Curtin the Kildare supersub
KILDARE 2-12 WICKLOW 1-13
WICKLOW’S hopes of reaching a Leinster MFC final for the first time since 1997 were crushed by a Kildare team whose accuracy in front of goal was the difference in this semi-final replay at Aughrim.
Wicklow kicked 13 wides compared to Kildare’s six. In the drawn game last week, Wicklow came back from four points down in the final moments to salvage a draw but Matthew Ging’s late chance went over the bar.
Wicklow led by 1-7 to 1-6 at half-time, their goal coming in the third minute from Eoin Darcy when he latched onto a loose ball and volleyed past John Ball. His fellow clubmate in the full-forward line, Ging, kicked five points in an excellent first-half display but Sam Morrissey’s goal brought Kildare back into it before the break.
Kildare sprung Muiris Curtin into action at half-time and he made an instant difference, kicking 1-2 within seven minutes to put Kildare four ahead (2-9 to 1-8).
Wicklow responded well, however, creating another six chances in a row. Their shooting was off though and they could only convert one of them. John Ball also pulled off an excellent save from Shaun Cranley during that time to keep a goal between the teams.
Eoghan O’Haire, with two points, and Alex Beirne kept the Kildare scoreboard ticking over and while Wicklow had more chances, their goal never came.
SCORERS – Kildare: M Curtin 1-2, S Morrissey 1-1 (1f), J Smith 0-4, E O’Haire 0-2, A Beirne, N Jackman, L Broderick 0-1 each. Wicklow: M Ging 0-8 (2f), E Darcy 1-2 (1 ’45), C McDonald, D Lawlor, J Keogh (f) 0-1 each.
KILDARE – J Ball; J Lynch, S Hill, J Hamill; N Jackman, K Kelleher, P McDermott; L Broderick, M Kiely; S Morrissey, A Beirne, M McGovern; E O’Haire, A Kennedy, J Smith. Subs: D Caulfield for N Jackman (26), M Curtin for M McGovern (h-t), P Behan for J Smith (52), D Costello for E O’Haire (61).
WICKLOW – B Fennell; F O’Carroll, S Kearney, T Moran; K Quinn, C Grimes, O Cullen; E Byrne, S Doody; C McDonald, C Maguire, J Fleming Foran; M Ging, E Darcy, J Keogh. Subs: S Cranley for J Fleming Foran (h-t), D Maloney for C Maguire (52), D Lawlor for O Cullen (58).
REF – B Tierney (Dublin)