Sport

First-half goals set up Offaly

Offaly 4-12 Kildare 1-7:  OFFALY HIT three first-half goals to defeat Kildare in this Leinster MHC tie at Naas yesterday.

Mon May 05 2008 - 01:00

Offaly 4-12 Kildare 1-7: OFFALY HIT three first-half goals to defeat Kildare in this Leinster MHC tie at Naas yesterday.

Martin Fitzgerald opened the scoring for the home side but Barry Harding goaled from a penalty and Thomas Carroll found the net twice before half-time to give Offaly a 3-5 to 0-5 interval lead.

Kildare edged slightly closer on the resumption when Gavin Sullivan scored from a penalty after a foul on Marcus Kinsella.

But Offaly finished much the stronger, scoring 1-6 without reply, and Kevin Connolly got their fourth goal well inside the final quarter.

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OFFALY: M Mulrooney; D Ryan, S Coughlan, C McDonald; B Mulrooney, E Murphy (0-2, one 65), J Sullivan; T Spain, C Duffy; E Quinlan, A Kealy (0-1), T Carroll (2-4, one free); B Harding (1-1, 1-0 pen), G Conneely (0-2), K Connolly (1-0). Sub: G Spollen (0-2) for Duffy.

KILDARE: S Whelan; J Dunne, D Keegan, R McGrath; D McSweeney, S Piggot, M Purcell; B Aherne, E O'Neill; G Sullivan (1-1, 1-0 pen, one free), M Kinsella (0-1), P Cullen (0-1); E Doyle, R Kelly (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-3, two frees). Subs: R Doyle for Kinsella, M Lynam for Cullen (inj.)

Referee: A Mac Suibhne (Dublin).