GAA: LEINSTER MINOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE – GROUP 1
Dublin too strong for Kildare
DUBLIN…………………………………… 3-16
KILDARE…………………………………… 0-6
By Daire Walsh
DUBLIN’S Ross McGarry produced an outstanding performance at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon, when the Metropolitans secured a comprehensive victory over Kildare in Group One of the Leinster Minor Football League.
The Lilywhites were well in contention at the mid-way point, as a 19th-minute goal from Cormac Howley offered Dublin a slender 1-4 to 0-4 lead heading into the second period. However, with McGarry and Tom Keane leading by example, Paddy Christie’s hosts built serious momentum after the break, and ultimately booked their place in the semi-final of the competition in some style.
Kildare have entered two teams into the provincial league for 2016, and while the Cill Dara side in Group Three have enjoyed an extremely productive campaign, the Group One outfit were aiming to record their first win.
They certainly made life difficult for the Sky Blues during the early exchanges, and even though they conceded a point to the pacey Keane inside the opening 60 seconds, they had developed a slender advantage by the 11th minute. Sarsfields star Shane Doyle had levelled matters with a fine score off his right-foot, before his partner in the inside line, Padraig Nash, split the posts from a 25-metre free.
With Brendan Hackett’s charges keeping a tight rein in defence, Dublin struggled to find the target in the first-quarter. Yet, Keane registered his second point of the game at the end of a patient move 17 minutes in, and after he was picked out inside the Kildare cover just two minutes later, he provided a decisive pass for Howley’s palmed finish beyond the reach of opposing netminder Aaron Jamieson.
This was a blow to Kildare’s prospects, but thanks to placed-ball efforts from Cian Costigan (’45’) and Nash, they had cut the gap to a minimum by the half-hour mark.
Points from midfielder Mark Donnelly and Howley ensured that Dublin finished the period in positive fashion, but with a total of six players introduced to the play upon the resumption, there was a freshness to the Kildare team.
This looked like paying some form of dividends for the visitors, as an early second-half point by McGarry (his opening score of the outing) was quickly cancelled out by another pointed free from Monasterevan’s Nash.
Unfortunately for Kildare, they had a long barren spell in front of the Dublin posts after this score, and with the 2012 All-Ireland winners enjoying a significant purple patch in the same juncture, it quickly turned into a damage limitation exercise.
Dublin also utilised the unlimited substitutes rule as the half wore on, and despite seeing his 37th-minute shot waved wide by one of the umpires, McGarry claimed his second point of the game.
McGarry was beginning to exert his influence on the proceedings, and in addition to points from Keane and substitute Conor Courtney, his excellent 0-2 salvo increased Dublin’s lead to eight points (1-10 to 0-5) by the end of the third-quarter.
Kildare were struggling to cope with this increased level of intensity from Dublin, and after McGarry added a brace of points to his personal tally, replacement James Madden secured their second goal on the stroke of 50 minutes. They were in rampant form at this stage, and following a point by Patrick Flaherty just moments after his introduction, a 1-1 contribution from the devastating McGarry stretched the Dublin cushion to all of 18 points.
Keane and goalkeeper Comerford (’45’) further enhanced Dublin’s superiority, but Kildare managed to bring a 25-minute scoring drought to an end with a fine point on the turn by Mark McDermott, who had offered a direct option for Kildare on the edge of the square throughout the half.
DUBLIN: Evan Comerford (0-1, ’45’); Mal Tighe, Nathan Doran, CJ Smith; Conor Lennon, Rob Shaw, Rory Clarke; Mark Donnelly (0-1), Nathan Nolan; Tom Keane (0-4), Aaron Bradshaw, Dan O’Brien; Conor Hynes, Cormac Howley (1-1), Ross McGarry (1-7, 0-2f).
SUBS: Ciaran Murray for O’Brien (6), Aaron Duffy for Clarke (21), James Madden (1-0) for Howley, Conor Courtney (0-1) for Hynes (both h-t), Eoin Fitzpatrick for Donnelly (49), Patrick Flaherty (0-1) for Murray (51), Sean Egan for Tighe, Mikey Dunne for Bradshaw, David Lacey for Keane (all 56).
KILDARE: Aaron Jamieson (Rathangan); Kevin Gorman (Celbridge), Niall Brennan (Rheban), Matthew Betts-Symonds (Raheens); Ben Carroll (Maynooth), Jason Gibbons (Kilcock), Sam Doran (Johnstownbridge); David Marnell (Sarsfields), Sean Kavanagh (Monasterevan); Conor Jamieson (Rathangan), Cian Costigan (Sarsfields, 0-1, ’45’), Aaron Kelly (Ardclough); Darren Kelly (Ellistown), Shane Doyle (Sarsfields, 0-1), Padraig Nash (Monasterevan, 0-3, 3f).
SUBS: Aaron O’Neill (Carbury) for A Jamieson, Andrew Gregg (Two Mile House) for Betts-Symonds, Cormac O’Mahoney (Sarsfields) for Marnell, Michael Fitzsimons (Rathangan) for A Kelly, Mark McDermott (Moorefield, 0-1) for Doyle, Fintan Lawlor (Athy) for C Jamieson (all h-t), Conor Murphy (Sarsfields) for Gorman, John O’Toole (Monasterevan) for Carroll (both 41), C Jamieson for Nash (55).