Kildare finally make their mark as they edge Davy Burke's Roscommon
All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 3
Kildare 1-16
Roscommon 1-15
It was close.
It was exciting.
It went right down to the wire.
And for once, Kildare came out on top in Sunday's All-Ireland Football Championship Series, Group 3, Round 3, against Roscommon to record a well-deserved, if very hard earned win by a point — a brilliant point at that with the returned Kevin Feely converting a 75th minute mark from a very acute angle.
The Lilies made three changes from the team announced with Feely, along with Ryan Houlihan and Daniel Flynn all coming into the starting line-up replacing the injured Mick O'Grady, along with Aaron Masterson and Paddy Woodgate.
Early rain made the surface somewhat slippy and players from both sides, but especially Kildare, slipped at some vital periods of the game.
While Roscommon fired over the opening point of the game, from Cian McKeon, it was Kildare who dominated the opening quarter.
A foul on Darragh Kirwan saw Neil Flynn convert the resulting free before a long ball from Kevin O'Callaghan was fielded by Kevin Feely, the Athy man called the mark and duly popped it over to put The Lilies in front after seven minutes.
Players from both sides were finding it difficult at times to keep their feet but on nine minutes a ball sent in high was caught by the returned Daniel Flynn who duly popped over the mark to make it 0-3 to 0-1.
At this stage Kildare were hunting in packs and the Roscommon forward line were finding it difficult to get any time or space on the ball.
On eleven minutes a great move down the right hand wing saw Darragh Kirwan, sold his marker a dummy before passing to Kevin Flynn. Instantaneously and without catching the ball, the Celbridge man, flicked the ball into the path of Alex Berne and the Naas man hit the ball on the volley to the bottom left hand corner of Conor Carroll's net, a goal that Ireland soccer manager Stephen Kenny would have been delighted to get against Greece last Friday night.
Ben McCormack picked up a yellow, Roscommon hit their second wide before a foul by Kevin Flynn saw Ciarán Murtagh convert.
On fifteen minutes Alex Beirne capped a great opening quarter when splitting the posts to make it 1-4 to 0-2.
However the Naas man was then shown a black card on 17 minutes and while there is no doubt he committed a foul, a black card certainly looked very harsh, in fact it looked a totally wrong decision at the time.
A brilliant ball from Mark Donnellan to Eoin Doyle saw the Naas man fouled, Conor Daly picking up a yellow before Ryan Houlihan was shown a black for a needless foul and Kildare were down to 13 men.
Diarmuid Murtagh reduced the lead with a free as Alex Beirne returned from the bin.
Just as it looked Kildare might escape lightly when reduced in numbers, Eoin Doyle lost possession to Diarmuid Murtagh who fed the ball to Enda Smith.
As this stage Mark Donnellan was well off his line as Smith soloed at pace before firing to the net.
A perfectly executed mark by Kevin Feely was ignored by the match official and from that Roscommon attached with Dylan Ruane giving Roscommon the lead for the first time — 1-5 to 1-4 on 31 minutes.
Ryan Houlihan returned before Cian McKeon got his second point of the half, this time ghosting by a couple of defenders with ease.
Kildare, who led four points on 15 minutes now found them selves trailing by two and it could have been more as Roscommon hit their seventh wide of the half before the break as The Rossies went into the dressing room leading 1-6 to 1-4.
Kildare re-emerged and reduced the lead to one after a long ball in from Darragh Kirwan was punched clear by Rossies keeper Conor Carroll but only to Neil Flynn who duly popped it over.
Ciarán Murtagh twisted and turned his way in before splitting the posts to restore the two point lead on 39 minutes.
A couple more winds from The Rossies before Alex Beirne, sup up by Darragh Kirwan left one it but again back came the boys from the went, this time wing back Niall Daly getting forward and duly fired over.
Kildare were enjoying a fair bit of possession and on 41 minutes Darragh Kirwan made a fine catch, called a mark and duly popped it over to reduce the gap to a single point once again.
Ryan Houlihan made a brilliant tackle, the ball broke, a foul committed and Ciarán Murtagh fired over the free but the unfortunate Houlihan pulled up with what looked like a recurrence of his hamstring injury and was forced off, Darragh Malone replacing him.
Neil Flynn (free) and Enda Smith exchanged points before a foul on Darragh Kirwan saw Neil Flynn convert the resultant free quickly followed by a fine pointed from Ben McCormack to tie up the game at 1-10 apiece on 48 minutes.
A Kildare 'short' and a wide for Roscommon before Kildare took the lead, Ben McCormack hitting a brilliant long range point.
Kevin Flynn, free, extended the lead to two before Roscommon hit back points from Donie Smith and Ben O'Carroll (his only score of the game) to push Roscommon one clear again.
Neil Flynn fed Kevin O'Callaghan and the Celbridge man had the sides all aboard but another mark, this time from Cian McKeon, pushed the Rossies back in front by one.
In a game that was ebbing and flowing from one side to the other, David Hyland's high ball in was caught by Kevin Feely who fired over the mark to tie up the sides for the fifth time in the second half.
Kildare, sensing a win, poured forward and Ben McCormack hit another beauty to edge The Likes back in front; a side followed for Kildare; Shea Ryan cut out a dangerous attack before Enda Smith tied it up again.
With time running out Daniel Flynn gained possession fired a long ball down the right wing; Kevin Feely made a brilliant catch under pressure, called the mark and then coolness personified fired over the mark with a brilliant left footed effort.
Kildare back in front and from the resultant kick-out the long whistle arrived much to the delight of the Kildare players, management and fans.
A magnificent effort after what has been a very trying season for Glenn Ryan's side but they thoroughly deserved their victory on Sunday which guaranteed them a 'home' draw which saw them on Monday morning coming out of the bowl to play Monaghan in the pre-quarter final, game fixed back in Tullamore for this Saturday or Sunday.
SCORERS
Kildare: Alex Beirne 1-2, Neil Flynn 0-4 (3 frees), Kevin Feely 0-4 (3 marks, 1 free), Ben McCormack 0-3, Kevin O'Callaghan 0-1, Darragh Kirwan 0-1 (mark), Daniel Flynn 0-1 (mark).
Roscommon: Enda Smith 1-3, Ciaran Murtagh 0-4 (3 frees), Cian McKeon 0-3 (1 mark), Ben O'Carroll 0-1, Diarmui Murtagh 0-1 (free), Niall Daly 0-1, Dyoan Ruane 0-1, Donie Smith 0-1 (free).
Kildare: Mark Donnellan; Ryan Houlihan; Shea Ryan, Eoin Doyle; David Hyland, Kevin Flynn, Jack Sargent; Kevin O'Callaghan, Kevin Feely; Paddy McDermott, Ben McCormack, Alex Beirne; Neil Flynn, Darragh Kirwan, Daniel Flynn. Subs: Darragh Malone for Ryan Houlihan (44 minutes); Tony Archbold for Alex Beirne (58 minutes); Harry O'Neill for Eoin Doyle (64 minutes); Paul Cribbin for Paddy McDermott (70 minutes); Jimmy Hyland for Neil Flynn (70 minutes).
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Colin Walsh, Brian Stack captain, David Murray; Niall Daly, Eoin McCormack, Conor Daly; Dylan Ruane, Eddie Nolan; Ciarán Murtagh, Enda Smith, Donie Smith; Cian McKeon, Ben O’Carroll. Diarmuid Murtagh. Subs: Ciaran Lennon for Conor Daly (21 minutes); Conor Hussey for Colin Walsh (41 minutes); Richard Hughes for Eddie Nolan (70 minutes).
Referee Martin McNally, Monaghan