Dublin cruise to comfortable win over Kildare

STRONG POSITION:Dublin strengthened their top spot in Sam Maguire Cup Group 3 after this relatively comfortable victory over Kildare in UPMC Nowlan Park this evening. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

KILDARE 0-13 DUBLIN 0-22 

Dublin strengthened their top spot in Sam Maguire Cup Group 3 after this relatively comfortable victory over Kildare in UPMC Nowlan Park this evening.

Colm Basquel was their star performer as he helped himself to five points in a game that lacked the nervous edge of their two previous games this year.

Watched by a disappointing 8,216 crowd at a venue designated Kildare’s home ground as Newbridge’s St Conleth’s Park undergoes reconstruction, the defeat leaves the Lilywhites in a precarious place ahead of the final round of games. Roscommon and Sligo face off tomorrow.

Although Kildare scored two points inside the first two minutes of the second half, they found themselves six in arrears by the 47th minute, did not score from play until the fourth minute of additional time and lacked a goal threat to make this a genuine contest.

Without Ciarán Kilkenny and Paul Mannion, Dublin managed well in the first half and were deservedly five points to the good at the interval, 0-13 to 0-8.

As Con O’Callaghan dazzled for Dublin, the teams were level five times in the opening 17 minutes before Dublin hit Kildare for an unanswered six-point salvo in just six minutes. Kildare were struggling to get out of their half and the industry of Basquel was causing them major difficulty. The Ballyboden St Enda’s man scored the final two of those six scores.

Kildare struck back with three of their own, the last of them a Neil Flynn effort when he had been screaming for the ball unmarked in the Kildare full-forward line. However, Dublin saw out the half with the last two scores, Dean Rock punishing a foul on Killian O’Gara and O’Callaghan sending over his fourth point of the period.

Scorers for Kildare: N. Flynn (0-5, 2 frees, 1 45); B. McCormack (0-3); D. Kirwan, P. Woodgate (free), A. Masterson, K. O’Callaghan, K. Feely (mark) (0-1 each).

Scorers: C. Basquel (0-5); C. O’Callaghan, D. Rock (2 frees) (0-4 each); S. Bugler (0-3); P. Mannion (0-2); N. Scully, K. O’Gara, B. Fenton, T. Lahiff (0-1 each).

KILDARE: M. Donnellan; E. Doyle, S. Ryan, M. O’Grady (c); D. Hyland, K. Flynn, J. Sargent; K. O’Callaghan, A. Masterson; P. McDermott, B. McCormack, A. Beirne; P. Woodgate, D. Kirwan, N. Flynn.

Subs for Kildare: R. Houlihan for E. Doyle, T. Archbold for J. Sargent (both h-t); K. Feely for A. Masterson (48); P. Cribbin for B. McCormack (54).

DUBLIN: S. Cluxton; S. MacMahon, M. Fitzsimons, D. Newcombe; S. Bugler, J. Small, L. Gannon; B. Fenton, J. McCarthy (c); N. Scully, C. O’Callaghan, B. Howard; K. O’Gara, C. Basquel, D. Rock.

Subs: P. Mannion for K. O’Gara (h-t); L. O’Dell for D. Rock (48); T. Lahiff for C. O’Callaghan, C. Murphy for J. Small (both 59); G. McEneaney for S. MacMahon (70+1).

Referee: S. Hurson (Tyrone).