Kildare 1-19
Louth 0-15
KILDARE EDGED OUT Louth with the help of a late goal in their All-Ireland SFC qualifier.
There was nothing between them right the way through but a Tomas O’Connor goal with three minutes to play clinched it for the home team before they added a couple more points.
Kieran McGeeney made two changes to the team which was comprehensively beaten by Dublin in the Leinster final last weekend – with Mick Foley and Eamon Callaghan dropping out for Morgan O’Flatherty and Mike Conway.
Louth, meanwhile, brought in three players with Shane McCoy starting in goal in place of Neil Gallagher and John O’Brien and Ray Finnegan coming in to take up roles at wing back.
The Lilywhites found the opening three points without reply before Colm Judge sent over a free in the seventh minute.
The Wee County restored parity then led temporarily but Kildare responded and went ahead for a second time. However, scores from Ciaran Byrne (2), Colm Judge and Brian White put Aidan O’Rourke’s men up at half-time.
They exchanged scores during the early stages of the second half and, after Seanie Johnston and Johnny Doyle had given Kildare a two-point cushion, O’Connor found the back of the net to make it 1-17 to 0-15 and effectively seal the win.
KILDARE: Shane Connolly; Peter Kelly, Hugh McGrillen, David Hyland; Morgan O’Flatherty, Mike Conway, Emmett Bolton; Daryl Flynn, Sean Hurley; Eoghan O’Flaherty, Niall Kelly, Paul Cribbin; John Doyle, Daniel Flynn, Paddy Brophy.
LOUTH: Shane McCoy; Padraig Rath, Dessie Finnegan, John Bingham; John O’Brien, Derek Crilly, Ray Finnegan; Paddy Keenan, Brian White; Ciaran Byrne, Conor Rafferty, Adrian Reid; Derek Maguire, Shane Lennon, Colm Judge.
