Switches lift Lilywhites

ANOTHER second-half blitz, another qualifier victory for Kildare. The one team that learns the most from losing seemed to brush away all their cares about Dublin and last-gasp frees with a scintillating performance in Portlaoise.

Here it was the effectiveness of full-forward Tomás O’Connor that put paid to Justin McNulty’s hopes ofgetting the bragging rights against his Mullaghbawn pal Kieran McGeeney.

The Clane man, who was dropped for the Dublin game, was crucial in the creation of John Doyle’s successful penalty and then found the net after recovering from a block to convert the rebound.