Kildare confirm Division 3 top spot with win over relegated Antrim

The Ulster outfit put up a real fight against the Lilywhites. 

ON THE UP: Kildare manager Brian Flanagan after the Allianz Football League Division 3 match against Antrim at Cedral St. Conleth's Park in Newbridge. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile

Kildare 1-26 Antrim 1-15

Promotion and relegation was confirmed at Cedral St Conleths Park as Kildare overcame Antrim but the game was far more eventful than the 11-point margin at the final whistle might suggest.

Brian Flanagan’s team knew coming into the game that they would be promoted if they could overcome an Antrim side who were virtually relegated even before a ball was thrown in and all seemed to be going to plan when Niall Kelly, Callum Bolton and Alex Beirne kicked two points each as Kildare scored the first six points of the game inside the opening 14 minutes.

However, Antrim came storming back into the game as they used the wind at their backs to the fullest advantage. Conor Stewart kicked their first point of the game in the 15th minute from outside the two point arc and incredibly that was the first of six orange flags they raised before the half time whistle.

Dominic McEnhill was the best exponent of points from distance as he kicked three two-pointers, including two from frees after Kildare didn’t leave the required number of players up the field.

From Stewart’s first two-pointer, Antrim outscored Kildare by 0-14 to 0-3 in the last 20 minutes of the half and led by 0-14 to 0-9 at the break.

That left Kildare outside the promotion places and staring at another year in Division 3 but their response in the second half was outstanding.

The windy conditions aided their cause but there was a different intensity from Kildare after the break. The introduction of Ben McCormack at half time and then later in the half of Paddy McDermott and Darragh Kirwan hugely helped the Kildare cause and in total their bench contributed 10 second-half points.

Kildare scored the first 1-8 of the second half, including a well taken Niall Kelly goal in the 44th minute before Ryan McQuillan scored Antrim’s first second half point.

The home team were six points ahead with seven minutes to play but a battling Antrim never gave up and they pulled a goal back through Fionn Nagle.

However, Kildare brushed that aside and scored the last seven points of the game to make sure of the win.

Antrim corner back Eoghan McCabe was shown a red card in the 70th minute after picking up a second yellow card but that had little consequence in the overall picture as promotion and relegation were confirmed for the respective teams.

Scorers for  Kildare: N Kelly 1-4, D Kirwan 0-5 (2ptf), A Beirne 0-6 (2ptf,1f), C Bolton 0-2, C Dalton 0-2, B McCormack 0-2, R Sinkey 0-1, K Feely 0-1f, B McLoughlin 0-1, P McDermott 0-1, T Archbold 0-1.

Antrim: D McEnhill 0-8 (3 2ptfs, 1 2pt), C Stewart 0-3 (2pt), P McBride 0-2 (2pt), F Nagle 1-0, R McQuillan 0-2 (1f).

KILDARE: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Mick O'Grady, Brian Byrne; Ryan Houlihan, James McGrath, David Hyland; Callum Bolton, Aaron Masterson; Cathal Hagney, Alex Beirne, Colm Dalton; Ryan Sinkey, Kevin Feely, Niall Kelly. Subs: Ben McCormack for Hagney, h/t; Paddy McDermott for Masterson, 44; Darragh Kirwan for Sinkey, 50; Brian McLoughlin for McCormack, 63; Tony Archbold for Beirne, 70.

ANTRIM: Luke Mulholland; Eoghan McCabe, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keegan; James McAuley, Jack Lenehan, Dermot McAleese; Conor Stewart, Patrick Finnegan; Patrick McBride, Niall Burns, Ruairi McCann; Conor Hand, Dominic McEnhill, Ryan McQuillan. Subs: Eunan Quinn for Hand, 41; Fiionn Nagle for Finnegan, 50; Ronan Boyle for Keenan, 60; Calum Higgins for Burns, 65; James McDonnell for Walsh, 68.

REFEREE: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).