Kildare 2-29
Mayo 0-19
IT WASN’T THE the 30-point hammering that Mayo endured when these two counties met in the first round of this year’s Christy Ring Cup competition at Ballina, but there was still no mistaking the gulf in class between the sides in this evening’s championship final at Croke Park, as Kildare proved beyond doubt that they belong at Joe McDonagh Cup level.
In truth, if Kildare needed to win by 30 points again, they possibly could have. They led by 15 at half-time and pushed that margin out to 19 early in the second half, before Mayo rallied in the last 20 minutes to salvage further pride at the end of an impressive first season in this company, having just won the Nickey Rackard Cup 12 months ago.
Gerry Keegan’s ten-point haul will take a lot of the headlines, and rightly so as the Celbridge player produced a masterclass in finishing, but also in his timing and awareness of space, putting himself in good positions time and again throughout the game.
Nonetheless, there was a lot like about the hurling produced by David Herity’s side all across the field, as they ensured that no Mayo player scored more than 0-2 from play, and dominated the physical exchanges under both puckouts.
Even in the opening minutes, when the first four scores of the game were equally shared between the teams, there was a sense that Mayo were doing well just to hang on in contention. Keegan crashed one shot off the post, while Kildare also butchered a goal chance when they had an overlapping player, Gary Nolan coming up with the vital interception to avert the danger.
Quick wrists from Keegan and a long range strike from Cathal McCabe gave Kildare a bit of a forward push, but they were set firmly on the path to victory when Brian Byrne crashed in their first goal in the tenth minute.
There was a touch of misfortune on the Mayo side as Bobby Douglas did well to block the initial attempts from Byrne and Shane Ryan, but he could do nothing as Byrne seized on the sliotar and third time and whipped it across the goal and into the top corner.
From then on, the floodgates opened and by half time, there was no way back for Mayo. James Burke’s points from play and from frees put distance between the sides while Cathal Dowling raised the second green flag, batting the ball to the net after he powered along the end line and created an angle for himself under the shade of the Davin Stand.
Kildare’s 2-17 to 0-8 half-time lead was further extended when Burke, Keegan, McCabe and Dowling all struck good scores early in the second half, but there was an understandable drop in intensity from then on, allowing Mayo to build up their tally. Shane Boland added a wonderful score from the Cusack Stand side of the ground in between a series of dead ball scores, Joseph McManus fired over two from distance while Kenny Feeney added three after coming off the bench.
These were all cosmetic changes to the scoreboard however, as Kildare’s progression back up to the second level of the national hurling structure was more than assured.
Scorers for Kildare: James Burke 0-11 (0-7f, 0-1 65), Gerry Keegan 0-10, Brian Byrne 1-2, Cathal Dowling 1-1, Cathal McCabe 0-3, Shane Ryan 0-1, Paul Dolan 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: Shane Boland 0-10 (0-8f), Kenny Feeney 0-3 (0-1f), Joseph McManus 0-2, Eoin Delaney 0-1, Joseph Mooney 0-1 (sideline), Keith Higgins 0-1, Seán Kenny 0-1f.
Kildare
1 Paddy McKenna (Clane)
2 Niall Ó Muineacháin (Celbridge), 3 Simon Leacy (Naas), 4 Cathal Derivan (Leixlip)
5 Kevin Whelan (Naas), 6 Rian Boran (Naas), 7 Conan Boran (Naas)
8 Cathal McCabe (Maynooth), 9 Paul Divilly (Confey)
11 James Burke (Naas), 10 Gerry Keegan (Celbridge), 12 Johnny Byrne (Coill Dubh)
13 Brian Byrne (Naas), 14 Shane Ryan (Naas), 15 Cathal Dowling (Naas)
Subs
- Jack Travers (Leixlip) for Derivan (43)
- Mark Delaney (Coill Dubh) for Divilly (44)
- Jack Sheridan (Naas) for Ryan (47)
- Seán Christiansen (Clane) for Whelan (57)
- Paul Dolan (Éire Óg Corra Choill) for Dowling (63)
- Tom Finnerty (Celbridge) for C Boran (63, temp).
Mayo
1 Bobby Douglas (Tooreen)
4 Paul Kirwan (Ballyhaunis), 3 Stephen Coyne (Tooreen), 2 Gary Nolan (Tooreen)
5 Mark Phillips (Ballyhaunis), 6 Gerard McManus (St. Jude’s), 7 David Kenny (Tooreen)
8 Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), 9 Daniel Huane (Tooreen)
10 Seán Kenny (Tooreen), 11 Joseph Mooney (Loughrea), 12 Adrian Phillips (Ballyhaunis)
14 Joseph McManus (St. Jude’s), 15 Shane Boland (Tooreen), 13 Eoin Delaney (Tooreen)
Subs
- Kenny Feeney (Tooreen) for Kirwan (30)
- Eoghan Roe (Claremorris) for Phillips (half-time)
- Conal Hession (Tooreen) for Ruane (49)
- Patrick Lyons (Tooreen) for Delaney (63)
- Brian Hunt (Ballyhaunis) for S Kenny (67).
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
Red for the day c’mon Munster.
Munster getting destroyed. Catastrophic few days. Losing their best player to France and an embarrassing defeat today.
A disastrous season for Foley. It started with the email debacle and got steadily worse. Hanrahan leaving, O’Connell jumping ship – dark, dark times for all concerned with Munster rugby football.
A poor, poor side who are badly coached. Billy Holland and O’Callaghan in the second row next season.
Robson, would you kindly f##k off?
Duncan Williams and keatleys kicking will be the downfall of muster
My god keatleys kicking is hopeless
Shock horror
Is it just me or does Zebo seem to be carrying a bit of weight? Not as fast as he should be, and a bit of a gut.
I support Munster 1.5%
Good boy. So clever. Sit down there now and I’ll you some crayons.
Keatley is once again costing us the game with his woeful clearances, not finding touch and thus setting up an already rampant Glasgow attack. Can anyone explain to me 1. how in hell we are letting Hanrahan leave and 2. what the future holds for Munster with this liability in such a pivotal position.
Paul O Connell. Aka-The Limericks Leader.
Munster badly missing two of their three best players in Murray and O’Mahoney.
Also being badly exposed by having such a pedestrian 10-12 partnership. What Foley is doing leaving out Hanrahan is beyond me. As for the province letting their only midfield playmaker leave, that defies logic.
I’d love to see Paulie win on his last Munster appearance, but Glasgow are the better, more entertaining side and they look to be in control
Up the Dubs :)
If that was a casual dig at us, funny guy, you do realize Keats and Felix are Dubs. So thank you for your consideration
Nakarawa is a beast.
Best team in the league has won the title. Well done Glasgow, well deserved.
Nakarawa the beast again.
No liveblog of the FA Cup Final !?
What’s the story with Conway these days?
Poor keatley kicking killing munster. .
Nerves kicking in now but I think we can do this. Mon Munster!
Glasgow are playing the game Leinster played under JS and are causing serious problems for Munster. Not over yet Munster do not give in easily. Would like to see an Irish Province win but at the moment all the rugby is being played by Glasgow.
Munster will be hammered
Earls won’t be on the plane for the WC.
On your basis none of the muster players will be on the plane. Every muster player is having a bad day. Doesn’t mean they won’t be on the plane.
Have a bit of sense please.
Christ. Munster playing some Leinster-style rugby this evening. Get it together, lads.
Come on munster do it for POC
Comprehensively outplayed by a well drilled side looking to play expansive flowing rugby built on powerful forwards a la Leinster 2010-13. Struggled against them then and struggling against Glasgow now. Just don’t have the class of players to play rugby the way Munster won cups.
Heartbroken for Paul as well.
Men against boys.
Hard luck to munster from a leinster man. Good job getting to the final, take it on the chin onwards and upwards
Facccckkkkkk meeee
Nakarawa could make it in the NBA
O’Connell anytime try @14/1.
Surely worth a few quid
Looks like the red team spent the week watching poc tribute videos instead of training. Very poor effort. I think this will force Foley into a few tough decisions and be a better team next year.
Where is it on
sky3 or tg4