rules. After Beirne and Danny McCartan exchanged opening points, the Lilywhites struck two excellent two-point efforts from Brian McLoughlin and Hyland.
But for the next seven minutes Kildare could barely get out of their half as points from Loughlin (two), Connellan and Sam McCartan drew the Lake County level. Kildare then lost Harry O’Neill to a head injury bravely sustained in attempting to block a Ronan Wallace goal attempt, which Kevin Feely ultimately saved.
They resurrected themselves with points from Ryan Sinkey and Darragh Kirwan, but Westmeath were still controlling possession. Kevin O’Sullivan took advantage of lax defending from a short free to narrow the gap to a point and Danny McCartan equalised in the 19th minute.
Loughlin with a free put Westmeath ahead and then outpaced Dempsey to make it 9-7 and after Callum Bolton had a weak goal attempt saved, the Westmeath full-forward sold dummies to both Ryan Burke and Brian Byrne before slotting a brilliant point.
With the game in danger of going away from them, Kildare hit back with seven minutes to go to half-time. Ben McCormack sent a high ball in which Beirne did superbly to catch. The powerful Naas man still had plenty of work to do but evaded David Giles and Sam McCartan to make room for a shot which went through the hands of goalkeeper Conor McCormack.
Things should have got decidedly worse for the visitors immediately from the kick out when McCormack’s scuffed restart went straight to Kirwan, but he signposted his low effort and the goalkeeper was able to make amends for his error.
Westmeath hit back with points from Robbie Forde and Danny McCartan sandwiching one from Sinkey as the away side went in leading 0-12 to 1-8, having scored twelve times to Kildare’s seven.
The Lake County reacted well to the loss of Connellan early in the second half with Loughlin landing their first two-pointer to stretch their lead to three points. The sides then shared four points with the increasingly influential McCormack landing two for Kildare and Forde and Loughlin replying for Westmeath. That left the visitors 0-16 to 1-10 ahead after 45 minutes.
Kildare were beginning to make gains from kickouts with Feely now dominant in the skies and they fashioned another goal chance for Kirwan which he shot wide, though the ball was brought back for a free which Beirne converted.
Then, on fifty minutes, Kildare pounced for their crucial second goal. McCormack launched a point attempt, but it turned into a dangerous high ball into the goalmouth and centre-back Hyland had stolen in to outjump Brian Guerin and goalie McCormack to tip the ball to the net.
The sizeable crowd sensed a famous win at that point and when Westmeath broke the 3-up rule, Beirne converted the free. Substitute Tommy Gill, whose pace and direct running proved a powerful weapon after coming on for Kevin Flynn before half-time, added another point to make it 2-13 to 0-16.
Westmeath hadn’t gone away, though, and corner-back Jamie Gonoud might have shown more ambition when taking a point from close range before Bríán Cooney reduced the gap to a single point.
With the game frenetic at this point, Beirne stretched the lead to two and Westmeath suffered a major blow when Nigel Harte was black carded with ten minutes remaining for pulling down Kirwan in the shooting zone. Beirne punished that indiscretion from the free and a minute later Bolton made it 2-16 to 0-18.
Back came Westmeath again with Loughlin landing a two-point free from well outside the 45 metre line but Kildare substitute Niall Kelly spun and pointed with six minutes remaining to stretch the lead to three again.
When Beirne hit the upright, Colm Dalton was unable to collect the loose ball in front of the posts, but Westmeath missed a couple of good chances as nerves took hold.
There were hearts in mouths among the home support two minutes from the end when Matthew Whittaker drew a point-blank save from Cian Burke in the Kildare goal. Referee David Gough was playing advantage though and Loughlin pointed the free to bring his tally to 0-11 with only thirty seconds left on the clock.
Burke’s kick out found Kelly and with the hooter having sounded, the ball was put out of play to call time on a dramatic first provincial win in Newbridge since 1987’s replay win over Offaly at the same stage.
Kildare will meet either Laois or Louth in the semi-final in two weeks’ time with the winners of that one earning a place in the Sam Maguire Cup.
Cian Burke; Harry O’Neill, Mark Dempsey, Brian Byrne; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland 1-2 (tp), James McGrath; Kevin Feely, Callum Bolton 0-1; Colm Dalton, Alex Beirne 1-5 (3fs), Ben McCormack 0-2; Ryan Sinkey 0-2, Darragh Kirwan 0-1, Brian McLoughlin 0-2 (tp). Subs: Ryan Burke for O’Neill 14, Tommy Gill 0-1 for Flynn 32, Niall Kelly 0-1 for McLoughlin 51, Cathal Hagney for Feely (temp 61-62), Mick O’Grady for Dempsey 68.
Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud 0-1, David Giles, Conor Dillon; Nigel Harte, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan 0-1; Ray Connellan 0-1, Fionn O’Hara; Kevin O’Sullivan 0-1, Danny McCartan 0-3, Matthew Whittaker; Robbie Forde 0-2, Luke Loughlin 0-11 (1 tp,1 tpf,2fs), Brían Cooney 0-1. Subs: Brian Guerin for Whittaker (temp 27-32), Guerin for Connellan 38, Jonathan Lynam for D McCartan 51, Eoghan McCabe for O’Sullivan 58, Brandon Kelly for Cooney 58.
David Gough (Meath).
