Late Clare goal ends Kildare unbeaten run

Kildare lost their unbeaten run at Cusack Park, Ennis, this afternoon, going under by two points to the home side. It was a game the visitors looked to have dug out of the fire in the second half having trailed at the break by six and the home side were fully deserved of that six point lead, as they enjoyed plenty of possession, two two-pointers from Keelan Sexton and a goal from Eoin Cleary had them comfortably in front.

Kildare certainly had their goal chances, five in total in that period, a few blocks, a total of 16 attacks that saw just six points on the board, one of them was a two-pointer free from Didier Cordonnier.

The visitors dominated the second half and held Clare scoreless until 55 minute after a tap over free following a 3x3 infringement.

The Lilies took the lead with two Alex Beirne points but Clare hit back with two points from substitute Dermot Coughlan to go one clear on 68.

Back came the Lilies with a brilliant two-pointer from Alex Beirne but three minutes into time added on a goal from Keelan Sexton sealed the issue for Clare on a final score line of Clare 2-12 Kildare 0-16.

Scorers: Clare, Keelan Sextion 1-4 (two two-pointers), Eoin Cleary 1-1 (1 free), Emmet McMahon 0-3 (2 frees), Dermot Coughlan 0-2, Brian McNamara 0-1, Aaron Griffin 0-1.

Kildare, Alex Beirne 0-6 (two two-pointers), Callum Bolton 0-3, Didier Cordonnier 0-2 (two-pointer free), Kevin Feely 0-2 (1 free), Colm Dalton 0-2, Ben McCormack 0-1.

CLARE: Eamon Tubridy; Cillian Rouine, Cillian Brennan, Manus Doherty; Alan Sweeney, Fionn Kelleher, Sean McAllister; Brian McNamara, Ikem Ugweuru; Aaron Griffin, Emmet McMahon, Ciaran Downes; Conor Meaney, Eoin Cleary, Keelan Sexton. Subs: Gavin Murray for for Aaron Griffin (48 minutes); Evan Cahill for Sean McAllister (52 minutes); Daniel Walsh for Conor Meany (55 minutes); Dermot Coughlan for Alan Sweeney (62 minutes); Mark McInerney for Ciaran Downes (70 minutes):

KILDARE: Didier Cordonnier; Ryan Burke, Mick O'Grady, Brian Byrne; Jack McKevitt, James McGrath, David Hyland; Cathal Hagney, Callum Bolton; Ben McCormack, Alex Beirne, Colm Dalton; Niall Kelly, Kevin Feely cpt, Darragh Swords. Subs: Brian McLoughlin for Darragh Swords (29 minutes); Harry O'Neill for Cathal Hagney (half-time); Jimmy Hyland for Niall Kelly (45 minutes); Ryan Sinkey for Ben McCormack (52 minutes); Daniel Flynn for Daniel Flynn (70 minutes)

REFEREE: Brendan Griffin, Kerry.