NFL Division Two: Derry 3-15 Kildare 1-18
Despite the sixth-minute sending off of captain and talisman Conor Glass, Derry recorded a superb win in Cedral St Conleths Park in an incident-packed game.
Glass’ dismissal for an off-the-ball clash with Callum Bolton was just the start of the action in horrendous conditions and Derry had a nine-minute spell in the first half with just 12 players on the field.
Kildare led by five early in the second half but the game swung on two goals inside 60 seconds in the 38th minute, the first of those an absolute wonder goal by Paul Cassidy.
That goal was followed by a more mundane close-range effort by Lachlan Murray and once in front, Derry did not relinquish their lead.
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Derry had started well and had three points on the board inside the opening 90 seconds. But after Glass’ dismissal, Kildare got on top and led 0-4 to 0-3. The excellent Shane McGuigan scored a two-pointer and then a 16th-minute goal but Derry did not score in the remainder of the half despite having the advantage of a strong wind.
After Niall Loughlin was shown a 23rd black card, there was another flashpoint shortly after that ended with a red for Kildare’s Alex Beirne and a black for Conor Doherty, and it was 14 against 12.
Led by the superb Ben Loakman, who scored four points in the first half and finished with 10, Kildare fought back and edged their way in front and eventually led 1-10 to 1-6 at the break following a fortunate 33rd-minute goal by Brian McLoughlin.
A Loakman free early in the second half put Kildare five clear but the game swung on Cassidy’s brilliant strike. He ran from almost the halfway line and while Kildare were slow to get a hand on him, he kept going and in the end fired a rocket of a shot into the top corner.
Half-time substitute Matthew Downey teed up Murray then less than a minute later and there were further points from McGuigan and Murray as they scored 2-2 in a decisive spell.
Two Loakman two-pointers in the second half twice got Kildare back to within a point but every time Kildare got within touching distance, Derry were able to come down and reply with a point of their own.
In the end, a game that was played at a frantic pace in pouring rain, sleet and snow for 65 minutes fizzled out as Derry methodically saw out the game by keeping possession against a tiring Kildare.
DERRY: S McGuckin; D Baker, R Forbes, S Young; C Doherty (0-1-1), G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers; E Doherty, S Downey, P Cassidy (1-0-0); N Loughlin (0-0-3), S McGuigan (1-1-3, 1f), L Murray (1-0-3). Subs: M Downey for Young (h/t); N Toner for S Downey (54); C McAteer for Loughlin (66).
KILDARE: C Burke; H O’Neill, P Spillane, R Burke; J Harris, E Lawlor, B Byrne; K Feely, B Gibbons; B McLoughlin (1-0-2), C Bolton (0-0-2), C Moran (0-0-1); B Loakman (0-2-6, 2fs), A Beirne, E Cully (0-2). Subs: D Kirwan for Moran (43); J McKevitt for Harris (48); S Doran for Feely (59); N Flynn (0-0-1) for McLoughlin (58); J McGrath for O’Neill (65).
Referee: David Gough (Meath).
