Goals the key as Coill Dubh power past Ardclough in Kildare SHC

2025 UPMC Kildare Senior Hurling Championship Group B

Coill Dubh 4-14

Ardclough 1-13

It was all about green flags for Coill Dubh as their four-goal strong tally saw them past Ardclough in the Kildare Senior Hurling Championship.

However, they were on the wrong end of the game’s first with Ardclough midfielder Tim Ryan hitting the net after just 55 seconds of play. After winning possession, Ryan drove and drove again at the Coill Dubh backline and then unleashed an exceptional finish into the top corner of the net.

Johnny Byrne was the man to open Coill Dubh’s account and it has to be said that the dual star looked at the top of his game in this Group B clash.

Ardclough then replied with a Sean Whelan free to restore their three-point advantage.

The game was level on the five-minute mark when Colm Gordon slipped Johnny Byrne through on goal and the Coill Dubh midfielder sidestepped the on-rushing Finn Leach to leave himself a simple finish into the net.

Ardclough responded well in open play, but failed to make their hard work in the tackle count for much with a series of poor wides. They did however get their eye in enough to lead 1-4 to 1-2 after 17 minutes of action.

Coill Dubh responded brilliantly with the game’s next four points and from four different sources too. It was a superb spell, but a Sean Whelan free going the other way left the sides just a point apart with four minutes left before half-time.

Johnny Byrne was again the man to create a goal for his team and this time turned provider after he was brought down in the box in search of his second goal. Mark Delaney stood over the penalty and drilled his effort fairly straight but low and powerful enough to fly past the Ardclough stopper.

Enda Keane capped his team’s late first half burst by cutting in superbly and firing over to send Coill Dubh in with a 2-7 to 1-5 lead at half-time.

It was nip and tuck after the restart with Delaney and Byrne adding to the leading side’s tally while Whelan and Ronan O’Malley fired back.

After a Sean Whelan point from play had reduced the gap back to four, Declan Flaherty hit the net for Coill Dubh to put them far more comfortably ahead in the 42nd minute. The centre-forward drilled his effort across the goal and into the far sidenetting to put a huge dent in any Ardclough hopes of a comeback at 3-9 to 1-8.

Coill Dubh’s fourth goal was again assisted by the game’s man of the match Johnny Byrne who this time set up Enda Keane to find the net. The young corner-forward found it in fine style too with a tidy finish into the corner.

The eventual winner's ruthless nature in front of the posts served them well as they finished as 4-14 to 1-11 to the better on the day.

Coill Dubh, Johnny Byrne 1-4, Enda Keane 1-3, Declan Flaherty 1-3 (0-1 frees), Mark Delaney 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 sideline), John Dee 0-1, Colm Gordon 0-1.

Ardclough, Sean Whelan 0-7 (0-6 frees), Tim Ryan 1-1, Cillian Burke 0-2, Patrick O'Malley 0-2, Ronan O'Malley 0-1.

COILL DUBH: Owen Lenehan; Mark Byrne, Dylan Brereton, Conor Gordon; John Dee, Mark Grace, Fionn Moran; Jamie Kenna, Johnny Byrne; Eanna O'Neill, Declan Flaherty, Sean Dunne; Enda Keane, Mark Delaney, Colm Gordon. Subs: Niall Keane for Mark Byrne (15 minutes).

ARDCLOUGH: Finn Leach; Sean Buggy, Aaron Casey, Tadhg McCarthy; Conor Kelly, Maurice Sexton, David Collins; Tim Ryan, Patrick O'Malley; Ronan O'Malley, Cillian Burke, Sean Whelan; Kieran Brady, Eoghan Walsh, Harry Maughan. Subs: Drew Costello for Tadhg McCarthy (half-time), Tony Spain for Harry Maughan (half-time), Sean Coulston for David Collins (half-time), Harry Maughan for Kieran Brady (55 minutes).

Referee: Brian Kearney

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