LAST UPDATE | 18 Jun 2023

Kildare 1-16

Roscommon 1-15

KEVIN FEELY WAS Kildare’s last-gasp hero, his 75th-minute mark securing a huge All-Ireland SFC win for the Lilywhites against Roscommon in Tullamore.

Feely capped a hugely-entertaining contest with what was effectively its last kick — and a tricky one at that. The Athy man put in a towering performance as he continues his remarkable 2023, having made his return from an Achilles rupture in just five months. 

“It’s the kind of thing you practice and visualise every single time you’re out kicking,” he told RTÉ afterwards. “That was one of the rare times it came off. Absolutely delighted with it.”

Kevin Feely wins it for Kildare in the final seconds to secure a home preliminary quarter-final next week

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Kildare now finish second in Group 3, securing home advantage in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. But with work ongoing at St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, they don’t have a hime venue at present.

Dublin, meanwhile, top the group and seal progression to the quarter-finals after their 3-23 to 0-8 victory over Sligo, while Roscommon head on the road next week.

Kildare trailed 1-4 to 1-6 at the break this afternoon, having been reduced to 13 men for a period after Alex Beirne and Ryan Hoolihan were both shown black cards.

Beirne had powered Glenn Ryan’s side into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after 12 minutes, half-volleying home after a superb team move, but Roscommon soon capitalised on the numerical advantage and worked their way back into the game.

The excellent Enda Smith levelled matters at 1-4 a-piece in the 28th minute. Named Man of the Match after finishing with 1-3, Smith’s goal came after the Rossies pounced on a mistake by Eoin Doyle.

The second half similarly see-sawed, with Kildare roaring back into contention. They levelled matters — 1-10 to 1-10 — around the 50-minute mark, before taking the lead through Ben McCormack.

It was tit-from-tat from there, McCormack again getting Kildare’s nose in front in the last minute of normal time. Smith pulled one back to level matters at 1-15 a-piece in the 73rd minute, before Feely’s grandstand finish.

Davy Burke’s assessment? “Outfought, out-tackled. Kildare wanted it more, simple as that.” 

Scorers for Kildare: Alex Beirne 1-2, Kevin Feely 0-4 (3f), Neil Flynn 0-4 (3m, 1f), Ben McCormack 0-3, Kevin O’Callaghan, Darragh Kirwan (1m) and Daniel Flynn (1m) all 0-1.

Scorers for Roscommon: Enda Smith 1-3, Ciarain Murtagh 0-4 (3f), Cian McKeon 0-3 (1m), Niall Daly, Dylan Ruane, Ben O’Carroll, Donie Smith (1f) and Diarmuid Murtagh (1f) all 0-1. 

Kildare

Mark Donnellan

Ryan Houlihan, Shea Ryan, Eoin Doyle

David Hyland, Kevin Flynn, Jack Sargent

Kevin O’Callaghan, Kevin Feely

Paddy McDermott, Ben McCormack, Alex Beirne

Neil Flynn, Darragh Kirwan, Daniel Flynn.

Subs

• Darragh Malone for Ryan Houlihan (44)
• Tony Archbold for Alex Beirne (58)
• Harry O’Neill for Eoin Doyle (64)
• Paul Cribbin for Paddy McDermott (70)

Roscommon

Conor Carroll

Colin Walsh, Brian Stack, David Murray

Niall Daly, Eoin McCormack, Conor Daly

Dylan Ruane, Eddie Nolan

Ciaráin Murtagh, Enda Smith, Donie Smith

Cian McKeon, Ben O’Carroll. Diarmuid Murtagh.

Subs

• Ciaran Lennon for Conor Daly (21)
• Conor Hussey for Colin Walsh (41)
• Richard Hughes for Eddie Nolan (70)

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).

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Tyrone 0-18

Westmeath 0-18

WESTMEATH ALMOST CAUSED a massive upset, but Tyrone were left to breathe a sigh of relief after their All-Ireland SFC draw at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Ray Connellan scored the equaliser for Westmeath. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Ray Connellan levelled matters for the 10th time in the 73rd minute, but the otherwise excellent John Heslin missed a last-gasp free as Westmeath’s bid to pull off a famous win fell just short. And with it, their Sam Maguire involvement came to a disappointing end.

2021 All-Ireland champions Tyrone finish third in Group 3, securing an away preliminary quarter-final. Elsewhere, Armagh stunned Galway late on to top the group.

Darragh Canavan was exceptional for the Red Hand, the Man of the Match putting on an exhibition and finishing with 0-10 (6f). His younger brother, Ruairi, scored three points on his first championship start. Fellow star forward Darren McCurry was absent.

Heslin hit 0-8 (7f), with Luke Loughlin also in top scoring form for Dessie Dolan’s men as they secured their first and only point of the group series.

Westmeath had the upper hand at half time, leading 0-8 to 0-7. Sam McCartan had the last say of the opening period, with Loughlin and Heslin the scorers-in-chief.

Darragh Canavan clipped five opening-period points for Tyrone, and was their only name on the scoresheet until the 32nd minute. The Red Hand scuppered some big goal chances, Conn Kilpatrick superb denied by Jason Daly.

Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan’s side came out brighter on the restart, dominating the third quarter and outscoring their opponents 0-9 to 0-4 up until the hour-mark.

Referee Noel Mooney made a big call when Kevin Maguire took Kilpatrick down as he bore in on goal, showing a yellow card and pointing to a free-kick rather than a black and a penalty.

Canavan, who haunted Maguire all game, tapped over to make it 0-16 to 0-12 at that juncture.

Westmeath dug deep and showed great character to claw their way back with Senan Baker, Ronan O’Toole, Heslin and Kevin Martin all hitting influential scores before the injury-time drama.

Scorers for Tyrone: Darragh Canavan 0-10 (6f), Ruairi Canavan 0-3 (1f), Joe Oguz, Peter Harte (1f), Conn Kilpatrick, Kieran McGeary, Brian Kennedy all 0-1.

Scorers for Westmeath: John Heslin (7f) 0-8, Luke Loughlin (1f) 0-4, Sam Mc Cartan 0-2, Senan Baker, Ronan O’Toole, Kieran Martin, Ray Connellan all 0-1.

Tyrone

Niall Morgan

Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Paudie Hampsey

Cormac Quinn, M O’Neill, Peter Harte

Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick

Conor Meyler, Joe Oguz, Ruairi Canavan

Aidan Clarke, Mattie Donnelly, Darragh Canavan.

Subs

• Kieran McGeary for Oguz (42)
• Frank Burns for McNamee (52)
• Niall Devlin for Donnelly (64)
• Niall Kelly for Clarke (66)
• Seanie O’Donnell for Harte (70)

Westmeath

Jason Daly

Jack Smith, Kevin Maguire, James Dolan

Sam McCartan, Ronan Wallace, Conor Dillon

Jonathan Lynam, Ray Connellan

Andy McCormack, Ronan O’Toole, David Lynch

Luke Loughlin, John Heslin, Lorcan Dolan.

Subs

• Stephen Smith for L Dolan (43)
• Senan Baker (0-01) for Dillon (46)
• Jamie Gonoud for J Smith (56)
• Kieran Martin (0-01) for Maguire (66)

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).