National Football League Division 2: Kildare 0-16 Clare 0-15
Kildare finally kickstarted their season in unlikely yet dramatic circumstances in Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday afternoon when flooring hosts Clare with a rousing seven-point turnaround before a crowd of 2,692.
Already frustratingly trailing the Banner by 0-14 to 0-8, the final nail in Kildare’s coffin appeared to be hammered home when losing Ben McCormack to a second yellow card in the 50th minute.
Perversely, however, that dismissal would be the catalyst for a remarkable final quarter seachange as the motivated Lilywhites, led by experienced replacements Neil (4) and Daniel (2) Flynn, kicked eight of the last nine points to snatch their first victory of the campaign at the death.
In contrast, a previously slick Clare subconsciously retreated into their shells when presented with a numerical advantage for the final 20 minutes as they sat back and invited Kildare on to them which would prove an extremely difficult trend to arrest as the visitors gathered momentum.
Late frees
Clare still held a two-point lead heading into five minutes of additional time but a black card for goalkeeper Stephen Ryan not only levelled the playing numbers but handed Kildare the impetus. Indeed, UL’s Sigerson Cup Final captain Emmet McMahon had to go into goals for Clare while Neil Flynn converted two late frees to sandwich a Daniel Flynn point on their way to inching into the ascendancy for the only time in the entire contest in the 75th minute.
Ironically, Clare also fared best when down to 14 in the opening half as Alan Sweeney’s 20th-minute black card inspired the hosts to dig deep with the next three points through Eoin Cleary (2) and Podge Collins to move 0-7 to 0-4 clear.
Kevin Feely and Jimmy Hyland responded with points, only to be sucker-punched once more upon Sweeney’s return as Clare kicked four of the last five points, two from captain Cleary, to take an 0-11 to 0-7 cushion into the break.
With the wind to come, a Kildare backlash seemed inevitable but it had to take until near breaking point to finally pick themselves up off the canvas for what could yet be a stirring season-defining result for Glenn Ryan’s side.
Kildare: M Donnellan; M O’Grady, S Ryan, R Houlihan; D Hyland (0-1), K Flynn, P McDermott; K O’Callaghan, K Feely (0-1); P Woodgate (0-2, 1f), B McCormack, E Doyle; J Robinson (0-1), D Kirwan (0-1), J Hyland (0-4f). Subs: D Flynn (0-2) for Robinson (42), N Flynn (0-4, 2f) for Woodgate (44), D Malone for O’Callaghan (58), S O’Sullivan for J. Hyland (66).
Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, C Brennan, R Lanigan (0-1); C O’Dea, P Lillis, A Sweeney; C O’Connor, D Bohannon; D Coughlan (0-1), E Cleary (0-8, 6f), J Malone; P Collins (0-1), G Cooney (0-2), E McMahon (0-2, 1f). Subs: I Ugwueru for Sweeney (HT), A Griffin for Cooney (47), B Rouine for O’Connor (48, inj), C Downes for Coughlan (55), C Russell for Doherty (70).
Referee: D Murnane (Cork).
