Moorefield 1 – 15
Sarsfields 1 – 6
MOOREFIELD RECOVERED FROM the concession of a goal after just 85 seconds to run away with their second consecutive Kildare SFC title in a disappointing replay at St Conleth’s Park.
If the drawn encounter was a high-quality affair that ebbed and flowed, the blustery conditions and heavy rain made handling very difficult on this occasion.
What’s more, Moorefield were completely dominant, having had to dig themselves out of a hole last week. That dominance was forged on the performance of a middle third in which incoming Sligo selector/coach Ronan Sweeney, and Kevin Murnaghan excelled.
As well as providing the likes of Ciaran Kelly and Éanna O’Connor – son of former Kerry manager Jack – with a constant flow of possession, that superiority denied Sarsfields attack any quality supply.
Alan Smith cut a forlorn figure long before the end as he waited for something to come his way. He did kick a fifth minute point but John Crofton’s men only added one more before the interval and another four in the second half.
By contrast, Moorefield kicked some fabulous points, with Murnaghan, Ciaran Kelly and Eddie Heavey kicking pearlers.
Both sides had goal opportunities that respective goalkeepers Tom Corley (Moorefield) and Patrick O’Sullivan (Sarsfields) did well to stop.
The key score was Kelly’s 15th minute goal, finished off the sod after good work from Heavey. And Moorefield outscored their Newbridge rivals by four points to one for the remainder of the half to lead by 1-7 to 1-2.
Declan McKenna should have had a goal after 26 seconds for Sarsfields but blazed over and though Ray Cahill reduced the margin to three, Moorefield kicked the next six points to put the game to bed.
Ronan Sweeney and Sean Campbell were sent off in injury time on second yellow cards before Gary White left Sarsfields on 13 when receiving a straight red card.
SCORERS
MOOREFIELD: C Kelly 1-3(0-1f); E O’Connor 0-4(1f, 1 45); A Tyrrell 0-4 (2f); E Heavey, K Murnaghan, R Sweeney, N Hurley Lynch 0-1 each
SARSFIELDS: R Confrey 1-0; D McKenna, R Cahill (fs) 0-2 each; B Coffey (f), A Smith 0-1 each
MOOREFIELD: T Corley, L Healy, G Naughton, L Callaghan, R Houlihan, J Lonergan, K Murnaghan, C O’Connor, R Glavin, A Tyrrell, R Sweeney, C Kelly, E O’Connor, N Hurley Lynch, E Heavey. Subs: D Flynn for Heavey inj (34), P O’Flynn for Lonergan inj (42), K O’Neill for Glavin (51), K Duane for E O’Connor (56), J Murray for Houlihan (60+1), F Hanniffy for Hurley Lynch (60+2)
SARSFIELDS: P O’Sullivan, B Coffey, D McDonnell, C Duffy, R Confrey, S Campbell, S Lawlor, M Byrne, G White, R Fitzgibbon, R Cahill, M Browne, S Dempsey, D McKenna, A Smith. Subs: C Kavanagh for Byrne blood (28-30), B McCormack for Browne (ht), Kavanagh for Fitzgibbon (39), A Scully for Lawlor (46)