Adam Tyrrell terrific as Kildare start Cian O’Neill term on the right note

Kildare 0-24 DIT 1-7: Kildare have had a very good record in the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup in recent years, moving clear at the top of the roll of honour with three successes already this decade and appearing in the last five finals.

On this evidence, they stand a good chance of getting back to the knockout stages and perhaps adding to their 11 wins, as they possessed far too much firepower for DIT.

Adam Tyrrell scored nine points and Eoghan O’Flaherty contributed six as Kildare gave new manager Cian O’Neill a comfortable start to his tenure at St Conleth’s Park.

Tyrrell had six points in an outstanding first half and though former Lilywhite Tomás O’Connor almost had a goal early on and Conor Madden did find the net after Liam Healy misjudged the flight of a delivery, the hosts were full value for a 0-11 to 1-4 interval lead.

DIT weren’t helped by the indiscipline of Neil Collins, who deservedly picked up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes and left his team at a numerical disadvantage for the last 25 minutes plus added time.

Kildare were in control by then anyway, with O’Flaherty pulling the strings and unerring from placed balls, while Daniel Flynn looked extremely fit and full of energy.

Flynn scored three points from midfield, with his pace coming off the shoulder proving extremely difficult to manage, while the former AFL man also shuddered the crossbar with a left-foot rocket.

Once Collins received his marching orders from Stephen Johnson, it was one-way traffic, and Kildare scored the last nine points thanks to O’Flaherty, Seamus Hanafin, Ray Cahill, Fionn Dowling, Tyrrell and Flynn.

Having used just one substitute, when Seamus McNally came on for the black-carded Ryan Houlihan, O’Neill emptied his bench in the final quarter. Among those that came on was Kerry native Éanna O’Connor, son of All-Ireland winning manager Jack, who plays his club football with Moorefield.

Scorers for Kildare:

A Tyrrell (0-9, 4 frees); E O’Flaherty (0-6, 3 frees, 1 45); D Flynn (0-3); C McNally (0-2); R Houlihan, S Hanafin, R Cahill, F Dowling (0-1 each)

Scorers for DIT:

B McMahon (0-5, 4 frees); C Madden (1-1); K O’Gara (0-1)

KILDARE:

T Corley, P Kelly, L Healy, C Fitzpatrick, R Houlihan, J Byrne,G Farrell, D Flynn, D Whyte, C McNally, E O’Flaherty, A Tyrrell, J Eaton, F Dowling, S Hanafin.

Subs:

S McNally for Houlihan BC (33), R Kelly for Whyte (50), E Heavey for C McNally (56), R Cahill for Eaton (62), E Powderly for Fitzpatrick (62), É O’Connor for O’Flaherty (65)

DIT:

C Ferris, K O’Brien, N Collins, S Clayton, R McGowan, C Boyle, E Flanagan, E Ó Connghaile, D Nelson, G Guilfoyle, B McMahon, S Cunningham, K O’Gara, C Madden, T O’Connor.

Subs:

G O’Reilly for Madden (52), P Reilly for Flanagan (53), R Scott for Cunningham (53), L Irwin for O’Gara (62), C Lynn for Guilfoyle (62), M Stewart Byrne for O’Brien (67)

Referee:

S Johnson (Louth)