Kildare 1-14
Cork 1-8
Brendan Coffey reports from Newbridge
KILDARE CEMENTED THEIR place at the top of Division 2 with a convincing six -point win at home to Cork.
Leading by five at half-time, 8-3, Kildare had a seven-point cushion thanks to Ben McCormack’s 51st minute goal but they had to withstand a brief Cork rally before closing out their second win of the campaign.
The margin did not flatter the home side as they bossed the game from start to finish. The goalscorer, McCormack, was superb at corner-forward and clipped two neat points in the opening quarter as Kildare took control after a slow start.
Midfielder Kevin Feely was utterly dominant and as well as claiming three marks in the first half, he chipped in with two points from play to help Kildare take that 8-3 lead at the break. Cork began brightly but were largely disappointing, going 15 minutes without a score at one stage. They did have some bright moments in attack but two Ian Maguire goal chances came to nothing.
The Rebels did at least show some fighting spirit in the second half although they were seven down before they got their act together. Fortune favoured them too. Daniel Flynn had a goal disallowed when linesman Maurice Deegan called back the play for a double-hop which referee Cormac Reilly had not seen in the build-up.
And the Cork goal was more accident than design as Luke Connolly’s long-range effort deceived Mark Donnellan and dropped into the net, the Rebels had a lifeline. The Cork rising was quickly crushed as Kildare reeled off three points on the trot to put the result beyond doubt.
Atop the table after two wins, Kildare will travel to Derry in two weeks high on confidence.
Scorers for Kildare: B McCormack 1-2, N Flynn 0-5 (0-3fs), K Feel 0-2, P Cribbin 0-2, D Flynn 0-1, T Moolick 0-1, C Healy 0-1 (0-1f).
Scorers for Cork: L Connolly 1-3 (0-2fs, ‘45), C O’Neill 0-1 (0-1f), T Clancy 0-1, P Kerrigan 0-1, B O’Driscoll 0-1, A Walsh 0-1.
Kildare
1. Mark Donnellan (Maynooth)
2. Mick O’Grady (Celbridge)
3. David Hyland (Athy)
4. Ollie Lyons (Celbridge)
5. Johnny Byrne (Allenwood)
6. Eoin Doyle (Naas)
7. Keith Cribbin (Johnstownbridge)
8. Kevin Feely (Athy)
9. Tommy Moolick (Leixlip)
10. Fergal Conway (Celbridge)
11. Niall Kelly (Athy)
12. Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge)
13. Neil Flynn (Maynooth)
14. Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge)
15. Ben McCormack (Sarsfields)
Subs
Cathal McNally (Johnstownbridge) for Moolick (59)
25. Chris Healy (Two Mile House) for Conway (63)
19. David Slattery (Confey) for McCormack (67)
17. Peter Kelly (Two Mile House) for N Kelly (70)
18. Shea Ryan (Sarsfields) for Feely, Black Card (70)
22. Conor Hartley (Sarsfields) for N Flynn (70)
Cork
1. Ryan Price (O Donovan Rossa)
2. John McLoughlin (Kanturk)
3. Tom Clancy (Clonakilty)
4. Kevin Crowley (Millstreet)
5. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)
6. James Loughrey (Mallow)
7. Tomas Clancy (Fermoy)
10. Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)
9. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s)
8. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)
11. Sean Powter (Douglas)
12. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
13. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)
14. Luke Connolly (Nemo Rangers)
15. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)
Subs
24. John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers) for Powter (HT)
17. Barry O’Driscoll (Nemo Rangers) for Dorman (51)
21. Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond) for Collins (52)
23. John Mullins (Eire Og) for Crowley (54)
20. Donal Og Hodnett (O Donovan Rossa) for Maguire (60)
18. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh) for O’Neill (68)
Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)
