Wicklow 1-13 Kildare 2-12
Kildare booked their place in the Leinster minor football championship final at the second time of asking with a four-point win over Wicklow after another rip-roaring encounter between the sides in Aughrim.
Wicklow came out with all guns blazing from the off with corner forward Matthew Ging giving a masterful display with five first-half points as they led 1-7 to 1-6 at the break.
Kildare sprang Muiris Curtin from the bench at half-time and within minutes he had drilled home 1-2 to put the Lilywhites in a commanding position.
There was never more than four points separating the sides at any stage and Kildare goalkeeper John Ball had to make a super diving save to deny Wicklow’s Shaun Cranley.
WICKLOW: B Fennell; F O'Carroll, S Kearney, T Moran; K Quinn, C Grimes O Cullen; E Byrne, S Doody; C McDonald (0-1), C Maguire, J Fleming; M Ging (0-8), E Darcy (1-2, one 45), J Keogh (0-1).
Subs: S Cranley for J Fleming, D Maloney for C Maguire, D Lawlor (0-1) for O Cullen,
KILDARE: J Ball; J Lynch, S Hill, J Hamill; N Jackman (0-1) , K Kelleher, P McDermott; L Broderick (0-1), M Kiely; S Morrissey (1-1), A Beirne (0-1), M McGovern; E O'Haire (0-2), J Kennedy (0-1), J Smyth (0-3).
Subs: D Caulfield for N Jackman, M Curtin (1-2) for M McGovern, P Behan for J Smyth.
Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin)
