Result: Allianz Football League Round 2 – Kildare 0-12 Monaghan 1-10

Allianz Football League

Divison 1 – Round 2

Monaghan 1-10 Kildare 0-12

Kildare experienced their second defeat in the Allianz Football League with a 1 point defeat to Monaghan on Sunday.

Monaghan opened the scoring with points from Darren Hughes and Dessie Ward before Paul Cribbin kicked his first point of the game in the 9th minute.

A Jack McCarron pointed free put Monaghan into a two point lead in the 13th minute before Kildare replied with points from Ben McCormack and Kevin Feely (f) to level the game for the first time in the 18th minute.

Kildare took the lead for the first time a minute later with a brilliant point from play from Paul Cribbin but the teams were level once again a minute later when Jack McCarron kicked a good point from play.

Monaghan took the led in the 24th minute with a point from Kieran Duffy but the lively Paul Cribbin had the sides level for the third time when he kick another well worked score from play.

The crucial score of the half came in the 30th minute when Monaghan’s  Conor McCarthy beat Mark Donnellan for a goal and a point from Dessie Ward sent the visitors into the break with a 1-01 lead.

Half time: Monaghan 1-06 Kildare 0-05

Kildare got off to a flying start in the second half kicking three points in the opening minutes coming from Kevin Feely and Ben McCormack (2) to reduce the deficit to a point.

Monaghan’s first point of the second half came in the 40th minute when Rory Beggan pointed from a 45 yard free to put them two points clear but Kildare replied with points from Fergal Conway and Kevin Feely to level the game for the fourth time.

Niall Kearns and Conor McManus pointed from frees in the 52nd and 55th minute to put Monaghan back into a two point lead but Kildare were back level again when substitutes Paddy Brophy and Niall Kelly kicked two excellent points from play and with seven minutes left to play it looked like either team could win this game.

A free from Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy in the 65th minute put the visitors back in the lead, Kildare battled hard in the closing stages but couldn’t get the much needed score to get back level and Monaghan went on to win the game on a narrow margin of 1-10 to 0-12.

Kildare scorers: K Feely(3fs), P Cribbin, B McCormack 0-3 each; N Kelly 0-2, P Brophy 0-1.

KILDARE: M Donnellan; P Kelly, D Hyland, M O’Grady; J Byrne, E Doyle, C O’Donoghue; K Felly, L Flynn; F Conway, C Healy, P Cribbin; C McNally, D Flynn, B McCormack. Subs: D Slattery for Cribbin (34, b/c); N Kelly for McNally (h/t); M Hyland for O’Grady (43);  P Brophy for McCormack (50); E Callaghan for Conway (55, b/c); J Hyland for Healy (65).

Monaghan scorers: C McCarthy 1-1(1f); J McCarron (1f), D Ward 0-2 each; C McManus (1f), N Kearns (1f), R Beggan(1f), D Hughes and K Duffy 0-1 each.

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; D Ward, C Boyle, B Kerr; F Kelly, D Ward, K O’Connell; D Hughes, N Kearns; N McAdam, P McGuirk, D Malone; C McCarthy, JMcCarron, D Garland. Subs: Colin Walshe for McGuirk (18); James Wilson for Garland (h/t); Dessie Mone for McAdam (50); Conor McManus for Malone (55); Darren Freeman for Wilson (61); Owen Duffy for McCarron (63, b/c).

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).