Gaelic GamesMatch Report

Kildare kick on after Paddy Woodgate goal to beat Wicklow

Oisin McConville’s team were still right in this game heading towards the closing stages

Kildare's Paddy Woodgate scores a goal against Wicklow in the Leinster championship. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho

Sun Apr 23 2023 - 19:27

Leinster SFC quarter-final: Kildare 1-17 Wicklow 0-10

Paddy Woodgate’s clinically taken 60th minute goal ensured that Kildare progressed to a Leinster semi-final despite a gallant showing from Wicklow.

Oisin McConville’s team arrived at Netwatch Cullen Park on the crest of a wave after securing promotion from Division 4 and beating Carlow in the first round of the Championship and they were still right in this game heading towards the closing stages.

Points from Jack Kirwan and Kevin Quinn cut the Kildare lead back to just three points and had the sizeable Wicklow support in the stands dreaming of a major upset but that belief was probably their undoing in the end. Urged on by the crowd, they committed more men to attack as they tried to close the gap but once Kildare forced the turnover, they put together a slick more that ended with Kevin Flynn teeing up Woodgate and he blasted to the net with his weaker right foot for his first Championship goal.

Wicklow’s confidence showed in the early exchanges and Kildare led by just a point after 25 minutes, 0-5 to 0-4. It was only in the last ten minutes leading up to half time that the gulf between a side who played in Division 2 this season and one who had played in Division 4 began to show.

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Ben McCormack kicked two excellent scores from around the 45 metre line either side of creating a goalscoring chance for Darragh Kirwan, whose shot was only six inches the wrong side of the post.

Darragh Kirwan, Woodgate and Kevin Flynn scored in the closing stages of the half to ensure Kildare took a 0-10 to 0-5 lead into the dressingroom.

Upon the resumption of play, they were strangely lifeless and the intensity that they finished the half with had gone.

After both sides scored two points apiece in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, Jack Kirwan and Kevin Quinn converted to leave just three between the sides and Wicklow sensed a chance.

It was probably that belief that proved to be their downfall as they committed men forward, allowing Kildare to exploit the gaps created and once Woodgate fired past Mark Jackson with his weaker foot the game was pretty much finished.

Kildare were helped by some strong performances of the bench, Paul Cribbin scored three points, Neil Flynn also got on the scoresheet and the pace of Paddy McDermott and Daniel Flynn caused problems for tired legs.

The win sets up a repeat of last year’s final against Dublin in the last four next Sunday. Kildare will be looking for a big improvement from that day when they conceded five goals in the first half but Dublin’s sizeable win over Laois suggests Glenn Ryan’s team could be in for another difficult afternoon at GAA HQ despite the positives that could be taken from this win over Wicklow.

KILDARE: M Donnellan; E Doyle, S Ryan, D Malone (0-1); D Hyland, K Flynn (0-1), J Sargent; A Masterson, K O’Callaghan; B Coffey, B McCormack (0-2), A Beirne (0-2); J Robinson (0-3, one free), D Kirwan (0-2), P Woodgate (1-2, two frees). Subs: P Cribbin (0-3) for McCormack (48 mins), P McDermott for Coffey and D Flynn for Robinson (both 51′), K Feely for Masterson (55′), N Flynn (0-1) for Woodgate (65′).

WICKLOW: M Jackson (0-2 frees); E Murtagh, P McLoughlin, M Stone; J Kirwan (0-1), P O’Keane, Z Cullen; D Healy (0-1), P O’Toole; C McDonald, JP Hurley (0-1), F O’Shea; M Kenny (0-1), K Quinn (0-2, one free), E Darcy (0-2 frees). Subs: K Furlong for O’Shea (43 mins), D Fitzgerald for Kenny (49′), G Murphy for Darcy (58′), J Prendergast for McDonald (65′), J McCall for Cullen (70′).

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)

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