Division One B: Sligo 0-12 Kildare 1-7 It would now appear that the Games Administration Committee were only inviting trouble by allowing this refixture to go ahead at Markievicz Park yesterday.
A relentless stop-start niggling battle resulted between two pumped-up teams who were hell-bent on putting the record straight and Tipperary referee Paddy Russell repeatedly spent time consulting with his linesmen about wrong-doings to the obvious annoyance of the 10,000 crowd.
Kildare finished up with only 13 players, All Star Glenn Ryan, for the first time in his long and distinquished career, receiving one of the red cards for a second bookable offence after 30 minutes. He was joined for an early shower by Kildare midfielder Alan Barry, who was shown red for a second bookable offence after 52 minutes. In all, referee Russell showed 11 yellow cards and two reds.
The bottom line is of course that Sligo remain in Division One as a result of this laboured two-point win while Down join Kildare for the drop to Division Two.
The term niggling must be stressed for it was by no means a savagely over-robust match.
"You would have to wonder about the refereeing there today but I am proud of our lads," said Kildare manager Padraig Nolan after his players put up a brave 13-man fight.
"I thought the sendings-off were very wrong. Our lads couldn't buy a free within 45 yards of the Sligo posts," added Nolan.
Peter Ford, the Sligo manager, was not pleased either but his criticisms were levelled at his team's display. "We played rubbish. I know it can be hard to know what to do when you are two men down but our fellows didn't do much constructively to open them up.
"Kildare were able to take short kick-outs and keep possession for long spells. Given the circumstances they should not have been able to do that," said Ford.
Kildare looked the more composed operators with or without wind assistance. Ryan's dismissal was a huge blow to the effectiveness of their defence even though they continued to hold a slender advantage on the scoreboard up to half-time and well into the second half.
Substitute Mick Wright was a tower of strength in trying to keep the Kildare defence together after Ryan was sent walking.
But the scenario for the Lily Whites became nigh impossible when they lost Barry.
They continued to battle on with only two forwards up front, Tadgh Fennin and Derek McCormack trying to beat the odds. They managed to tag on only one point from the time they were down to 13 players, although Karl Ennis went close to salvaging the points with a late shot that was smothered and cleared in a crowded Sligo goalmouth.
Kildare's performance was an improvement on what they had been producing up to this. "The work rate improved," Nolan was happy to say. Despite a sluggish start and failing to score for the opening 14 minutes, Kildare still held the lead, 0-2 to 0-1, after 16 minutes.
Sligo had given a preview of their overall match form during that opening quarter, realising poor return for good possession.
Kildare gradually came into it territorially with Killian Brennan in midfield beginning to make his mark and after Glenn Ryan lofted a well directed ball towards his forwards in the 24th minute, the Leinster team struck their highest note with a brilliant goal from Fennin to round off a slick one-two move with Brennan.
Kildare were deserving leaders at half-time, 1-4 to 0-6. When enjoying their numerical superiority in the last quarter Sligo often had their fingers close to the self-destruct button and kicked eight of the worst wides imaginable.
SLIGO: P Walsh; P Gallagher, N Carew, B Phillips; P Doohan, M Langan, N McGuire; P Durcan (0-1), E O'Hara; P Taylor (0-1), J McPartland, M McNamara (0-1); D Sloyan (0-6, 5 frees), M Breheny (0-2), G McGowan. Subs: M Cosgrave for P Gallagher (25 mins); D Durcan (0-1) for Langan (45 mins); S Davey for McNamara (65 mins); N Clancy for B Phillips (67 mins).
KILDARE: C Byrne; B Lacey, D Lyons, A McLoughlin; D Hendy, G Ryan, A Rainbow (0-1); A Barry, K Brennan; P Murray (0-2 frees), J Doyle (0-2), R Sweeney; T Fennin (1-0), S McKenzie-Smyth (0-1), D McCormack (0-1). Subs: M Wright for McCormack (34 mins); McCormack for McKenzie-Smyth (47 mins); K Ennis for R Sweeney (50 mins); E McCormack for Hendy (64 mins); K Duane for A McLoughlin (71 mins).
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).
Division One B
