Kildare 1-12 Dublin 0-12
Great days in Newbridge: Kildare recorded a famous win to boost their chances of remaining in Division One and leaving Dublin to finger the beads of yet another sorrowful mystery.
Kildare manager Glenn Ryan had the luxury of embracing the result but finding fault with aspects of the performance.
“In many ways it wasn’t about the performance but if we want to improve that’s what we have to be looking at,” he said.
He was probably referring to a few stumbles and clumsiness in possession that led to turnovers but there was nothing lacking in the commitment shown and the efforts that brought about a first win in the current football league campaign.
They gradually grew into the game and were worth the victory. Goalkeeper Aaron O’Neill proved very much a disciple of the new orthodoxy of ‘playing a bit’ and Ryan maintained that the adventurism in careering up the field may have had media hearts in their mouths but he’d no problem with it.
O’Neill was never exposed as a result of his escapades and combined them with a fine kick into the second-half breeze in injury-time to convert a free that restored a four-point lead as well as an alert intervention all the way out on the sideline to dispossess Lee Gannon before half-time.
Dublin are now facing down the barrel of relegation. Pointless after four matches, they close their programme with three matches against Ulster opposition, starting in a fortnight with a trip to play All-Ireland champions Tyrone in Omagh.
Conditions
They started the day well. Playing into a hefty breeze that also swirled cross-field they created early chances. Brian Fenton ghosted in for a goal chance that was well blocked but Tom Lahiff got to the ball and scooped it over the bar for a second-minute lead.
Ciarán Kilkenny, lining out at full forward but finding time to roam, combined with Dean Rock only for Kildare full back Shea Ryan to take the ball off the line at the expense of a 45, which Dublin ‘keeper Evan Comerford saw the wind gust into a considerable wide.
Seán Bugler fisted wide when coming in at the goal and for all their possession and territorial dominance, Dublin were finding product hard to come by, as Kildare chased and harassed and achieved turnovers of their own, each greeted by the capacity crowd as if it were final deliverance.
Although Dublin’s defensive woes weren’t as much on parade here as previously, Kildare did manage to keep in touch on the scoreboard. Daniel Flynn, the highest-quality forward of the afternoon - with competition from team-mate and 2018 Under-20 footballer of the year Jimmy Hyland, who ended up with 1-5 - kicked a point to level matters at 0-1 apiece and each time Dublin wrested back the lead, the home team responded.
Tit-for-tat it went to 0-4 points each. Then Kildare made the decisive move. Flynn kicked a wonderful point from the left wing after it appeared that a promising attack had ended without a score. His namesake Kevin completed a patient attack before Daniel added another and Hyland ended the half by completing a great move featuring Darragh Ryan’s kicked pass and a deft knockdown by the now rampant Flynn.
Dublin had been both shot-shy and inaccurate in the first half and trailed 0-4 to 0-8 at the break. Could they harness the wind advantage in the second half?
Their attacks although successful in creating a couple of goal opportunities looked labored: too much popping the ball to each other and not enough beating the man or kicking scores.
It was Hyland who opened the scoring after the break and Kildare led by five. There ensued more tit-for-tat points but Dublin couldn’t be comfortable in the failure to trim the deficit significantly.
In the 49th minute, with the lead back to three, Kildare struck to change the terms of engagement. Daniel Flynn’s perfect hand-pass found replacement Jack Sargent in space and after his shot had been deflected onto the bar, Hyland followed up to touch the ball to the net.
At six points, 1-10 to 0-7, it was hard to see here Dublin would find the requisite scores without a goal. That nearly arrived but when Brian Howard and Dean Rock got their signals crossed, after getting in behind the defence, on an open goal and the ball was scrambled clear.
It became clear that the wind wasn’t going to solve any problems for them and both Fenton and Kilkenny, who again both worked hard for not much return, kicked wides when momentum was needed.
Aaron Byrne had a shot blocked at the end but the match trajectory had been set by Hyland’s goal and hadn’t been altered.
Afterwards Dessie Farrell said that the mood remained upbeat and that they could build from the experiences. "This is a great test of character for us all and a huge opportunity to build resilience and through adversity come to greater strength."
At this rate of going they’ll be bullet-proof by the championship.
KILDARE: 1. A O'Neill (0-1, free); 2. M O'Grady, 3. S Ryan, 4. R Houlihan; 5. T Archbold, 6. J Murray, 7. D Ryan; 8. A Masterson, 9. K Flynn (0-1); 10. C Kavanagh, 11. B McCormack (0-1), 12. P Cribbin; 13. P Woodgate (0-1, free), 14. D Flynn (0-3), 15. J Hyland (1-5, two points free).
Subs: 21. J Sargent for Kavanagh (32 mins), 19. B McLoughlin for Woodgate (54 mins), 26. K Feely for Masterson (57 mins), 23. K O’Callaghan for Sargent (63 mins), 22. D Hyland for D Ryan (68 mins).
DUBLIN: 1. E Comerford; 3. D Byrne, 2. M Fitzsimons, 5. S McMahon; 19. J Cooper, 6. J Small, 4. L Gannon (0-1); 7. T Lahiff (0-1), 8. B Fenton; 9. B Howard, 10. N Scully, 12. S Bugler (0-4); 13. R McGarry, 11. C Kilkenny (0-2), 15. D Rock (0-4, frees).
Subs: 18. A Byrne for McGarry (48 mins), 21. R McDaid for Cooper (54 mins), 14. L O’Dell for Scully (68 mins), 26. A Wright for Howard (70 mins).
Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone)
