Kildare 0-10
Galway 0-16

Ger McNally reports from St Conleth’s Park

KILDARE’S NIGHTMARE DIVISION One campaign ended with a seventh successive defeat at the hands of Galway in Newbridge today.

These two teams were promoted from Division 2 last year but since then they have had hugely contrasting fortunes and while Kildare make an immediate return to the lower grade, Galway will carry a huge amount of confidence into a league final against Dublin.

While there have been games this season that Kildare felt their performance deserved a better result, this wasn’t one of them and a Galway side who were able to rest a number of their first-team players won at ease.

Patrick Sweeney kicked the first two points of the game and although Kildare briefly rallied and found scores through Eanna O’Connor and Tommy Moolick that was the only time they were on level terms throughout the entire game.

The Galway players huddle together before the game. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Galway led by 0-5 to 0-2 after 14 minutes and 0-8 to 0-5 at half-time, but they could have been further ahead only that Sean Kelly shot wide in the 17th minute when he really should have found the net.

Kildare had chances in the second half to put Galway under pressure but some dismal shooting — they kicked 15 wides in total — meant they never really got close.

There was just three points between the sides with three minutes of normal time to go but you always got the feeling that the impressive Galway could kick into another gear whenever they needed. They scored the last three points of the game to warm up for next week’s encounter against Dublin in fine style.

Scorers for Galway: S Armstrong 0-3(1f), S Kelly, P Cunningham and P Sweeney 0-2 each, J Duane, F Burke, A Varley, S Walsh(1f), M Daly, C D’Arcy and E Finnerty 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildare: E O’Connor 0-4(1f, 1’45), J Byrne, P Cribbin, D Courtney, T Moolick, J Hyland and P Brophy 0-1 each.

Galway

1. R Lavelle

2. E Wynne
3. D Kyne
4. D Wynne

5. G O’Donnell
6. J Duane
7. G Bradshaw

10 T Flynn
9. C Duggan

22. E Finnerty
26. P Sweeney
24. S Kelly

18. E Brannigan
14. S Armstrong
15. P Cunningham

Subs:

S Walsh for Kelly, h/t; F Burke for Sweeney, 46; C D’Arcy for Armstrong, 57; M Daly for Finnerty, 53; A Varley for Cunningham, 67.

Kildare

1. A O’Neill

2. P Kelly
3. D Hyland
4. M Hyland

5. J Byrne
6. E Doyle
7. K Flynn

18. P Cribbin
9. T Moolick

10. F Conway
18. E O’Connor
15. P Brophy

22. E Callaghan
13.  Hyland
11. K Cribbin

Subs:

M Dempsey for M Hyland, h/t; F Dowling for Conway, 45; D Slattery for Callaghan, 52; D Courtney for Byrne, 55; Ruadhan Ó’Giollain for J Hyland, 68.

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).

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