Sweeney earns Dublin a late reprieve

LEINSTER MFC FINAL/Dublin 1-10 Kildare 1-10:TEENAGERS SEEKING to peak in Croke Park tend to go one of two ways. Adrenaline makes the unique 60-minute experience fly by in an instant, with their instincts guiding them, or they freeze, watching in slow motion as mistakes are magnified on a giant screen.

Or it can be like yesterday; a combination of both. Mimicking their senior brethren, Dublin blazed into their ancestral home, grabbing a 1-6 to 0-3 lead in 26 dizzying minutes before their tentative opponents realised a humiliation was guaranteed unless they found the correct range.

Two minutes before the interval Pádraig Fogarty retained his composure to gather a clever Darrock Mulhall pass, step inside Dublin goalkeeper David Downey and blast upwards to an empty net.

This provided the necessary impetus for Kildare’s main players to shoulder greater responsibility with Tom Moolick and Fogarty’s points partially atoning for eight first-half wides.

Kildare subdued the Dublin attackers, ensuring the only response was Paul Hudson’s free-taking as Fogarty and Mulhall pushed the visitors in front. With a large majority of the locals still supping early afternoon pints, the Kildare faithful provided the vocal backdrop to events.

Dublin returned fire, as blue sections of Croke Park swelled, with energetic corner back Alan Carr calmly putting them back in front entering the last 10 minutes only for a Mulhall 45 to level it once more.

Then, with 12 seconds of normal time remaining, Mulhall landed a free from wide on the right to temporarily silence Hill 16.

Dublin’s response needed to be immediate to force a replay next Saturday. Gary Sweeney, who had produced a magnificent opening 30 minutes, loosened the shackles long enough to kick his third point.

Matters were eventually settled with an unanswered conundrum as referee Eddie Kinsella awarded a Dublin free despite yellow carding their centre back John Kelly in the same incident.

What came before said as much about Dublin’s fluidity as it did about Kildare nerves. Sweeney’s slick running had 0-2 banked in the opening exchanges, to go with a score off roaming full forward Darragh Stapleton.

In midfield Moolick showed well for Kildare but it was the control exuded by Eoghan Keogh that really told. Unmistakable due to his lion’s mane, the St Maur’s midfielder avoided much of the aerial duels, opting instead to sit in the pocket and spray intelligent balls into space off either foot.

A class footballer, he needs to be harassed in five days’ time. Do that and Dublin’s game plan could conceivably unravel.

The overlapping charges of the blonde duo Carr and Fergal Breathnach must also be contained.

Kildare could do with finding additional scoring options as well with Moolick, Mulhall and Fogarty contributing their entire tally.

The Dublin points’ spread covered five forwards and a corner back, inspirational captain Colm Carr striking a side-line not long after he got in front of Kildare goalkeeper David Downey to deflect Hudson’s high ball into the square for the goal on 14 minutes. At that juncture a light blue victory seemed unstoppable.

“We were lucky that we weren’t further behind at half-time,” admitted Kildare manager Brian Murphy. “Certainly, Dublin seem to be starting games well, getting four-five points up on teams. We need to look at that. They are doing something that we are not doing.”

Such an advantage tends to even out down the country. Less margin for error the next day.

DUBLIN: D Downey; K O’Brien, F Carney, A Carr (0-1); S Swords, J Kelly, G Seaver; E Keogh, C Reddin; F Breathnach, G Sweeney (0-3), C Carr (1-1, sideline); P Ryan (0-1), D Stapleton (0-2, free), P Hudson (0-2). Subs: D Murch for S Swords (36 mins), F Duffy for P Ryan (39 mins), H Dawson for C Carr (55).

KILDARE: M Donnellan; D McDonnell, S Dowling, P Cullen; C OShea, K Corrigan, E Doyle; T Moolick (0-2), J Comerford; P Cocoman, P Cribbin, S Hurley; D Mulhall (0-4, one 45, one free), P Fogarty (1-4, two frees), C Reynolds (capt). Subs: T Barron for S Dowling (29 mins), D Holton for D McDonnell (38 mins), J McAndrew for P Cocoman (48 mins), J Byrne for C OShea (51 mins), B Deay for C Reynolds (57 mins).

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).