Kildare bridge gap

Kildare 1-10 Down 0-10:A GAP OF 32 years was bridged at Navan's Páirc Tailteann on Saturday evening as Glenn Ryan's Kildare side advanced to the All-Ireland under-21 final at the expense of favourites Down.

Despite impressive wins over Meath and Dublin in Leinster, Kildare went into this game as 2 to 1 outsiders. Down appeared to be on the way to justifying their status in the bookmakers' prices when galloping into a 0-6 to 0-2 advantage after 25 minutes.

But a goal from corner forward Gavin Smullen a couple of minutes later brought Kildare right back into contention and that score would eventually separate the sides at the end of the game.

Down depended too much on Paul McComiskey and Ciarán Brannigan for scores with the pair sharing all bar a point of their total. In contrast, Kildare had six scorers and they dominated the final quarter when assisted by the breeze.

While there was some fine high catching on both sides, notably by Kildare's outstanding centre back Gary Whyte in the closing seconds.

The Ulster side showed that they could take some lovely points from play in the first half and McComiskey put over three such efforts with some style before the interval. However, their front men were not afforded the same space in the second period when often forced into cul de sacs.

Alan Smith had been Kildare's main man up front in the four-game provincial campaign and the full forward set up Smullen for the crucial goal. Shortly before that Seanie Fahy was unlucky to see an attempt hit an upright.

With Smith converting a free the sides were level for the third time before McComiskey edged Down back into a 0-7 to 1-3 lead at the halfway stage. There was deadlock on three further occasions before substitute Joe Cocoman gave Kildare an advantage which they would not concede soon after joining the action.

Six minutes after the restart Kevin McKernan kicked what turned out to be Down's last score as two converted frees by McComiskey were all they could add with the second of them coming deep into the four minutes of added time.

Cocoman's lead score was followed by Smullen's second point, put over after Fahy was denied by goalkeeper Michael McAllister. Kildare had their tails up as Smith and Fahy added points.

There was still some defending to be done but Kildare remained solid at the back and they will be hoping for a lot better against Kerry in the final than in 1976 when the latter had eight points to spare.

KILDARE: N McConnell; C Brophy, D Brennan, S Murphy; J Browne, G Whyte, T Byrne; M Waters (0-1), N Higgins; D Whyte, E Ó Flaitheartaigh (0-1), K Kelly; S Fahy (0-2), A Smith (0-3, two frees), G Smullen (1-2). Subs: J Cocoman (0-1) for Kelly (44 mins, N Clinch for Browne (60 mins).

DOWN: M McAllister; M Digney, C Murney, J Murphy; C Garvey, K Duffin, T Hanna; J Colgan, J Caldwell; C Maginn, K McKernan (0-1), P McComiskey (0-6, 3 frees); C Brannigan (0-3, two frees), C Magee, R Kelly. Subs: B Rooney for Murphy (31 mins), P Downey for Magee (47 mins), C Killen for Maginn (50 mins), K Anderson for Caldwell (53 mins), J O'Reilly for Brannigan (57 mins). Referee: P McGovern (Galway).