Sport

Kildare finish on a high to kill off Cavan's hopes

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round One/ Kildare 1-18 Cavan 1-13: Kildare improved their poor success rate in the All-Ireland football…

Mon Jun 26 2006 - 01:00

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round One/ Kildare 1-18 Cavan 1-13: Kildare improved their poor success rate in the All-Ireland football qualifiers with a win which ended Cavan's interest in the competition at Newbridge on Saturday evening.

The home team won comfortably in the end, but not before a very slow start. Seán Johnston, a reliable free-taker throughout, got Cavan's second score after Seán Brady's opener and Eddie Reilly added a third point.

John Doyle got Kildare on the scoresheet in the 10th minute from a placed ball - and, three minutes later, he had the ball in the net after John Divilly put provided the final pass.

With Killian Brennan and Dermot Earley breaking the supremacy of Dermot McCabe and Lorcan Mulvey in midfield, Kildare took control. Tomás O'Connor closed the gap to a point and Doyle levelled.

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Kildare took control for the rest of the half with scores by Killian Brennan, Doyle and Michael Foley. Doyle and Tommy Archbold rounded off the first half scoring for Kildare and they led by 1-11 to 1-7.

Cavan rallied at the start of the second half and Jason O'Reilly got their first score. He added another before substitute Ronan Flanagan edged them ever closer.

Kildare always looked stronger, however, and got the last three scores of the game through Tadhg Fennin, John Doyle and Tommy Archbold to earn a place in the next round.

KILDARE: E Murphy; A McLoughlin, K O'Neill, M Hogarty; M Foley (0-2), J Divilly, A Rainbow; K Brennan (0-1), D Earley (0-3); J Doyle (1-6, four frees, one 45), J Kavanagh, R Sweeney; T Archbold (0-2), T O'Connor (0-1), P O'Neill (0-2). Subs: T Fennin (0-1) for Kavanagh, E Callaghan for Rainbow, M Fitzharris for Sweeney.

CAVAN: J Reilly; M Hannon, A Gaynor, K Fannin; M Cahill (0-1), A Ford (0-1), C Collins; D McCabe, L Mulvey; M McKeever, S Brady (0-1), M Brides; L Reilly (1-0), E O'Reilly (0-1), S Johnston (0-6, five frees). Subs: R Flanagan (0-1) for Brides, E King for Mulvey, J O'Reilly (0-2) for McKeever, P Reilly for Cahill, J Jordan for Gaynor.

Referee: M Meade (Limerick).