Sport

Kildare exploit the Loup hole

Division Two B: Kildare 1-14 Derry 0-12 Kildare turned on the power in the second half to claim both points at Newbridge

Mon Feb 02 2004 - 00:00

Division Two B: Kildare 1-14 Derry 0-12 Kildare turned on the power in the second half to claim both points at Newbridge. The home side were forced to line out without Anthony Rainbow, Dermot Earley and Killian Brennan and they struggled for most of the opening half.

However, Derry also travelled without the Loup club players whose next competitive game will be the All-Ireland club football semi-final against Caltra.

Newcomer Morgan O'Sullivan opened the scoring for the home side after less than a minute but Geoffrey McGonigle, Derry's most consistent forward, quickly levelled and they never looked back for the remainder of the half after McGonigle then gave them the lead in the 10th minute.

With Enda Muldoon and Fergal Doherty dominant in midfield, there was a plentiful supply of possession to the Derry attack and the scores followed. Conleth Moran sent Derry in with a 0-7 to 0-2 interval lead.

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Kildare emerged for the second half with some positional switches and got back into the game. Pádraig Brennan, who did well in the attack, made inroads into Derry's advantage and Muldoon's 42nd-minute point was their first of the half.

The game's real turning point arrived two minutes later when Kildare were awarded a penalty for a foul on Tadhg Fennin. Ronan Sweeney calmly slotted the ball to the corner of the net and the sides were level again.

Derry played out the last 10 minutes without a single score for their efforts while Kildare added five for a convincing win.

KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, D Hendy, A McLoughlin; E Callaghan, G Ryan, K Ennis; A Barry, M Foley; M O'Sullivan (0-2), J Doyle (0-4 two frees), R Sweeney (1-0, from pen); P Brennan (0-6, one free), R Glavin, T Fennin (0-1). Subs: R McCabe for Hendy (31 mins), D McCormack (0-1) for Foley (34 mins).

DERRY: B Gillis; SM Lockhart, K McCloy, N McCusker; P Wilson, D Scullion, P Kelly, E Muldoon (0-2, one free), F Doherty; C O'Brien, C Gilligan (0-1), C Moran (0-2); P O'Neill, G McGonigle (0-6), C Mullan (0-1, one free). Subs: P Bradley for O'Neill (45 mins), J Donaghy for O'Brien (51 mins), F McEldowney for McCusker (65 mins), C McWilliams for Wilson (68 mins), E Burke for Moran (68 mins).

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).