Lilies pull clear of Waterford, eventually

Tailteann Cup Group 1 Round 2

Kildare 5-15

Waterford 0-6

The result of this Tailteann Cup Round 2 game at Fraher Fields, Dungarvan, was as predictable as it was inevitable.

In the end there were no less than 24 points separating the 1/100 favourites Kildare, and Waterford, the team ranked the weakest in the entire country having finished bottom of Division 4 in the AFL with one point.

The result looks impressive and in fairness, The Lilies did (eventually) push aside their opposite number with consummate ease.

Yet at half-time one was scratching one's head after an opening half display that was as poor as anything we had witnessed in this crazy Kildare season of 2024.

Having disposed of Longford the previous week one expected The Lilies to come out with all guns blazing on Saturday and while they most certainly dominated the half from start to finish, their poor shooting, poor shot selection and overall disappointing display they led by a mere five points at the interval — 0-8 to 0-3.

It was a conversion rate of just under 50 per cent, hardly good enough to win a game at any level.

The one bright spark from that opening period was the continued excellent form of Darragh Kirwan, the Naas man hit four points from play with Kevin Feely adding two (one free, one mark) while Luke Killian and Niall Kelly were the other two Kildare players to register points.

Granted Kildare did play against a stiffish breeze in that period and against a Waterford side that packed their defence, no doubt with an ambition to keeping the score line as low as possible and in fairness to them they succeeded in that.

The resumption however saw the visitors eventually throw off the shackles starting with Luke Killian firing over the opening point on the resumption, a point that was queried by the match official with the umpires and one that certainly did not look good from the press area of Fraher Field.

Paddy Woodgate finally opened his account (after firing wide from the only goal opportunity in the opening half) with a free after Darragh Kirwan was fouled.

Niall Kelly and Woodgate again added points before goal no. 1 arrived on 44 minutes.

Kildare gained possession close to the sideline and in a move involving Paddy McDermott, Darragh Kirwan and Paddy Woodgate the latter found the net to make it 1-12 to 0-3.

Barry Kelly, black carded on the cusp of half-time returned to action as Waterford's Michael Curry picked up a black and having already been yellow carded was then shown a red.

A short kick-out (will they ever learn) saw Kildare force a turn-over that ended with Niall Kelly finding the net after good work from Shane O'Sullivan and Paddy Woodgate.

Shane O'Sullivan, a second half substitute, then hit two goals inside three minutes and with Niall Kelly adding a point Kildare now led 4-13 to 0-3 on 57 minutes, Waterford yet to score in the second half.

Kevin Flynn added goal no. 5 on 61 minutes and while the home side did add three points, Kildare raised two more white flags from Clane's Sam McCormack and Kevin Flynn to win comfortably in the end on a final score line of 5-15 to 0-6.
Job done; nothing more, nothing less.

Hard to know if the Kildare management learned anything from this one but the final score line should certainly boost the confidence of the shooters.

Next up in two weeks time is a clash with Leitrim, at a neutral venue with an automatic quarter-final place up for grabs.

Scorers: Kildare, Shane O'Sullivan 2-0, Niall Kelly 1-3, Paddy Woodgate 1-2, Kevin Flynn 1-1, Darragh Kirwan 0-4, Kevin Feely 0-2 (1 free, 1 mark), Luke Killian 0-2, Sam McCormack 0-1,

Waterford, Jason Curry 0-3 (1 free), Mark Cummins 0-1, Stephen Curry 0-1. Donie Fitzgerald 0-1.

KILDARE: Didier Cordonnier; Ryan Burke, Shea Ryan, Eoin Doyle; Tony Archbold, Brian Byrne, Kevin Flynn; Luke Killian, Brendan Gibbons; Barry Kelly, Darragh Kirwan, Paddy McDermott; Paddy Woodgate, Kevin Feely cpt, Niall Kelly, Subs: Alex Beirne for Brendan Gibbons (47 minutes): Shane O'Sullivan for Darragh Kirwan (50 minutes); Sam McCormack for Kevin Feely (55 minutes); Dean O'Donoghue for Brian Byrne (56 minutes); Rian Teahan for Paddy McDermott (62 minutes).

WATERFORD: Aaron Beresford; Ross Browne, Caoimhín Walsh, Liam Fennell; Robbie McGrath, Billy O'Keeffe, Dermot Ryan; Michael Curry cpt, Tholom Guiry; James Walsh, Jason Curry, Billy Hynes; Stephen Curry, James Power, Mark Cummins. Subs: Conor Ó Cuirrín for Billy Hynes (55 minutes); Sean Whelan-Barrett for James Walsh (55 minutes); Donie Fitzgerald for James Power (55 minutes): Michael O'Brien for Jason Curry (70 minutes).

REFEREE: Seamus Mulhare, Laois.