NFL DIVISION TWO: Kildare 1-17 Antrim 0-11:ANTRIM LEARNED yesterday at Casement Park that life in Division Two of the NFL is not going to be easy. The home side began well and were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the 12th minute, their three points from frees, but they scored only one more point before the break at which stage Kildare led, 0-6 to 0-4.

The visitors dominated the second half with Johnny Doyle popping over the points from placed balls. Mark Dougan hit an Antrim point in the 37th minute, but the Saffrons didn’t score again until the 46th while Kildare rifled over four scores to strengthen their grip on the game at 0-11 to 0-5.

Points by Kevin Niblock and freetaker Paddy Cunningham eased the pressure a little on the home side, but they never looked like gaining their first league points after returning to Division Two following a 20-year lapse.

When substitute Keith Cribbin added the goal for the visitors, it capped a fine day for them.

“I wasn’t happy with our first-half performance as our tackling was very poor,” said winning manager Kieran McGeeney. “But we talked at half-time and the boys came out and scored 1-11 after the break.”

Two players were sent off for second yellow card offences – Antrim full-back Andrew McClean in the 53rd minute and Kildare’s Emmet Bolton on 66 minutes.

KILDARE:S Connolly; H McGrillen, T O'Neill, B Flanagan (0-1); D Whyte, M Scanlon, E Bolton; H Lynch (0-1), P O'Neill (0-1); E Callaghan (0-4), E O'Flaherty, J Doyle (0-8, eight frees); K Ennis, F Dowling (0-2), A Smith. Subs: R Kelly for Ennis (17 mins); M Foley for T O'Neill (43); R Sweeney for Smith (46); T Hoolick for P O'Neill (61); K Cribbin (1-0) for O'Flaherty (68).

ANTRIM:S O'Neill; C Brady, A McClean, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, D O'Neill; B Herron, A Gallagher; M Sweeney, Kevin McGourty, T O'Neill; P Cunningham (0-8, seven frees), M Dougan (0-2, one free), K Niblock (0-1). Subs: M McCann for Sweeney (46 mins); A Healy for Crozier (47); S Finch for Herron (51).

Referee:M Higgins (Fermanagh).