GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers – Kildare 0-19 Limerick 0-12

Lilywhites make great escape as Limerick fade

Report from the Sunday Independent newspaper

KILDARE 0-19 LIMERICK 0-12 (After extra time)

Kildare used their get out of jail card in the fading light of Portlaoise, needing a 70th-minute equaliser from the outstanding Emmet Bolton to give themselves an added 20 minutes, from which they emerged successful. It was tough on Limerick, who had been outstanding throughout, but they failed to score after Brian Scanlon pushed them 0-11 to 0-8 clear with 20 minutes remaining. Kildare were workmanlike but they chipped away. The inspirational John Doyle lofted over a free before James Kavanagh found the mark, seconds after Seanie Johnston had appeared to point. That effort had been waved wide, though, and it looked as if Limerick might hold out.

That was until Kavanagh forced a turnover deep inside his own half and Bolton went off on a dazzling surge that involved a couple of one-twos. He took the final pass from Peter Kelly and held his nerve. From there, it was plain sailing, Michael Foley, Paidi O’Neill and Johnston notching points. Eoghan O’Flaherty opened the scoring from an eighth-minute free into the wind and Kildare were so close to a goal just two minutes later but Bolton was unable to get at the end of Kavanagh’s exquisite pass. Ian Ryan equalised from the next attack and then blasted over under pressure from Kelly, after the Kildare man had misjudged the flight of a diagonal delivery.

Alan Smith clipped over to restore parity, and there was a further exchange of scores between Ryan and Kavanagh before Limerick edged two clear courtesy of a brace of Ryan frees. Mikey Conway then sent over a rare right-footed effort. But it was Limerick that finished the half stronger. Stephen Kelly made amends for an earlier miss with a wonderful point. Substitute Damian Quaid lofted over from 40 metres just before the short whistle and the Shannonsiders led at the interval by 0-7 to 0-4.

Kildare flew out of the traps with early points from Rob Kelly and Foley, but Limerick were not retreating into their shell. Ryan and Ger Collins responded, while Eoghan O’Connor lofted over a brilliant point. Limerick defended impressively, but it was the veterans Doyle, Foley and Bolton that led the Lilywhites’ resistance and Kildare live on.

Scorers — Kildare: M Conway (2fs), J Kavanagh 0-3 each; J Doyle (2fs), S Johnston 0-2 each; A Smith, R Kelly, M Foley, E Bolton, E O’Flaherty (f), P O’Neill, M O’Flaherty, E Doyle, P Fogarty 0-1 each. Limerick: I Ryan 0-8 (5fs); S Kelly, D Quaid, G Collins, E O’Connor 0-1 each.

Kildare: S Connolly; P Kelly, H McGrillen, O Lyons; E Bolton, M O’Flaherty, E Doyle; M Foley, R Kelly; E O’Flaherty, J Doyle, M Conway; A Smith, T O’Connor, J Kavanagh. Subs: P O’Neill for R Kelly (48), S Johnston for E O’Flaherty (48), P Fogarty for O’Connor (56), E Callaghan for Smith (66), G White for Bolton inj (74), A Mac Lochlainn for Lyons inj (74), E O’Flaherty for M O’Flaherty inj (80).

Limerick: B Scanlon; A Lane, S Lucey, J McCarthy; J Riordan, L O’Dwyer, P Ranahan; J Donovan, S Buckley; E O’Connor, S Kelly, P Browne; G Collins, S O’Carroll, I Ryan. Subs: D Quaid for Lane (22), I Corbett for O’Carroll (51), B O’Brien for Donovan (54), J O’Meara for Kelly (61), J Cooke for Collins (68), S Kelly for Riordan (83).

Referee: B Cassidy (Derry)

Bolton rescues Kildare before extra-time procession

Report from the GAA.ie web site

GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers Round 3: Kildare 0-19 Limerick 0-12

Kildare were within seconds of being knocked out of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championship on Saturday night by Limerick, but they hit a late, late equaliser before powering home in extra-time. Limerick led 0-11 to 0-10 deep into stoppage time after a brilliant tactical display against the hot favourites, but as has happened them many times in the past, the Treaty County were unable to close out the win as Emmet Bolton hit a brilliant leveller for Kildare with the last kick of normal time. Unsurprisingly, Kildare went on to utterly dominate extra-time against an exhausted Limerick, eventually sealing a 0-19 to 0-12 win to move into Round 4, where they will play Sligo next weekend.

Limerick were so close to what would surely have been the biggest upset of the summer, and boss Maurice Horan clearly won the tactical battle in the first half, as Limerick led Kildare by 0-7 to 0-4 at the break. Eoghan O’Flaherty and Alan Smith got early points for Kildare, but Ian Ryan caused all sorts of problems for Kildare in the opening 35 minutes, and his third point on 14 minutes put Limerick 0-3 to 0-2 ahead. Two more from Ryan, one a wonderful effort from play, edged Limerick two clear at 0-5 to 0-3, and Kildare were having major problems breaking down the Treaty County, while Ryan was punishing any errors from the Lilywhite defenders.

On the other hand, Limerick’s defending was outstanding in the first half, and crucially, they were able to swing enough points over at the other hand to keep in front, with Stephen Kelly and Pa Ranahan adding two more points before the break to establish the interval buffer. Kildare looked like they had got a real rollicking from boss Kieran McGeeney at the break, as they came out looking much sharper, hitting two points in quick succession from Rob Kelly and Mick Foley.

But Limerick were defiant, and remained three points in front after 46 minutes when a score from Eoghan O’Connor left it at 0-10 to 0-7. Limerick’s packed defensive system was suffocating Kildare and keeping scores to a minimun, and the sides exchanged just one point apiece in the next 12 minutes, meaning Horan’s side were a goal ahead with little more than 10 minutes to go. But Limerick were tiring, and a brilliant free from the sideline from John Doyle was followed by a score from James Kavanagh, leaving one in it with more than enough time left for Kildare.

But they were profligate, and Limerick were all set for the most famous of wins until Bolton changed the script at the death. He went on a marauding run up the field, exchanging passes with two players, before coolly firing over. Limerick were broken, and Kildare went on to outscore them in extra-time by 0-8 to 0-1. Kavanagh, Eamonn Callaghan, Doyle and Eoghan O’Flaherty all got on the scoresheet in the extra 20 minutes, which in truth wasn’t a contest as Kildare completely ran the show. It could have been all so different though.

Team News

Limerick make one change from the team that beat Longford last week, Ger Collins having recovered from injury is named at right corner forward. He is the team captain .

1. Brian Scanlon, Gerald Griffin’s.

2. Andrew Lane , St.Senan’s.

3. Johnny McCarthy, St.Kieran’s.

4. Lorcan O’Dwyer, Pallasgreen.

5. John Riordan, Fr. Casey’s.

6. Stephen Lucey, Croom.

7. Pa Ranahan, Ballysteen.

8. Jim Donovan, St Kieran’s.

9. Sean Buckley, Dromcollogher-Broadford.

10. Eoghan O’Connor, St. Mary’s/ Sean Finn’s.

11. Stephen Kelly, Newcastlewest..

12. Paudie Browne, Fr. Casey’s.

13. Ger Collins, Monaleen CAPTAIN.

14. Seamus O’Carroll, Cappagh Kilcornan.

15. Ian Ryan, St. Senan’s

Management Team ; Manager Maurice Horan (Na Piarsaigh) , Selector Joe Lee (Newcastlewest), Selector/Coach Brian Lacey

Kildare: S Connolly; A MacLochlainn, P Kelly, H McGrillen; E Bolton, M O’Flaherty, E Doyle; M Foley, R Kelly; E O’Flaherty, M Conway, A Smith; J Doyle, T O’Connor, J Kavanagh

Match Preview

KILDARE v LIMERICK,

PORTLAOISE, SATURDAY, 7.0pm

They last met in the qualifiers in 2008 when Kildare won by 1-11 to 0-11 in a Round 3 clash in the Gaelic Grounds in a game where John Doyle scored 1-6 for the winners. Kildare have remained unbeaten in the qualifiers since losing to Laois in 2007. Their record since then reads: Played 13, Won 12, and Drew 1.

Limerick reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals via the qualifiers last year, beating Offaly, Waterford and Wexford and began this year’s campaign with a win in extra-time against Longford last Saturday.

Championship 2012

Kildare 0-19 Offaly 0-6; Meath 1-17 Kildare 1-11 (Leinster semi-final); Kildare 3-20 Cavan 1-9 (Qualifier Round 2)

Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7; Clare 1-13 Limerick 0-15 (Munster semi-final); Limerick 1-21 Longford 1-15 (after extra-time) (Qualifier Round 2)