from gaa.ie
Tyrone pulled off the most unlikely of victories with two goals in the dying minutes to steal the points and consign Kildare to a second defeat in a row in the league in St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge on Sunday afternoon.
Kildare led from the first whistle and seemed set for victory until two late, late strikes from Ronan O’Neill and match winner Mark Donnelly made it a third win in succession for the Ulster men against the Lilywhites.
Kildare flew out of the blocks in the opening ten minutes and they blitzed the visitors to take a seven point lead. Eoghan O’Flaherty (3), Paddy Brophy, Darroch Mulhall (2), and Cathal McNally were all on target to leave Tyrone reeling.
Mattie Donnelly and Ronan O’Neill did get the Red Hand off the mark eventually but corner back Mick O’Grady and Sean Hurley restored the seven point advantage by the quarter hour mark.
Tyrone were finding their way back into the game though and O’Neill and Tommy Moolick exchanged points before three scores in a row from Conor McAliskey, Niall Morgan and Darren McCurry cut the deficit to four points.
The games only black card arrived ten minutes before the interval to Tyrone’s Peter Harte but his team-mates made light of the situation and an Emmet McKenna goal gave them the momentum to end the half just a point in arrears, 0-13 to 1-9.
Kildare began the second half as they had the first and a clever flick from full forward Tomás O’Connor grabbed them a goal which was added to by a Mulhall point. That left Kildare five points clear but again Tyrone hit back. Mattie Donnelly, Mark Donnelly, McKenna and a trademark Sean Cavanagh point closed the gap back to a solitary point fifteen minutes into the second half.
Kildare responded with a flurry of points of their own with a Mulhall brace followed by an excellent effort from O’Flaherty. Conor McAliskey replied but two in a row from Brophy and Hurley kept Kildare in control going into the final ten minutes.
They managed to maintain that five point lead into the dying embers of the game and seemed set to take the points until Ronan O’Neill popped up to finish brilliantly to the net from Darren McCurry’s pass and then, in the final attack of the match, a goalmouth scramble saw the ball break to the lurking Mark Donnelly who blasted to the net to claim an incredible comeback win for Tyrone and ensure their unbeaten start to the campaign continues.
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Scorers for Kildare: E O’Flaherty 0-5 (0-3f), D Mulhall 0-6 (4f, 1 45), P Brophy 0-3, T O’Connor 1-0, C McNally, S Hurley 0-2 each, T Moolick, M O’Grady, P Cribbin 0-1 each
Scorers for Tyrone: R O’Neill 1-5 (2f), E McKenna 1-2, Mattie Donnelly 0-4, Mark Donnelly 1-0, D McCurry, C McAliskey 0-2 each, D McCurry (1f), S Cavanagh 0-1 each
KILDARE: S Connolly, M O’Grady, M Foley, H McGrillen, K Murnaghan, F Conway, P Cribbin, T Moolick, G White, C McNally, E O’Flaherty, S Hurley, P Brophy, T O’Connor, D Mulhall. Subs: D Hyland for Conway (46), P Fogarty for O’Connor (55), P O’Neill for McNally (57), J Gately for White (65), F Dowling for Mulhall (67), D Flynn for Moolick (68).
TYRONE: N Morgan, A McCrory, C Clarke, B Tierney, C McGinley, P Harte, R McKenna, C Grugan, C Cavanagh, E McKenna, R O’Neill, S Cavanagh, D McCurry, M Donnelly, C McAliskey. Subs: R McNamee for P Harte BC (26), Mark Donnelly for Grugan (35), R McNabb for R McKenna (47), N McKenna for McGinley (50), K Coney for E McKenna (58)
Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry)
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Report: Cormac O’Malley
Photos: Damien McAnespie
