Armagh 0 -12 Kildare 0-5:IT WAS anything but a happy homecoming for Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney yesterday when his side slumped to a fired-up Armagh side at Crossmaglen.By half-time Kildare's limitations had been cruelly exposed. Indeed, had it not been for their profligacy, Armagh might well have won by a much more handsome score – a fact acknowledged afterwards by Kildare selector Niall Carew.
“They were very much on top throughout and apart from the performances of our goalkeeper and full-back line we can take nothing out of this game,” said Carew.
Armagh boss Paddy O’Rourke’s said: “We won the individual battles all over the park and that’s what brought us victory.”
Armagh played fast, open football with Aaron Kernan revelling in his new role of playmaker on the 40, Steven McDonnell again underlining his cutting edge in the inside line and the defence displaying cohesion and steel that discomfited McGeeney’s men.
Crucially, Dermot Earley and Darryl Flynn were forced to play second fiddle to Kieran Toner and Ronan Austin in midfield and thus Kildare’s mechanism was rendered dysfunctional.
By half-time Armagh led 0-7 to 0-2 even though they endured a lengthy barren spell. But such was the marksmanship of McDonnell and Stefan Forker that their team’s litany of wides proved nothing more than an irritant.
Kildare revealed more heart for the battle in the second half following the introduction of Willie Heffernan and Eamon Callaghan but despite closing the gap to 0-8 to 0-5 they were unable to sustain their momentum as Armagh finished with a flourish, McDonnell (2), Austin and substitute Michael McNamee scoring points.
ARMAGH:P McEvoy; A Mallon, B Donaghy, P Duffy; P Kernan (0-1), C McKeever, F Moriarty; R Austin (0-1), K Toner; J Feeney, A Kernan (0-1, free), G Swift; R Henderson, S McDonnell (0-4, two frees), S Forker (0-4). Subs: M McNamee (0-1) for Feeney (59 mins), J O'Neill for Henderson (65 mins), B Mallon for A Kernan (69 mins).
KILDARE:P Flood; H McGrillen, D Hendy, E Bolton; K Cribbin, M Scanlon, G White (0-1); D Flynn (0-1), E Earley; D Whyte, P O'Neill, J Doyle (0-2, frees); K Donnelly, J Kavanagh (0-1), K Ennis. Subs: E Callaghan for Whyte (18 mins), R Sweeney for Donnelly, W Heffernan for Ennis (both half-time), M Foley for Cribbin (57 mins).
Referee:Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
