Kildare 0-16 Longford 0-8:KILDARE got their season under way with a convincing win in front of an attendance of 1,100 at St Conleth's Park.

Kildare led by 0-9 to 0-6 at the interval and by the end the home side had nine different scorers, freetaker Eoghan O’Flaherty leading the way on six points.

Last year’s minors Tommy Moolick and Fionn Dowling showed well while corner-back Ciarán Fitzpatrick also impressed.

Bernard McElvaney and Donal McElligott got Longford off to a good start with early points but by the ninth minute Kildare were ahead when O’Flaherty slotted his first free. A run of four points in five minutes midway through the half established their advantage and they pushed home their superiority after the resumption.

KILDARE: S Connolly; O Lyons, D Hendy, C Fitzpatrick; M Scanlon (0-1), M Foley, E Callaghan (0-1); H Lynch, P O’Neill (0-1); T Moolick (0-1), E O’Flaherty 0-6 (five frees), M O’Sullivan (0-2); K Ennis (0-1), W Heffernan (0-1), F Dowling (0-2). Subs: A Smith for Dowling (56 mins); E McCormack for Ennis (56); D Whyte for Lynch (57; C Tiernan for Moolick (69 mins).

LONGFORD: J McKenna; D Brady, B Gilleran, D Reilly; CP Smyth, K Diffley, S Mulligan; J Keegan, B McElvaney (0-1); P Kelly, D McElligott 0-6 (four frees), D Barden; J Noonan, P Dowd 0-1, S McCormack. Subs: E Williams for Kelly (34); N Farrell for Smyth (57); T Gallagher for Reilly (59); JJ Mathews for Noonan (59); J O’Shea for Dowd (68).

Referee: N Ward (Westmeath).

Next up. . .

Tomorrow – Westmeath v Dublin; Offaly v DCU (TBC), Meath v UCD.

Quarter-finals (next weekend) –

Westmeath/Dublin v DIT; Kildare v Offaly/DCU; Meath/UCD v Carlow; Louth v Wicklow.