14-man Kildare battle impressively to hold Tyrone to a draw

FEARLESS: Tyrone's Joe Oguz with Kildare's James Harris. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty.

Tyrone 2-16 Kildare 1-19

Fearless Kildare refused to bow the knee to an Ulster giant that operated two divisions above them last season.

Even when reduced to 14 men ten minutes into the second half, the newly promoted Lilywhites found the courage to claw back a four points deficit and earn a heroic Division Two point at O’Neill’s Healy Park.

While Brian Flanagan’s men rolled out of Omagh wearing broad smiles, Tyrone’s furrowed brows of concern pointed up serious questions over their failure to close out a game that should have been taken under their control.

Malachy O’Rourke will take some positives from the evening, however, not least the performances of a raft of league debutants, particularly Ethan Jordan, who picked off 1-9.

But it was Kildare’s Brian McLoughlin who made the game’s greatest impact, hitting nine points, including a glorious late two-pointer to bring his side level.

The game’s opening two points were scored by league debutants, Jordan and Kildare’s Eoin Cully, who stylishly cut inside to split the posts.

Jordan edged the Red Hands two ahead with a two-point free, but Cully continued to cause problems with his pace, firing over a second gem, and denied another by Joey Clarke’s diving block.

The ball-winning qualities of Callum Bolton and Brendan Gibbons around the middle gave the Leinster men impetus, and with playmaker Alex Beirne growing into the game, they kept in touch with the home side through Brian McLoughlin.

But a second two-pointer from Jordan, followed by a neat score from Ciaran Bogue, an All-Ireland Club JFC finalist with Clogher, had Tyrone four clear by the end of the opening quarter.

But a rash of wides saw a spell of pressure come to nothing, while Ryan Burke, following a shaky opening, produced a couple of effective defensive plays to hold the Tyrone men at bay, helping them negotiate a sticky spell before countering to reel off scores through Beirne (2), McLoughlin and Kevin Feely, who drew the sides level on 29 minutes.

They went in front for the first time in first half stoppage time, Darragh Swords finishing to the net from close range following a goalmouth scramble to send the Lilywhites in with a 1-8 to 0-8 lead.

Tyrone wasted no time in trimming the deficit through Jordan and substitute Eoin McElholm, but a trademark Callum Bolton two-pointer restored the three points cushion.

The Red Hands were increasingly effective on the counter-attack and raided for Cathal Donaghy to send Joe Oguz for a goal, planted clinically in the bottom corner of Cian Burke’s net in the 44th minute as they eased back in front.

Moments later the Lilywhites suffered a further blow, reduced to 14 men when midfielder Brendan Gibbons received a second yellow card.

Jordan’s evening took another positive turn as he fired over his third two-pointer, but again Kildare were able to find a response, Beirne also raising an orange flag from a long range free.

Kildare continued to hold their own in the middle third, but the pressure mounted in the closing stages.

Darragh Canavan came off the bench to slot over a couple of scores for a four points margin, the almost inevitable precursor to another Lily surge, as McLoughlin grabbed 0-3, bringing them level with a two-pointer with five minutes to play.

But Jordan capped a dream debut by crashing home a goal straight from the kick-out. However, it was not enough, with McLoughlin claiming 0-3 down the straight, including a brilliant two-pointer right at the death.

Scorers for Tyrone: E Jordan 1-9 (2 tpf, 1f, 1tp), J Oguz 1-0, D Canavan 0-2, M Conroy (f), C Bogue, R Cassidy, E McElholm 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildare: D Swords 1-0, B McLoughlin 0-9 (3f, 2 tp), A Beirne 0-5 (1f, 1 tpf) C Bolton (tp), E Cully 0-2 each, K Feely 0-1.

Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn, A Clarke, J Clarke; B Cullen, M McKernan, R Cassidy; J Oguz, C Kilpatrick; C Donaghy, C Bogue, C Daly; M Conroy, M Donnelly, E Jordan.

Subs: B Kennedy for Bogue (h-t), E McElholm for Conroy (h-t), D Canavan for Donaghy (51), F Burns for Cassidy (67).

Kildare: C Burke; L Kelly, P Spillane, R Burke; J Harris, E Lawlor, B Byrne; C Bolton, B Gibbons; B McLoughlin, A Beirne, D Swords; B Loakman, K Feely, E Cully.

Subs: R Sinkey for Swords (h-t), C Moran for Harris (65), S Doran for Cully (68).

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).