Sligo 0-14

Kildare 0-14 

DAVID QUINN WAS Sligo’s stoppage-time hero as his point salvaged a draw at home to Kildare in the first round of their Group Three Sam Maguire clash. 

The game finished at 0-14 apiece, a disappointing result for Division Two Kildare against Sligo of Division Four, who earned their top-tier Championship spot by qualifying for the Connacht final. 

Kildare led by three points at the 67-minute mark when Jack Robinson kicked a free, but they were hauled back across seven minutes of stoppage time by a flinty Sligo side, with Quinn kicking the equalising score in the 77th minute after Niall Murphy scored his fifth and sixth points of the game to reel in the visitors. 

Sligo finished the game with 14 men after Seán Carrabine was sent off for a second yellow card, while Kildare ended with 13 players after Kevin O’Callaghan was given a stoppage-time black card and  Darragh Kirwan picked up a second yellow card in the final seconds. 

With the third-placed side in each group qualifying for the preliminary quarter-finals, the draw keeps Sligo’s hopes of an improbable progression alive. Next up, Sligo travel to Roscommon in a fortnight, while Kildare will play Dublin at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny. 

Elsewhere this afternoon in the Tailteann Cup, Down hammered Tipperary 2-18 to 0-06 at Semple Stadium. 

Shealan Johnston and Eamon Brown each registered 1-2 for Down, who have now won both of their opening games in the competition after last weekend’s home win over Waterford. Tipp, meanwhile, are enduring a miserable season, this heavy defeat following last weekend’s 11-point loss away to Meath.