Newbridge pip Cill Dara in Kildare derby clash in Leinster League

Cill Dara 18 – 21 Newbridge

Newbridge made the short trip across the Curragh to take on local rivals Cill Dara in what was billed as one of the standout fixtures of the Leinster League Division 2A weekend in an all Kildare clash.

Before kick-off, the sides sat third and fourth in the table, with Cill Dara holding a narrow three-point advantage.

The game started with intensity as the physically larger home side looked to impose themselves up front, while Newbridge threatened out wide with pace and width.

It was Cill Dara who struck first, as centre Colin Moloney burst through the middle to touch down for an unconverted try and a 5–0 lead.

Newbridge, despite a bright start, found themselves behind but responded well.

A superb break from Darragh Whyte created space out wide and delivered an excellent pass for winger Gavin Houlihan, who finished expertly to level the scores at 5–5.

Growing in confidence, Newbridge began to control territory, and two well-struck penalties from Donal Cashman pushed them into an 11–5 lead.

A long-range penalty from Cill Dara’s Bryn Moore narrowed the gap before half-time, leaving it 11–8 to Newbridge at the break.

The second half began with Cill Dara on top, and another penalty saw them level the game at 11–11.

The home side enjoyed most of the possession, but Newbridge’s defensive resolve kept the scores level.
Cashman then added another penalty to restore Newbridge’s advantage.

A yellow card for Stephen Cooke, followed by a converted try for the Cill Dara, put the home side four clear, and looking like they might hold out for a win.

However, Newbridge showed tremendous character in the closing stages.

Sustained pressure inside the Cill Dara 22 led to a charged-down kick by Shane Treacy, and Jack Moore reacted quickest to gather and stretch for the line for what proved to be the match-winning try. Cashman added the crucial conversion to make it 21–18.

Despite late pressure, Newbridge held out for a hard-fought and first league victory on the road, closing the gap in the league table. They now have a week off before the visit of New Ross on November 23rd.

Teams

NEWBRIDGE: 1. Michael Ugochukwu 2. Will Jennings 3. Brendan Commane 4. Cameron English 5. Mark Bennett 6. Tom Treacy 7. Denis Clarke 8. Shane Treacy 9. Kevin Commane 10. Donal Cashman 11. Zack Meehan 12. John O’Brien 13. Riain Murphy 14. Gavin Houlihan 15. Darragh Whyte 16. Cillian Beirne 17. Adam Binghan 18. Jack Moore 19. Stephen Cooke 20. James Parkinson.

CILL DARA: 15 Bryn Moore, 14 William Doran, 13 Ryan Hogg, 12 Jimmy O'Loughlin, 11 Phil Kenny, 10 Rory Conway, 9 Sean Behan, 1 DJ Brannock, 2 Oisin Carroll, 3 Conor McCormack, 4 Bill O'Shea, 5 Stephen Walsh, 6 Louis Venter, 7 Ross Dooley, 8 Colin Moloney. Subs: 16 Aaron Corraway, 17 Stephen Walsh, 18 Daire Hemp, 19 Thomas Cleary, 20 Philip Kenny.

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