Doyle's late late show clinches promotion

NFL DIVISION TWO Kildare 2-12 Galway 0-18:THE EASTER gods looked kindly upon Kildare in this thrilling promotion encounter in Salthill yesterday. On the wrong end of many questionable decisions on so many days, the Lilywhites earned a 74th-minute penalty – which John Doyle translated into a precious goal – to return to the top flight.

That late score stole the reward for what had been an absolutely spellbinding second-half display from Galway, full of such classy point-taking and crisp movement it might have been conceived as a tribute to the famous All-Ireland final played between these two. Indeed, it was notable the two survivors from that, Dermot Earley and Pádraic Joyce, played such central roles in the climactic act.

Galway outscored their visitors by 0-9 to 0-1 in the second half, which saw the perfectly timed introduction of Joyce and the deliverance of a sumptuous point off either foot, scores which made grown men sigh in a way they probably shouldn’t. Joyce’s mastery is always compelling but he was in fine company yesterday; Gareth Bradshaw gave another brilliant counter-attacking performance from the half-back line; Paul Conroy was a torment for Kildare at full forward; Damien Burke ran himself into the ground and Gary Sice, operating from deep, must have ran a marathon out there.

Sice was at the finishing end of a supernova end-to-end point featuring crowd-raising bursts upfield from Kieran McGrath and an excellent catch-and-feed from Conroy to leave the Corofin man one-on-one with Shane Connolly. He sensibly fisted a point and that seemed like a 71st-minute insurance clause. Then came the last twist.

“It was a major sickener of a finish,” said Alan Muholland. “We played so well in the second half and we did okay in the first half too. I thought it was a really good game of football, there were some great passages of play and I was really so proud of our lads in the second half. The dressingroom is very disappointed but look: it is positive to be as disappointed as we are coming off a game against Kildare who have been knocking on the door for the past few years.”

The day seemed proof that Kildare are allergic to doing things the simple way. They brought a large expectant crowd down from the plains and in the first half treated them to the brightest elements of their style – athletic running and skilful inter-passing.

The 25th-minute Kildare goal came from just such play: Tomás O’Connor cradled a pass in his chest and then a swift series of passes between Kavanagh, O’Neill and Smith left Emmet Bolton with the simplest goal he will ever score, batting it into an empty net.

Smith had a brilliantly economic first half, striking four clean points and frustrating young Colin Forde. Peter Kelly, Kildare’s corner-back, led the orchestra for Smith’s last score and Ollie Lyons and Bolton smoothly merged with the Kildare attack. Too often, the maroon men stood back and admired the Lilywhite patterns.

But as the half progressed, the Kildare team looked that bit more seasoned; older, bigger, meaner. They were admirably businesslike and with a big Salthill wind at their backs to come they looked to be in command. And then?

“I just thought for 20 minutes there they decided to lose their brains,” Kieran McGeeney said. “We didn’t play terribly . . . Galway are a good team and some of the scores they got, you can’t defend them. I don’t give a damn how good you are. The frustrating thing for me is that we didn’t shoot in the second half. . . But one thing I will say is that they showed great character. And I would probably single out Emmet for special mention . . . he just keeps on coming.”

He did. It was Bolton who grabbed the ball deflected by Earley in a crowded square that led to the endgame penalty decision. But the two points James Kavanagh kicked when Kildare looked a bit punch drunk were vital as well. It would have been easy for the Kildare men to quit during that black period when Joe Bergin was gobbling up balls at midfield and the Galway men were picking off sublime scores, a la ’98.

But say this: Kildare under McGeeney have forgotten how to quit and by catching a late train to the top flight thought a gallant young Galway team the oldest lesson: It ain’t over til . . .

KILDARE: S Connolly; P Kelly, H McGrillen, O Lyons; E Bolton (1-1), M O'Flaherty, B Flanagan; M Foley, P O'Neill; E O'Flaherty (0-1, free), M Conway (0-1, free), J Doyle (1-1, 1-0 pen); A Smith (0-4), T O'Connor, J Kavanagh (0-3). Subs: D Flynn for H McGrillen (45 mins), E Doyle for B Flanagan (56 mins), D Earley (0-1) for T O'Connor (59 mins), P Fogarty for P O'Neill (64 mins).

GALWAY: A Faherty (0-2, 45s); K McGrath, F Hanley, C Forde; G Bradshaw (0-1), D Blake, G O'Donnell; J Bergin, G Higgins (0-1), G Sice (0-2), D Burke (0-1), N Joyce; M Martin (0-1, free), P Conroy (0-3), M Hehir (0-3, 0-2 frees). Subs: T Flynn for M Martin (half-time), K Kelly for C Forde (half-time), P Joyce (0-3, 0-1 free) for N Joyce (51 mins), D Cummins (0-1) for N Joyce (inj, 54 mins), N Coleman for G Higgins (69 mins).

Referee: E Kinsella(Laois).