Yet another case of ‘what might have been’ for Kildare football
The look on Brian Byrne's face tells its own story after Kildare's defeat to Louth Photo: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
Kildare scored eighteen times to Louth’s sixteen but an inability to find the net from a clutch of opportunities and a reluctance to take on two-point chances meant they fell short despite a surfeit of possession against Louth in today’s Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final in Tullamore.
News of Dublin’s demise later in the afternoon would only have piled the agony on Lilywhite supporters, players and management.
There was some controversy around Conall McKeever’s goal just before half-time that swung the game in Louth’s favour before a spirited Kildare second half performance but ultimately an inability to execute on their chances proved the undoing of Brian Flanagan’s side, who now face a second season in the Tailteann Cup.
Kildare roared into an 0-8 to 0-2 lead inside the opening fifteen minutes, making great advantage from possession off Louth’s kick out (with Kevin Feely making three superb first-half catches) and utilising the foot pass to good effect. Those eight scores came from nine point attempts with Alex Beirne and Darragh Kirwan registering two each and Ryan Burke, Callum Bolton, Kevin Feely and Colm Dalton one each. Craig Lennon and Ryan Burns replied for Louth.
Kirwan might have gone for goal when taking a fisted point after eight minutes and that and later missed opportunities would be rued by the Kildare set-up.
Louth stirred themselves in the run-up to half-time and managed to turn the six-point deficit into a four-point lead, which felt harsh on Kildare who had played most of the football of the half.
Burns and Sam Mulroy landed two from play inside a minute with Kildare applying too little pressure on the kickers before Mulroy, despite playing into a swirling wind, nailed a two-point free from fully 55 metres. Lennon bounded forward unhindered again and suddenly it was 8-7.
A Beirne free from the edge of the ‘D’ put Kildare two ahead but they needed a Ryan Burke block to deny Lennon a goal, though referee Brendan Griffin pulled play back for a Louth free which the fit-again Mulroy converted.
Kirwan and raiding Louth corner back Donal McKenny exchanged points before Kildare’s second goal chance arrived. Ryan Sinkey latched onto Beirne’s through ball but may have taken on the shot too quickly and without enough conviction with his weaker right foot, goalkeeper Niall McDonnell batting it away without too much difficulty.
That let-off spurred Louth and Mulroy landed another two-pointer, from play this time, to send them into the lead for the first time on 33 minutes, 0-11 to 0-10.
If that wasn’t disappointing enough, a slick Louth move unpicked the Kildare defence with the hooter imminent. Peter Lynch’s ball into Lennon saw him spin away from Beirne and offload to Kieran McArdle who palmed across the face of goal for wing-back McKeever to finish to the net. Was he in the square? Possibly one leg was and the other was hedging its bets. The goal stood following consultation between officials and somehow Kildare had contrived to go in four points behind.
They lost Bolton to injury at the break with Cathal Hagney an energetic replacement and Kildare wrestled back the majority of possession from the Louth men. Points from a Beirne free and a fisted effort from Sinkey sandwiched a half chance of a goal as David Hyland’s high ball was directed towards goal by Feely but easily saved by McDonnell.
Mulroy then hit a free from just inside the arc for a Louth team living on the break away. Another goal chance came and went with Kirwan’s low effort, under pressure from Dermot Campbell and a little off-balance, was directed straight at McDonnell.
Kirwan recovered from that to narrow the gap to two on 46 minutes but points from play from Lennon and Burns sandwiching wides from Hagney (Kildare’s only two point attempt) and Hyland stretched it to four again.
Kildare showed great character to keep plugging away though and over the next fifteen minutes points from Brian McLoughlin, Beirne, Kirwan and Beirne again, all from play, saw them level the game at 1-14 to 0-17.
But two more goal chances went abegging during that period. Beirne went for a ‘worldie’ from 20 metres but dragged the chance wide and when McLoughlin and sub Niall Kelly set up Kirwan for a point blank chance, McDonnell this time had his work cut out to save. But save it he did.
That man Lennon raced forward again to put Louth back in front before Kildare came back to level again through Dalton. Then another goal chance came and went. Feely made a nuisance of himself under a high ball and the ball dropped nicely to Beirne but he toe-poked it wide.
The sides were level heading into injury-time, but Louth broke for McArdle to put them ahead (1-16 to 0-18) before Tommy Durnin, who had been quiet, launched a crucial two-point score to ensure Kildare needed to go for a goal.
Confusion reigned after the hooter sounded. Kildare were on the attack through Beirne and eventually he fisted across hopefully towards Feely and Hyland in the square and when Louth gained possession Lennon gleefully kicked it behind, thinking that killed the game.
Not according to referee Griffin who it seems suggested it needed to go over the sideline to be deemed over. Cian Burke lined up the ’45 and floated it into the goalmouth but this time inadvertently, it went off a Louth man and behind again. Over now? No, Griffin called for another ’45 which Burke unfortunately overhit and it drifted out for a wide.
Yet another case of ‘what might have been’ for Kildare football.
Cian Burke; Ryan Burke 0-1, Mark Dempsey, Brian Byrne; Tommy Gill, David Hyland, James McGrath; Kevin Feely 0-1, Callum Bolton 0-1; Colm Dalton 0-2, Alex Beirne 0-6 (2fs), Ben McCormack; Ryan Sinkey 0-1, Darragh Kirwan 0-5 (1f), Brian McLoughlin 0-1. Subs: Cathal Hagney for Bolton HT, Niall Kelly for McCormack 43, Jimmy Hyland for Sinkey 55, Ryan Houlihan for Gill 70, Kevin Flynn for McGrath 70+4.
Niall McDonnell; Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny 0-1; Craig Lennon 0-4, Peter Lynch, Conall McKeever 1-0; Tommy Durnin 0-2 (tp), Paul Mathews; Andy McDonnell, Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes; Kieran McArdle 0-1, Sam Mulroy 0-7 (1tp, 1tpf, 2fs), Ryan Burns 0-3. Subs: Dara McDonnell for Mathews 41, Dylan McKeown for Burns 62, Liam Jackson for Andy McDonnell 65, Conor Branigan for Grimes 70+2.
Brendan Griffin (Kerry).
