Lilies now smelling of Roses
Kildare 3-20 Fermanagh 0-18
THE redemption of Kildare is complete after breezing past the challenge of Fermanagh in Navan to secure a golden ticket to the Super 8s.
The Lilies looked down and out back in May after crashing out of the Leinster Championship against Division Four outfit Carlow.
But four qualifier wins later they look a revitalised team, high on confidence and with precious momentum on their side.
A whopping 11 different players scored in Navan last night to see off Ulster finalists Fermanagh.
All of Kildare’s big guns fired as they finished off Fermanagh by half-time having memorably knocked Mayo out last weekend.
It’s Kildare’s 28th win in 39 qualifier games, an impressive 72 per cent win rate and they’ll enter the new All-ireland quarterfinal group stage believing they’re a match for anyone.
Boss Cian O’neill, clearly aware of the punishing schedule that now awaits, took off key players long before full-time.
Kildare were 1-13 to 0-5 up at the break and stretched their lead to 14 with 15 minutes remaining.
Last season’s Leinster finalists, who went 12 games without a win at one stage, lost their shape and conceded six points in a row to Fermanagh.
But Kildare sub Chris Healy pinched a brilliant third goal at the death when he lobbed the keeper and will hope for a starting spot at Croke Park next Sunday. SCORERS: KILDARE: P Kelly (0-1), K Flynn (0-2); K Cribbin (0-1), T Moolick (0-1); F Conway (0-1), P Cribbin (0-1), P Brophy (0-2); N Flynn (1-5, 3f), K Feely (0-1), D Flynn (1-3), C Healy (1-2) FERMANAGH: B Mulrone (0-1), D Mccusker (0-1,) R Jones (0-2), J Mcmahon (0-1); R Corrigan (0-1), Seamus Quigley (0-7, 6f), C Jones. T Corrigan (0-2) Sean Quigley (0-3).