Photo: Jack Birchall, Next Gen Photography
Kildare are top of the Allianz Football League division 2 table after a hard fought 1-14 to 1-08 victory over Cork on Sunday afternoon (12th February).
A bitter cold day in St. Conleth’s Park, Kildare were first to raise the white flag when full forward Daniel Flynn pointed from play in the second minute. Cork’s first score of the game came in the fifth minute with a pointed free from Luke Connolly and they took the lead for the first and only time four minutes later with another pointed free from Colm O’Neill. Ben McCormack kicked his first point of the game a minute later to level the game for the second time and the lively corner forward put his team back in the lead in the fourteenth minute with an excellent point from play after a great ball from Niall Kelly. Kevin Feely won possession from the kick out and made a great run to kick Kildare’s fourth point and a pointed free from Neil Flynn put Kildare into three point lead after twenty minutes. Kildare were now in control of the game with Kevin Feely dominating in midfield and he put his team four points clear in the twenty first minute with another good point from play followed by a pointed free from Neil Flynn. Cork’s third and final point of the half came in the twenty ninth minute with a pointed 45 yard free from Luke Connolly but Kildare replied once again with a brilliant point from Paul Cribbin to leave a half time score of 0-08 to 0-03 in favour of the Lily’s.
Cork started brightly in the second half with Paul Kerrigan kicking their first point from play in the fortieth minute followed by a point from Aidan Walsh to reduce the deficit to three points. A goal from Dan Flynn in the forty third minute looked to put Kildare into a 1-03 lead but the goal was disallowed by Cormac Reilly after Daniel Flynn was supposed to have hopped the ball twice so it was back to a three point game and all to play for. Tommy Moolick got his name on the score sheet when he kicked a good point from play in the forty seventh minute to put four points between the teams. Kildare looked home and dry in the fiftieth minute when Ben McCormack beat Cork’s Ryan Price for a goal to put them into a 1-09 to 0-05 lead. Cork refused to give up and replied with points from Tom Clancy, Barry O’Driscoll and a goal from Luke Connolly to leave two between the teams and it now looked as if either team could win this game.
The next few minutes were crucial for both teams and it was Kildare who responded brilliantly to the Cork goal with Neil Flynn stepping up and kicking three much needed points (1f) to put them into a five point lead. Luke Connolly reduced the deficit to four points in the sixty ninth minute but Kildare finished strongly with points from Chris Healy and Paul Cribbin to leave a final score of 1-14 to 1-08.
