Comfortable Kildare sweep past Wicklow to advance to Leinster minor final 

Kildare will meet Dublin in the final. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

KILDARE 2-18 WICKLOW 0-10 

A slick Kildare outfit qualified for their seventh Leinster minor final in ten years with a facile victory over Wicklow in Newbridge tonight.

Shooting points from all angles, Kildare were nine points to no score ahead after only eighteen minutes and Ben Loakman’s goal before half-time put paid to any comeback.

The home side led by 1-11 to 0-2 at half-time but Wicklow were more competitive after the break with Alex Kavanagh their most dangerous forward finishing with six of their ten points.

For Kildare, centre-back James Harris and classy midfielder Ryan Sinkey anchored the side but the star turn was Killian Browne, brother of under-20 captain Aaron, who finished their second goal to the net six minutes from time to cap an individual return of 1-6.

Scorers for Kildare: K Browne 1-6 (2f), B Loakman 1-1, E Cully 0-4, R Sinkey 0-3, T Kelly, C O’Sullivan, J Harris, N Cramer (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wicklow: A Kavanagh 0-6 (4f), J Kenny, P Kavanagh, E Nolan, J Boland 0-1 each.

KILDARE: F Quinn; J McGuirk, B Ryan, E Lawlor; C O’Sullivan, J Harris, T Kelly; R Sinkey, C Kelly; J Cunningham, R Rainey, B Loakman; J Hanamy, K Browne, E Cully.

Subs: C O’Reilly for Kelly (35), DJ Percival for Hanamy (45), N Cramer for McGuirk (45), C Geraghty for Loakman (51), R Harris for Sinkey (51), J O’Brien for Cunningham (b/s 56).

WICKLOW: M Shannon; C Clarke, L Byrne, J Fleming; A Kinsella, J Boland, J Healy; G Murphy, A O’Brien; J McGuckian, J Kenny, P Kavanagh; E Nolan, A Kavanagh, C Deering.

Subs: B Hurley for McGuckian (34), M Hedderman for L Byrne (47), C Butler for Healy (b/s 55-58), S Byrne for Murphy (57), J Bookle for Nolan (60).

Referee: A Coyne (Westmeath).