Gaelic Games

Last-gasp point earns Sligo deserved draw against Kildare

David Quinn the super-sub as Kildare disappoint at Markievicz Park

Sligo’s David Quinn celebrates scoring the levelling point to draw the game. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Sligo’s David Quinn celebrates scoring the levelling point to draw the game. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Darragh Cox
Sun May 21 2023 - 18:13

All-Ireland SFC Group 3 Round 1: Sligo 0-14 Kildare 0-14

David Quinn was the Sligo super-sub as his last-gasp point earned the Yeats men a deserved draw against a disappointing Kildare at Markievicz Park.

Quinn was composed in the fifth minute of injury-time as he split the posts from wide on the right, with Kildare left wondering how they let slip a three-point lead in the closing stages.

Jack Robinson kicked them 14-11 in front on 68 minutes, after a foul from Sean Carrabine that saw the Sligo man sent-off for a second bookable offence.

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That should have been the cue for the Leinster semi-finalists to go on and claim the win but instead they saw Kevin O’Callaghan and Darragh Kirwan follow Carrabine to the sidelines on a black and red cards respectively, while Sligo captain Niall Murphy kicked two superb scores to bring the gap back to one.

Quinn stepped up then and it was probably a fair result overall from an even game – Kildare shading the first half by seven points to six, but Sligo hitting the first three scores of the second half to go two in front.

The sides were level three times in a 15-minute spell midway through the second half, before Aaron Masterson, Darragh Kirwan and sub Robinson had Kildare in the ascendancy entering the closing stages.

Sligo’s replacements all impacted, with Mikey Gordon and Pat Spillane also having efforts at goal before Quinn’s late leveller, while Keelan Cawley injected some badly needed energy into the home side’s challenge as the finish line seemed to be approaching for Kildare.

It was a game largely devoid of any goal opportunities, with Murphy kicking three of Sligo’s first half points, and their final two scores of the period coming off the boot of the excellent Finian Cawley.

Two points from Kevin Flynn and Paddy Woodgate, and one each from Kevin Feely, Alex Bierne and Kirwan gave Kildare the narrow advantage at the break, but they were slow to start the second half as two points from Carrabine and a nice score from Darragh Cummins saw the hosts in front.

Further scores from Bierne and Woodgate pulled Kildare level, and the sides went score-for-score after that, with points from Kirwan and Woodgate cancelled out by Murphy and Carrabine.

The latter picked up his first booking on 59 minutes as Kildare started to dominate, with Anthony Masterson and Kirwan both picking off good scores from play to edge Kildare two clear.

Robinson pointed Carrabine was shown red with time ticking down, but Murphy narrowed the gap, before a cynical foul to prevent a Sligo attack saw O’Callaghan black-carded.

Murphy’s sixth point of the day was the score of the game and reduced the deficit once more before Kirwan’s second yellow card meant that Kildare would be finishing the game with 13 players.

And Quinn stepped up to earn the draw with what proved the last kick of the game to deny Kildare what would have been a morale-boosting win before their rematch with Dublin in round two.

SLIGO: A Devaney; E Lyons, E McGuinness, N Mullen; P McNamara, B Cox, L Towey; C Lally, P Kilcoyne; D Cummins (0-1), S Carrabine (0-4), F Cawley (0-2); A Reilly, P O’Connor, N Murphy (0-6, 3f).

Subs: P Spillane for O’Connor (54), M Gordon for Cawley (61), K Cawley for Cummins (66), D Quinn (0-1) for Lally (66), M Walsh for Reilly (73).

KILDARE: M Donnellan; M O’Grady, S Ryan, E Doyle; D Hyland, K Flynn (0-2), J Sargent; K O’Callaghan, A Masterson (0-1); P McDermott, K Feely (0-1, mark), A Bierne (0-2); P Cribben, D Kirwan (0-3), P Woodgate (0-4, 4f).

Subs: J Robinson (0-1, 1f) for Feely (46), D Malone for Cribben (53), T Archbold for McDermott (58), R Houlihan for Sargent (69).

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).