Peter McNulty Tournament Round 1

Peter McNulty

Under 21 Football Tournament

Kildare 1-10 Wexford 1-07

Paddy Woodgate in action for Kildare Under 21’s   Photo by Sean Brilly

Bryan Murphy and his Under 21 team travelled to Ferns Centre of Excellence, Wexford last Friday night for their first competitive game of 2017 and came away with a hard earned victory over Wexford. The home team were first to raise the white flag when corner forward Mickey Dwyer pointed from play. Full forward Tom Byrne put Wexford two points clear after eight minutes before Paddy Woodgate opened the scoring for Kildare in the ninth minute after he pointed from a free. Wexford replied two minutes later with a second point from play from Tom Byrne to put them back into a two point lead. Kildare had numerous scoring chances in the opening fifteen minutes but failed to raise the white flag. Their second point of the game came in the 20^th minute with an excellent point from play from centre half forward Barry Kelly. Kildare’s Eoghan Boyle levelled the game for the first time in the twenty first minute with a well worked point from play. The twenty first minute point was the last score of a low scoring first half with both teams level at three points apiece at half time.

Tom Byrne kicked his third point of the game in the thirty second minute with a pointed free to put Wexford back in the lead but Kildare replied instantly with another good point from play from full forward Eoghan Boyle. Wexford were back in the lead two minutes later after Conor Firman made a great run from the full back line to beat Luke Mullins for a goal but Kildare responded brilliantly a minute later with a goal from Sam Doran after a great ball from Paddy Woodgate. Kildare took the lead for the first time in the thirty eight minute with a pointed free from Cian Costigan but the teams were level once again when Ian Carthy converted a free in the fortieth minute. Paddy Woodgate and Ian Carthy traded points to leave the teams level at 1-06 a piece after forty eight minutes and it looked as if either team could win this game. Substitute Ian Meehan made an immediate impact when introduced when he kicked a brilliant point from play to put Kildare back in the lead in the fiftieth minute. Paddy Woodgate and Rudhan O’Giollan added points in the fifty first and fifty third minute to put them into a three point lead. Wexford battled hard in the closing stages of the game and had two much needed goal chances brilliantly saved by Luke Mullins in goal. Tom Byrne reduced the deficit to two points in the fifty seventh minute when he pointed from a free. Ian Meehan kicked the last score of the game in the sixtieth minute with another good point from play to leave a full time score of 1-10 to 1-07 in favour of the Lily’s.

Scorers: Sam Doran 1-00, Paddy Woodgate 0-03, Eoghan Boyle 0-02, Barry Kelly 0-01, Cian Costigan 0-01, Ian Meehan 0-02, Ruadhan O’Giollan 0-01

Kildare: Luke Mullins, Stephen Comerford, Mark Dempsey, James Healy, Rudhan O’Giollan, Jamie Flynn, Shane Maughan, Aaron Masterson, Daniel Courtney, Cian Costigan, Barry Kelly, Chris Byrne, Paddy Woodgate, Eoghan Boyle, Sam Doran.

Subs: Jack Robinson for Sam Doran, Danny O’Sullivan for Eoghan Boyle, Kevin Foley for Chris Byrne, Ian Meehan for Cian Costigan.