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Foley rewards Kildare's rally

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO Donegal 0-8 Kildare 1-5: DONEGAL ARE undefeated after three games, but they were disappointed…

Mon Feb 28 2011 - 00:00

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO Donegal 0-8 Kildare 1-5:DONEGAL ARE undefeated after three games, but they were disappointed in Letterkenny yesterday after surrendering a four-point lead with three minutes left.

Ahead by 0-8 to 0-4 after Michael Murphy had pointed in the 68th minute, they allowed Kildare get a point and then failed to deal with a free from Johnny Doyle which fell kindly for full back Michael Foley, who he fired to the corner of the net.

Overall, it was a very poor game and Donegal manager Jim McGuinness reflected the Donegal mood afterwards. “We have to learn how to close out games. That was a game we could have won but we will learn more from the way it finished.”

There was little between the sides in the first half as both sides had defence as a high priority.

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Keith Cribbin and Eoghan O’Flaherty had Kildare two ahead after 10 minutes. Donegal got their first point on 17 minutes with Colm McFadden pointing a free.

Kildare were denied a goal by a point blank save by Paul Durcan from Fionn Dowling on 23 minutes and late in the half Rory Kavanagh and Michael Murphy drew Donegal level at 0-3 each.

Donegal hit six wides early in the second half. Eoghan Dowling edged Kildare in front, but they failed to score from the 42nd minute until the final two scores as three points from Murphy put Donegal in a strong position.

DONEGAL: P Durcan; P McGrath, N McGee, K Lacey; A Thompson, L McLoone, K Cassidy; C Classon, M McElhinney; D McLaughlin, M McHugh, R Bradley; D Molloy, M Murphy (0-4,two frees), C McFadden (0-2, two frees). Subs: F McGlynn for McGrath 23; R Kavanagh (0-1) for McLaughlin (20); M Hegarty (0-1) for Classon (ht); A Hanlon for Molloy (56); M Boyle for Bradley (66).

KILDARE: S McCormack; H McGrillen, M Foley (1-0), A McLaughlin; D Whyte, B Flanagan, E Bolton; H Lynch, P ONeill; R Sweeney, J Doyle, E O'Flaherty (0-1); F Dowling (0-2, two frees), A Smith, K Cribben (0-1). Subs: R Kelly for Lynch (20), J Kavanagh for Smith (ht), E Callaghan (0-1) for Dowling (42 mins); G Whyte for Bolton (57 mins); J Moolick for Kelly (63 mins).

Referee: Michael Duffy(Sligo).