2023 oneills.com Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship – Kildare 0-15 Kerry 1-9

Kildare defeated Kerry by 0-15 to 1-9 in the oneills.com Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship on Monday April 10th at Laois Hire O’Moore Park Portlaoise.

Kildare’s scoring burst staves off Kerry challenge

Leinster U20 Hurling Championship Rd 2 Tier 2

Kildare 0-15 Kerry 1-9

Report by Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

There was a sombre mood before this Leinster clash got underway with a very respectful minutes silence observed to honour Laois and Portlaoise minor star, David Brown who died tragically on Easter Sunday.

Kerry made the brighter start and led 0-2 to 0-0 after 10 minutes with Ronan Walsh scoring both points, the first a free after Corey Murphy was hauled down. In the 11th minute wing forward Conn Kehoe got Kildare going. Charlie Sheridan converted a free and Kehoe gave Kildare the lead in desperate conditions. Two more Ronan Walsh scores saw Kerry move 0-4 to 0-3 in front with three minutes left in the half. But Charlie Sheridan leveled the game with a free after he was fouled and the sides retired at 0-4 apiece.

Kerry saw their challenge derailed in the third quarter when Kildare, with the strong wind to their backs, fired eight unanswered points from Cian Boran (2), Sheridan (3), and one each Ciaran Flanagan, Cillian Fitzpatrick and Billy Hennessy, to move 0-12 to 0-4 clear at the half-way point of the second half.

Kerry rallied with the bench playing a key role. Rory Mahony, Dara Kearney, Seanie Brosnan, and Seanie McGrath gave it everything but six wides proved costly as two Cian Boran points and one from Sheridan had Kildare 0-15 to 0-9 in front entering injury-time. Kerry had some consolation when a Rory Mahony run from centre back saw him place the tall full forward Eric Walsh who blasted the ball to the Kildare net.

Kerry face Laois next Saturday at the same venue.

Scorers for Kildare: C Sheridan 0-4 (3 frees), C Boran 0-4, C Keogh 0-3, B Hennessy, D Guerin, C Flanagan and K Harrington 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kerry: R Walsh 0-9 (7f); E Walsh 1-0.

KILDARE: B Loughlin; E O’Briaín, L O’Reilly, C Kirwan; S Gleeson, A Goss, B Hennessy; D Guerin, D O’Meara; C Flanagan, C Sheridan, C Kehoe; F Maher, C Treacy, C Boran.
Subs: K Harrington for F Maher (32), C Nolan for C Treacy (45), A Tobin for C Kehoe (50), and O Lynam for C Boran (58).

KERRY: K Molloy; L Kennelly, J Maunsell, D Kearney; S McGrath, R Mahony, J Hannon; A Kavanagh, F O’Sullivan; E Stack, R Walsh, C Litchfield; S Brosnan, K Carroll, C Murphy.
Subs: J Enright for C Murphy (35), E Walsh for E Stack ( 40), A Doncel for A Kavanagh ( 47), T Gaynor for K Carroll ( 49), T Reen for F O’Sullivan ( 53).

Referee: P Dunne (Laois).