Lilywhites edge out plucky UCD despite Earley dismissal

KILDARE overcame the 36th-minute dismissal of All Star midfielder Dermot Earley to edge past UCD in the opening round of the O’Byrne Cup at Newbridge yesterday.

Earley received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card for an innocuous enough looking altercation with UCD’s Laois man, John O’Loughlin, straight after the resumption.

Meanwhile, the experimental rules passed without bothering anyone too much, apart from the requirement for a fisted pass.

The mark worked reasonably well and might work better if the player rather than the referee could decide whether to carry on playing or take the free kick, while the change in the square ball ruling passed completely unnoticed.

The home side continued to hold the upper hand despite the loss of Earley, having led at the break by 0-9 to 1-5, and with Rob Kelly unerring from placed kicks, stretched that advantage to four.

UCD kept plugging away though and despite the dismissal of former Dublin defender, Rory O’Carroll five minutes from time, reduced the margin to one thanks to points from Francis McGee and sub David O’Connor.

A Ken Donnelly point on the stroke of time calmed the Kildare nerves, something that didn’t look like it would be required nine minutes in, as the Lilywhites led by 0-6 to 0-0. Kelly, Ronan Sweeney and Earley had contributed two points apiece and Kieran McGeeney’s men were looking invincible.

UCD stemmed the tide though and when Dublin hurler David O’Callaghan flicked on Ciarán Lyng’s delivery in the 33rd minute, McGee had the simple task of finishing to an empty net as Kildare goalkeeper, Thomas Corley had charged off his line.

Kildare regrouped at the break though and with Morgan O’Flaherty, Gary White and Mark Scanlon standing out in defence, shrugged off the loss of Earley to book a quarter-final date with old rivals Laois.

KILDARE: T Corley; A Rainbow, G White, A Mac Lochlainn; M Flaherty, M Scanlon, E Bolton; D Flynn, D Earley 0-2; D Whyte 0-1, R Kelly 0-8(5fs), K Cribbin; K Donnelly 0-1, W Heffernan, R Sweeney 0-4(fs).

Subs: P O’Neill for Heffernan, temp (10-22); R Walsh for Bolton (46); D Lyons for Rainbow (57); P O’Neill for White (62).

UCD: M Savage (Dublin); P Kelly (Kildare), C Forde (Galway); M Fitzsimons; M McGowan 0-1 (Donegal); C O’Sullivan (Dublin), Rory O’Carroll (Dublin); N Corkery (Dublin), C Murphy (Dublin); F McGee 1-4(0-2fs) (Longford), Ross O’Carroll (Dublin), P Kelly (Longford); D O’Callaghan 0-1 (Dublin), J O’Loughlin (Laois), C Lyng 0-3(2fs) (Wexford).

Subs: J Fitzpatrick (Down) for Ross O’Carroll (41); D O’Connor 0-2 for Murphy (46); T Warburton (Westmeath) for Kelly (55); D St Ledger (Carlow) for McGowan (67).

Referee: F Kelly (Longford).