Kildare expose Wee frailties to reach last 4
KILDARE secured a third successive victory to advance to the Leinster MFC semi-final in Hawkfield on Saturday afternoon.
Both the hosts and Louth were already qualified for the knockout stages before throw-in but Kildare were the better side and having led by three points at the interval, they made their superiority count on the scoreboard when the match resumed, condemning the visitors to a quarter-final showdown with either Offaly or Wicklow.
The winners had five different scorers during the opening period, with half-back Brian Caffrey coming forward to land a brace from play. Had the Lilies been more clinical from dead balls, their advantage would have been even greater considering they missed two fairly straightforward opportunities from frees.
Louth were facing a strong breeze in the first half and with Kildare on top, forays forward were limited. Although Luke Keenan, Michael McGlew and Tadhg Devanney registered points from tricky shooting positions to at least keep Johnny Clerkin’s charges in the hunt.
And with the gust now favouring the Wee county, Conor Clinton and Cillian McQuillan converted to cut the gap to the minimum on 39 minutes.
But the Lilies recovered their composure, regaining the initiative once Louth midfielder Tom Maguire had to go off after suffering a knock on the head, with Ronan Kelly (2), Tadhg Donlon, the excellent Ruaidhrí Lawlor (2) and Evan Boyle contributing to a run of six points unanswered.
Louth went 21 minutes without a score in the second half – until McQuillan’s fine effort from range on the hour mark – as their challenge faded badly.
KILDARE: Conor McDonnell; Ollie Deller, Finn Dowling, Liam McDonald; Brian Caffrey 0-2, Ruaidhrí Lawlor 0-3, Rian Beagan; Evan Boyle 0-1, Mick O’Toole; Paddy Ryan, Luke Murray 0-1, Liam Kenny 0-1; Tadhg Donlon 0-1, Harry Donnelly 0-1 (1f), Ronan Kelly 0-2 (1f). Subs: Austin Donegan for O’Toole (HT), Dylan O’Dwyer for Murray (43), Peter Fagan for Donnelly (50), Adam Poole for Ryan (58), Oisín Molloy for Kenny (60).
LOUTH: Senón Connolly; Shane McMahon, Ben McKeown, Ciarán Devine; Conor Clinton 0-1, Donnacha Skinnader, Michael McGlew 0-1; Tom Maguire, Micheál O’Shaughnessy; Tadhg Devanney 0-1, Luke Keenan 0-1, Cillian McQuillan 0-2; Fionn Coyle, Andrew O’Reilly, Joe Hanlon. Subs: Ruairí Carpenter for McMahon (HT), Emmet Duffy for Maguire (36), Brendan Cassidy for Hanlon (43), Flynn Markey for Keenan (55), Ryan Nugent for O’Reilly (58).
REFEREE: Shay Farrelly (Dublin).
Bride’s/St Mochta’s; Baile Talún vs Kilkerley Emmets/Naomh Malachi (6:30pm)
Friday, April 19
U12 Division 1
Geraldines vs Glen Emmets; St Patrick’s vs Clan na Gael; Stabannon Parnells vs Dreadnots; Dundalk Gaels vs Ardee St Mary’s (6:30pm)
U12 Division 2
O Raghallaighs vs St Joseph’s; Roche Emmets vs Baile Talún; Newtown Blues vs Naomh Máirtín; Sean O’Mahony’s vs Cooley Kickhams (6:30pm)
U12 Division 3
St Mochta’s vs Mattock Rangers/ Hunterstown Rovers; Cuchulainn Gaels vs St Kevin’s; St Fechin’s vs Dundalk Young Irelands; Oliver
Plunkett’s vs Lannléire (6:30pm)
U12 Division 4
O’Connell’s vs St Nicholas; Na Piarsaigh Blackrock vs Kilkerley Emmets/Malachi’s; Naomh Fionnbarra vs St Bride’s (6:30pm)
Saturday, April 20
Celtic Challenge
Louth vs Monaghan (12pm)
Meath HL Division 3
Longwood vs St Fechin’s (2pm)
Leinster HL Division 5
Naomh Moninne vs Carlow Town (5pm)
U14 Division 4
Naomh Fionnbarra vs St Mochta’s; St Kevin’s vs Baile Talún (2pm)
Division 1
St Mochta’s vs Roche Emmets; St Fechin’s vs St Patrick’s; Sean
O’Mahony’s vs Mattock Rangers; Newtown Blues vs Dreadnots; Geraldines vs Ardee St Mary’s; Cooley Kickhams vs Naomh Máirtín (7pm)
Division 2
Glen Emmets vs Lannléire; Hunterstown Rovers vs Stabannon Parnells; Dundalk Gaels vs Kilkerley Emmets; Dundalk Young Irelands vs O Raghallaighs; St Bride’s vs St Joseph’s; St Kevin’s vs Clan na Gael (7pm)
Division 3A
John Mitchel’s vs Naomh Fionnbarra; Oliver Plunkett’s vs Glyde Rangers; Na Piarsaigh Blackrock vs O’Connell’s (7pm)
Division 3B
St Nicholas vs Naomh Malachi; Wolfe Tones vs Cuchulainn Gaels; Dowdallshill vs Westerns; Annaghminnon Rovers vs Sean McDermott’s (7pm)
Sunday, April 21
Nicky Rackard Cup