No fireworks in Newbridge. Not this time.

Kildare’s footballers recovered from their Dublin hangover in fine style with an impressive 14-point win over Antrim at a sun-soaked Corrigan Park, Belfast in the second round of the All- Ireland SFC qualifiers.

If ever there was a time Kevin Feely was going to consider what might have been, it was two weekends ago when two of his former clubs were playing in Wembley as he took to the field for Kildare in Tullamore.

One week after the width of the goalpost saved Kildare from Leinster championship elimination at the hands of Longford in Tullamore, the two sides returned to Bord na Móna O’Connor Park and played out a game that couldn’t have been any more of a contrast.

Both sides kicked some wonderful points though remarkably, the second half of extra time yielded no score.

There was late drama as Wicklow footballers gave red-hot favourites Kildare a real fright at Netwatch Cullen Park this evening as the Leinster senior football championship got under way before an attendance of 3,800.

Meath snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to take a major step in their quest for a return to top-tier football with this victory in driving snow at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

There was a sensational ending to this fully-blooded Division 2 NFL encounter as a penalty goal from Barry Dardis in added time strengthened Meath’s promotion push at Pairc Tailteann.

Ryan Lyons scored the only two points of the final 20 minutes to guide Fermanagh to their first victory of this league campaign against a woefully below-par Kildare side at Brewster Park on Saturday.

Where in the opening round Cork succeeded in securing a point despite being a man down for the closing 27 minutes of action, yesterday, despite being a man up for the same period of time, they were unable to manage anything at all.

Kieran McGeeney had to settle for a draw on his first return to Kildare as an opposing manager after Jimmy Hyland earned the home team a share of the spoils with the last kick of the game.

In the end, it was all too comfortable for Kerry. But it mattered little, the result they needed from Pearse Stadium didn't materialise.

Kildare 1-16 Longford 1-13

Kildare claimed their first win in 12 months, with a richly deserved eight-point qualifier win over Derry.

Inter-county managers like to have every last detail relating to their team planned and prepared as best they can. Kildare’s Cian O’Neill is a self-confessed ‘data geek’ and someone who prides himself on the small details, so you can be sure that he steps through every part of gameday in his head in the lead-up to a match.

The irony of Andy Moran’s call on Monday for a 50-yard penalty to punish cynicism late in matches shouldn’t be lost on anybody.

Kerry 0-19 - Kildare 0-14: A first win in four games. A first victory on home soil since January 28 and a first clean-sheet since July of 2017. Significant daylight put between themselves and the relegation zone. All in all, not a bad evening’s work for Kerry.

Kerry 0-19 Kildare 0-14: A sixth consecutive league defeat means Kildare will spend next spring in Division 2.

Kildare 0-18 Tyrone 1-16: Kildare manager Cian O’Neill hit out at referee Paddy Neilan for a series of “embarrassing” mistakes that may have cost his team a vital Allianz league point.

Kildare manager Cian O’Neill couldn’t argue with his side's seven-point defeat against Dublin on Saturday.

Dublin 2-17 Kildare 2-10: All-Ireland champions Dublin shrugged off a sluggish first half to make a winning start to their Division 1 campaign in Croke Park this evening.

International Rules demands more skill than Gaelic football, according to Kildare midfielder Kevin Feely.

Cork's Sean Powter and Niall Grimley of Armagh have been confirmed as the final two tourists for the upcoming International Rules series.

Young footballer of the year candidate Seán Powter could join Douglas teammate Eoin Cadogan in the Ireland panel to face Australia.

For the first time in the history of the PwC All-Stars, there are four candidates for the footballer of the year including two goalkeepers, David Clarke and Stephen Cluxton, writes John Fogarty.

For the first time in the history of the PwC All-Stars, there are four candidates for the footballer of the year including two goalkeepers, David Clarke and Stephen Cluxton.

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford has no fears about his side’s ever-increasing list of engagements, as the county faces up to its ninth championship game of the summer next Saturday, writes Brendan O’Brien.

David Clarke (Mayo)

Jamie Clarke was in sublime form as Armagh marched into next Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin or Tyrone.

Aaron Cunningham claims Clare must beat Tipperary in Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final for this season to be even considered a good one for the county.

Kevin Feely doesn’t know what better way to put why he waved goodbye on a career across the Irish Sea.

The Dubs will be a different story altogether in the decider.

The light went out. Simple as that. After 10 years, Eoghan O’Flaherty just felt he could give Kildare no more. He still doesn’t now, seven months after he told Cian O’Neill he was done.

Galway 0-18 Kildare 0-16: The increasing depth of this Galway panel means Kevin Walsh has an interesting nine weeks ahead of him in attempting to piece together his strongest team.

Mayo 2-17 Kildare 0-14: There was the 20-minute burst either side of half-time in the Connacht semi-final where they outscored Galway by 0-9 to 0-2.

Westmeath 1-12 Kildare 1-11: Shot down in spring, but singing in summer. Such is the way of Westmeath under Tom Cribbin these last couple of seasons.

Kildare 0-9 Wexford 0-8: Cian O’Neill’s response when asked if this felt like a win, was telling.