Thoroughbred performance

A landmark day for the Kildare footballers and their manager Kieran McGeeney in Croke Park yesterday.

Since taking charge of the Lilywhites in 2008, the Armagh legend has presided over substantial progress. They have reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals every season under his tenure and a spate of contentious decisions has often hampered their efforts to progress further in games.

Yet the evolution of their team under McGeeney reached a new and important stage yesterday. For the first time they crashed through the national silverware barrier, with Allenwood’s Johnny Doyle hoisting the Division 2 Football League trophy in the Hogan Stand.