Kildare 1-12
Dublin 0-12
DUBLIN SUFFERED THEIR fourth successive league defeat after Kildare picked up their first win of the Division 1 campaign.
They had three points to spare over Dublin and it was a deserved victory, built on a mean defence and the attacking class of Jimmy Hyland who grabbed 1-5. His palmed goal in the 49th minute was crucial, pressing Kildare into a six-point advantage and they held firm down the stretch.
Kildare ended a run of 11 straight league and championship defeats to Dublin which stretched back over two decades. They now sit on three points which gives them a decent chance of maintaining their Division 1 status.
Dessie Farrell’s team remain pointless and rooted to the bottom of the table after another flawed performance. Relegation to the second tier is a very real threat and they must start picking up points soon to avoid it.
With ties against Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan on the horizon, and two of them away, it’s not going to get any easier for a team enduring their worst run of form over a decade.
Sean Bugler was their best player, contributing four points from play, while Lee Gannon and Ciaran Kilkenny had their moments but the Sky Blues were below their best once again.
The Lilywhites drew with Kerry and narrowly lost to Donegal and Tyrone in their opening three rounds. This win front of a rocking, sold-out Conleth’s Park will do wonders for Glenn Ryan’s team.
Shea Ryan, Ryan Houlihan, Tony Archibold were excellent in defence with Kevin Flynn, Hyland and, mainly in the first-half, Daniel Flynn shining for the victors.
Dublin have been untouchable in Leinster for the last 15 years and drawing on an experience like this will be invaluable for Kildare when it comes to the summer.
In what was billed as a relegation four-pointer, this was a physical, hard-hitting affair on the tight confines of Newbridge.
Things were even for the opening 27 minutes when the sides went tit for tat. Dublin had a couple of early goal chances denied by Aaron O’Neill, the first from Brian Fenton shortly after the throw-in.
Dublin played with their half-forward line taking up central positions and breaking to the flanks. Initially it worked well as Niall Scully and Sean Bugler got their hands on plenty of possession. Bugler was Dublin’s liveliest forward early on and stroked over a pair of good efforts.
Kildare’s full-forward line was looking dangerous as Daniel Flynn landed a pair of wind-assisted scores, before skinning Davy Byrne to fist over a third. Jimmy Hyland also hit three in the opening 35 minutes, engineering a free and a mark that he slotted over, in addition to one from play.
Ben McCormack pulled the strings at centre-forward and clipped a point himself.
Dublin’s attack started to stutter and they failed to score for the final 20 minutes of the half. They did miss a golden goal chance from Rock when Shea Ryan cleared off the line.
Kildare turned the pressure onto Evan Comerford’s kick-outs, hitting the last four scores of the half to take a four point lead into the break.
The Lilywhites moved further clear through a second Hyland mark. Bugler’s third arrived shortly before Rock opened his account from a free that dropped over.
Hyland struck the net in the 50th minute, handing Kildare a six-point advantage. It arrived after Daniel Flynn skinned Davy Byrne and fed Jack Sargent whose shot was touched onto the crossbar brilliantly by Mick Fitzsimons, but Hyland was on hand to turn in the rebound.
Dublin almost responded with a goal of their own after Aaron O’Neill was caught out off his line by a Bugler line-ball, but the goalkeeper managed to recover to prise the ball way from Howard.
It was a golden goal opportunity for Dublin. Their press on Kildare kick-outs produced a host of turnovers as the hosts went short and looked to play out of the back. O’Neill carried the ball out the field a few times that left hearts in the mouths of the home support.
Scores from Rock (two frees) and Kilkenny arrived but Kildare were defending heroically and crucially they avoided the concession of a goal for the first time this season.
After struggling on long restarts, they introduced Kevin Feely and he had a major impact in the final quarter while disrupting Fenton on Comerford’s kick-outs.
Rock swung over another placed ball but he wasn’t sticking the ball as sweetly as normal, missing two other frees. Hyland was Kildare’s only scorer in the second period until netminder O’Neill sent over a stoppage-time free off the ground.
Dublin pressed hard for a late goal and Aaron Byrne was denied by O’Neill in the closing stages.
The final whistle handed Kildare their first league win of the campaign and left Dublin staring down the barrel of relegation.
Scorers for Kildare: Jimmy Hyland 1-5, Daniel Flynn 0-3, Ben McCormack, Kevin Flynn and Aaron O’Neill (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: Dean Rock (0-4f) and Sean Bugler 0-4 each, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-2, Tom Lahiff 0-1.
Kildare
1. Mark Donnellan (Maynooth)
2. Mick O’Grady (Celbridge – captain), 3. Shea Ryan (Sarsfields), 4. Ryan Houlihan (Moorefield)
5. Tony Archbold (Celbridge), 6. James Murray (Moorefield), 7. Daragh Ryan (Sarsfields)
8. Aaron Masterson (Moorefield) , 9. Kevin Flynn (Celbridge)
10. Con Kavanagh (Sarsfields), 11. Ben McCormack (Sarsfields), 12. Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge),
13. Paddy Woodgate (Raheens), 14. Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge), 15. Jimmy Hyland (Ballyteague)
Subs
21. Jack Sargent (Eadestown) for Kavanagh (31)
23. Kevin O’Callaghan (Celbridge) for McCormack (temp sub, 35+4 – HT)
19. Brian McLoughlin (Clane) for Woodgate (54)
26. Kevin Feely (Athy) for Masterson (56)
23. O’Callaghan for Sargent (62)
22. David Hyland for Daragh Ryan (67)
Dublin
1. Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams)
3. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), 2. Michael Fitzsimmons (Cuala), 5. Seán McMahon (Raheny)
19. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna), 6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 4. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcills),
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny), 7. Tom Lahiff (St Judes)
10. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street), 12. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts), 9. Brian Howard (Raheny)
13. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 11. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock), 15. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
Subs
21. Robbie McDaid (Ballyboden St Enda’s) for Lahiff (temp sub, 23-31)
18. Aaron Byrne (Na Fianna) for McGarry (48)
21. McDaid for Cooper (54)
25. Cillian O’Shea (Kilmacud Crokes) for Small (temp sub, 62-65)
14. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street) for Scully (67)
26. Alex Wright (St Sylvesters) for Howard (69)
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).