O'Byrne Cup/Kildare 0-14 Longford 1-5: When it's the longest week of the year and your county has been idle for six months, the O'Byrne Cup comes on like an orgy of football. When it's Kildare we're talking about then the excitement is palpable and Newbridge feels as if the Olympics are in town.
That's probably a slight exaggeration but the new intercounty season officially starts here, and for many people that's not soon enough. Kildare certainly played as if they'd been counting down the weeks, and quickly turned the first competitive match of the year into a totally one-sided affair. They performed with intent and hit some fine scores and thus set up an early-season treat against Laois next Sunday, with Newbridge again playing host.
Longford, in contrast, looked several months off the pace. It's far too early to be overly critical of any team but their hopelessness was evident throughout the field, with the obvious exception of midfielder Paul Barden.
None of their forwards scored, their backs regularly cleared up enough space for Kildare to hit points at will, and for manager Luke Dempsey the championship tie against Dublin next June must already be looming like a death sentence.
Better focus on the positives though, all of which currently rest with Kildare. Their impressive total of 0-14 was spread between eight players, and the style with which some of the scores were executed defied winter football.
Manager John Crofton fielded the typically experimental line-up, which meant players like John Doyle, Tadgh Fennin and Pádraig Brennan were all kept in reserve. Newcomers David Jordan (0-2) and Mark Fitzharris (0-3) took their chances well, while Derek McCormack and Pádraig Hurley looked unseasonably sharp.
At midfield, Hugh Lynch is developing into the perfect company for Killian Brennan, and his confident score after 90 seconds sent Kildare on their way. They'd collected 0-3 within as many minutes and for a while it appeared Longford wouldn't see any possession all afternoon.
Thankfully that changed, and Barden's first free settled them a little. But it was still one-way traffic for most of the first half. Kildare's hunger for fielding ball and moving it forward created a steady stream of scores, with Jordan, McCormack, Hurley and wing back Pádraig Mullarkey all adding to their total before Barden scored his first from play after 30 minutes.
Still, Kildare closed out the half with two more cool scores and were fully deserving of their 0-10 to 0-3 advantage come the turnaround. As suspected that lead was never threatened from then on.
If anything, Kildare's strategy fell apart a little and they allowed Longford to get a hand on the game, but such was their limitations up front and obvious shortcomings in fitness it still never turned into a contest. Liam Keenan's goal on 51 minutes in fact came against the run of play and, worse still, was their last score in the game.
Dempsey has a hard job on his hands trying to do something with Longford football with the limited talent he has. Youth dominated this selection, and things can only improve during their run in Division Two of the league. But not even the home advantage against Dublin currently gives them any sort of hope for the championship.
For Kildare, the league can't come around fast enough. Doyle and Anthony Rainbow both made late appearances and Doyle's enthusiasm was obvious, even though his three efforts at goal went wide.
Thomas Corley, who also plays in goal for the county soccer team, also looked well up to the task and it's all left Crofton in the position that every manager wishes to be at this time of the year: his players are hungry, he's got plenty of options, and they've just started that old Kildare habit of winning.
KILDARE: T Corley; M Hogarty, K O'Neill, J Lonergan; P Mullarkey (0-1), E Noones, D Lyons; K Brennan, H Lynch (0-1); D Jordan (0-2), D McCormack (0-2), T O'Neill (0-1); M Fitzharris (0-3, two frees), P Hurley (0-3, two frees), E Callaghan (0-1). Subs: J Doyle for Callaghan, A Rainbow for Lyons (both 55 mins), A Kelly for Brennan (59 mins), D Hendy for Hogarty (61 mins).
LONGFORD: D Sheridan; P Murtagh, D Corcoran, C Conefrey; D Brady, D Glennon, A O'Connor; P Barden (0-5, three frees), L Keenan (1-0); S Shortt, K Mulligan, D Barden; P Berry, T Nolan, F McGee. Subs: S Mulligan for Glennon (18 mins), N Farrell for Murtagh (20 mins, inj), K Smith for Shortt, T Glendenning for Nolan (both half time), J Martin for Keenan (54 mins).
Referee: S O'Shea (Wexford).
