Pride in defeat for Kildare
Kildare manager Brian Dowling speaks to Cian Boran after the game Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
In the end, the result went as most would have imagined, but Clare were certainly made to work for the two points by a gallant Kildare side.
The 2024 All-Ireland champions had won all three games before arriving at a rainy Cedral St Conleth’s Park, and having beaten Down by 29 points last time out, many expected a similar evening. At no stage, though, did it ever look like this would be comfortable for the visitors.
Brian Dowling’s side turned in a hardworking display sprinkled with quality and were incredibly still in with a shout of a stunning upset heading into the final quarter. Eventually, Clare’s immense quality told, but Kildare never rolled over and the visitors certainly knew they had been in a battle by the final whistle.
After a superb win last time out against Antrim, Kildare made a flying start here and scored two goals inside the opening 12 minutes.
Cathal McCabe struck the first when he capitalised on a slack pass out of defence created by Kildare’s high press, drilling his shot beyond Eamonn Foudy.
Kildare’s second was a thing of beauty, a flowing move sliced through the Clare backline before Gerry Keegan slipped a clever pass inside to Jack Sheridan, who finished to the net without taking the ball in hand.
Clare had their own goal chances too, with both Shane Meehan and the marvellous Tony Kelly denied by similar saves from Paddy McKenna.
Kildare were deservedly 2-8 to 0-12 ahead at half-time, and points shortly after the break from Sheridan and Muiris Curtin, with his first touch after treatment for a cut above his right eye, extended the lead.
With the introduction of four top class substitutes, Clare gradually began to assert themselves, and Kelly, who finished with eight points, bookended a four point spell that brought the teams level by the 46th minute.
Keegan briefly nudged Kildare ahead again, but two points from substitute Cathal Malone pushed Clare in front for the first time since the fifth minute. From there, they found another gear, hitting six unanswered points in a decisive burst.
Kildare refused to fold, responding with scores from Sheridan and the impressive David Qualter, before Sheridan blasted a late 20 metre free to the net to narrow the margin.
There was immense pride in seeing Kildare go toe to toe with one of the best teams in the country in front of a large crowd, albeit one mostly made up of visiting supporters, but that must now be parked. Moral victories are all well and good, but with games away to Down and at home to Carlow to come, Kildare will likely need to win at least one to preserve their Division 1B status for 2027.
Eamonn Foudy; Dylan McMahon, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Niall O’Farrell; Diarmuid Stritch 0-2, Ryan Taylor 0-3; Colm O’Meara, Tony Kelly 0-8, Senan Dunford 0-3, Shane Meehan 0-1, Mark Rodgers 0-7 (6f), David Fitzgerald.
Subs: David McInerney for Fitzgerald h/t; Cathal Malone 0-2 for Conlon h/t; Jack O’Neill 0-1 for O’Meara 45; Ross Hayes for Leen 49; Ian Galvin for Dunford 64.
Paddy McKenna; Simon Leacy 0-1, Rian Boran, Liam O’Reilly; Paul Dolan 0-1, Cian Boran, Dan O’Meara; Daire Guerin, Cathal McCabe 1-0; Conan Boran, Gerry Keegan 0-3, Jack Sheridan 2-4 (1-4f), David Qualter 0-3, Cathal Dowling 0-1, Muiris Curtin 0-1.
Subs: James Dolan for Curtin 17–38; Alan Goss for Guerin 48; Conn Kehoe for Dowling 60; Richy Hogan for Keegan 68.
Brian Keon (Galway).
