Gaelic Games

Fermanagh edge Kildare thanks to late Ryan Lyons brace

Promotion favourites Kildare struggle to score from play in low scoring contest

Fermanagh manager Rory Gallagher watched his team beat Kildare on Saturday night. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho

Sat Feb 9 2019 - 21:47

Fermanagh 0-8 Kildare 0-6

Two late points from wing forward Ryan Lyons gave Fermanagh two precious points in a tempestuous affair against promotion favourites Kildare in Brewster Park on Saturday night.

Lyons struck in the 65th and 73rd minutes to give the home side a deserved victory. The winners hit 11 wides and would have been kicking themselves had they lost.

Fermanagh started the stronger in the opening half but their misfiring forward line cost the Erne County dearly once again as they hit seven wides to Kildare’s three.

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And the Lilywhites were quite happy to go in just two points adrift as the wasteful home team led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval. The final score of the first half came in the 22nd minute.

A combination of their mass defence and swift counter attacking play, against an off colour Kildare side who could only manage one point from play over 70 plus minutes, meant they maintained their early control throughout to take the two points.

Fermanagh: T Treacy; J Cassidy, L Cullen, Kane Connor; Che Cullen, J McMahon, C Corrigan; E Donnelly (0-1) R Jones (0-1); R Lyons (0-2) D McCusker, A Breen; D Teague, C Jones (0-1) S Quigley (0-3 frees)

Subs; T Clarke for E Donnelly (26 mins), P McCusker for D Teague (37), E McHugh for K Connor (41), S McGullion for T Clarke (55),

Kildare: M Donnellan; M Dempsey, M O'Grady, D Hyland; J Murray, E Doyle, K Cribbin; K Feely, A Masterson; D Slattery, F Conway (0-2, one mark) C Hartley; A Tyrrell (0- 2 frees) B McCormack, N Flynn (0-2 frees)

Subs; J Hyland for C Hartley, C O’Donoghue for A Tyrell (HT), F Dowling for F Conway, T Moolick for K Cribbin (63), P Nash for D Slattery (65).

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)

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