Kildare 2-14

Offaly 1-6

CHRIS HEALY’S FIRST-HALF goal set Kildare on their way to an 11-point victory at Hawkfield tonight.

Healy found the net on the stroke of half-time to give the home side a three-point cushion (1-4 to 0-4) at the interval having played against a ferocious wind in the opening half.

Kildare dominated the second half and with the elements in their favour, they cruised to victory.

Offaly did stage a brief rally midway through the second half when substitute Gio Russo cleverly palmed to the net in the 46th minute.

That reduced the deficit to three points — Kildare sub Cein McMonagle netting his side’s second goal in the 41st minute — but the Lilywhites responded with eight unanswered points in the final quarter.

First-half goal-scorer Healy finished with 1-2 from play while Kildare senior Neil Flynn chipped in with five points.

During a tightly-contested first half, referee Seamus Mulhare was the centre of attention.

Two Kildare forwards were issued yellow cards for what were deemed to be dives while Offaly attacker Aaron McDonnell was dismissed with a black card for a third-man tackle as early as the 15th minute.

Offaly took advantage of the breeze to kick the first two points but they trailed at the break when Healy struck the game’s first goal in the 30th minute.

Although Russo’s goal kept Offaly alive going into the final quarter, they were blown away by a scoring blitz from Kildare in the last 15 minutes.

The Lilies will now face Westmeath in the semi-finals.

The Lake County prevailed against Wexford in a low-scoring encounter, 1-5 to 0-7, in bitterly cold conditions in St Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy.

A 13th minute goal from Paddy Fagan proved the decisive score for Westmeath. Their clash against Kildare will be played on 16 or 19 March.

Scorers for Kildare: Chris Healy 1-2; Neil Flynn 0-5 (3fs, 1 45); Cein McMonagle 1-0; Luke Flynn, Conor Hartley, Ben McCormack 0-2 each; Ryan Houlihan 0-1

Scorers for Offaly: Gio Russo 1-0; Ruairi McNamee, Shane Tierney (1f) 0-2 each; A Mahon, J Walsh 0-1 each.

Kildare

1. Declan Campbell (Raheens)

2. Eoghan Bateman (Naas)
3. Darren Maguire (Maynooth)
4. Paul Mescall (Maynooth)

5. Ryan Houlihan (Moorefield)
6. Shea Ryan (Sarsfields)
7. Brian Byrne (Naas)

8. Luke Flynn (Johnstownbridge)
9. Paschal Connell (Athy)

10. Conor Hartley (Sarsfields)
11. Barry Kelly (Athy)
12. Mark Sherry (Two Mile House)

13. Ben McCormack (Sarsfields)
14. Chris Healy (Two Mile House)
15. Neil Flynn (Maynooth)

Subs
20. Con Kavanagh (Sarsfields) for Sherry, Black Card (36)
22. Cein McMonagle (Clogherinkoe) for Kelly (38)
24. Rory Feely (Athy) for Flynn, 54
23. Cian Scanlon (Sarsfields) for Healy (57)
17. Mark Hyland (Athy) for Ryan (58)
19. John Costello (Celbridge) for Houlihan (60)

Offaly

1. Jamie Colgan (Tubber)

2. David Dempsey (Ballycommon)
3. James Lalor (Raheen)
4. Colm Doyle (Clare)

5. Adam Mahon (Edenderry)
6. Declan Byrne (Raheen)
7. David O’Toole (Shamrocks)

8. Oisin Cusack (Durrow)
9. Ronan McEvoy (Shannonbridge)

10. Ciaran Farrell (Edenderry)
11. Ruairi McNamee (Rhode)
12. Jamie Evans (Gracefield)

13. Jack Walsh (Gracefield)
14. Aaron McDonnell (Edenderry)
15. Shane Tierney (Daingean)

Subs
22. Gio Russo (Erin Rovers) for McDonnell, Black Card, (16)
18. Gary Hutichon (Shamrocks) for O’Toole (51)
23. PJ Daly (Cappincur) for McEvoy (57)
17. Clint Horan (Clodiagh Gaels) for Lalor (59)
21. Joseph Lowry (Ballycumber) for Tierney (59)
19. Alan Heffernan (Shamrocks) for Farrell (60).

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)

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