Kildare still battling on all fronts after mixed weekend

Kildare’s hurlers are on the brink of securing their place in Division 1B of the National Hurling League for a second year after Sunday’s mature performance against Down saw them come away from Liatroim Fontenoys with another valuable two points.

It rounded off another topsy-turvy weekend for Kildare senior teams across the four codes with the Ladies footballers also coming on out on top in their crucial home game with Meath in Manguard Park.

However, Rob O’Neill’s camogie outfit suffered their first loss with a reversal against Armagh in Division 3A, earlier on Saturday at the Hawkfield venue.

Of course, the big disappointment of the weekend, again unfortunately, was a comprehensive and deeply concerning fourteen-point loss for Brian Flanagan’s senior footballers to a Meath side who looked head-and-shoulders above Flanagan’s young outfit.

Kildare, who were as good as beaten after only sixteen minutes when trailing by 1-7 to 0-1, now face promotion-chasing Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn in two weeks’ time before hosting Louth in Cedral St Conleth’s Park in the final game in Division 2.

After three successive defeats, they will most likely need to find a win in one of those two games, although a win for Offaly over Cavan would also suffice if neither earns a point in their final round games against Meath and Derry, respectively.

Flanagan, who accepted his team were “outmuscled” by their neighbours, argued that Meath are two years ahead of his side in their development, but conceded that confidence has taken a knock thanks to three consecutive defeats to Derry, Cavan and now the Royals.

The Johnstownbridge man is adamant, however, that his management team and players are “not going to pack up and go away, we’re absolutely in the fight, and we plan to get out of it.” Whether they have Alex Beirne available for that fight is another matter. The Naas man has had a stop-start league campaign with his suspension for the Cavan game, and although he made it to half-time this time, a shoulder injury forced him off at the break against Meath.

In better news, Jack Robinson and Daragh Mangan are among those returning to training, while Kevin Feely looked in reasonable shape when deputising for Beirne in the second half. Flanagan, though, has work to do in all sectors of the field after another dismal showing.

Earlier the same afternoon, Armagh proved too strong for the Kildare camogie team. Lea Sutton’s first-half penalty kept Kildare within two points at the break (1-3 to 1-5), but an Orchard County goal at the start of the second half gave them the platform to go on and win by seven points (2-10 to 1-6).

It was in the first of the day’s Kildare v Meath clashes that Pat Sullivan’s LGFA team recorded an outstanding win over the Royals, managed by Kildare man Wayne Freeman. After a slow start, goals from Gillian Wheeler and Mayah Doyle helped Kildare to a 2-6 to 0-4 advantage.

With Meath seeing two players sent to the sinbin, Kildare’s third goal came from Alannah Prizeman, and Aoife Murnane made it four as the Lilywhites registered their first win of the campaign on a 4-8 to 1-10 scoreline.

On Sunday, the hurlers went in search of a rare enough win in County Down, though at least they didn’t have to venture to Ballycran as planned, with the Ards peninsula venue unplayable. The relatively shorter trip to Liatroim Fontenoys suited nicely, and a hat-trick of goals from Cathal Dowling and an outstanding return of 0-14 from sharpshooter David Qualter was enough to see off a Down team who had an extra man for the entire second half after Jack Sheridan’s sending off on a straight red just before the interval.

Kildare are no one-man team these days, and Dowling was delighted with the effort of his charges, who made sure the fine performance against Clare the previous week didn’t go to waste as they ran out 3-24 to 1-23 winners.

That moved them to four points from four games, and a draw or win next Sunday against Carlow in Cedral St Conleth’s Park will secure a second year in Division 1B for Dowling’s men.