Roughousing, red cards and referee rage - Everything that happened when Kildare met Derry

There was wind, rain, sleet and slow, mixed in with red cards, yellow cards and black cards, in front of a big attendance with visitors Derry certainly travelling in big numbers — a sure indication they have turned a corner with this victory being only their second win since March of 2024.

Kildare, again well supported, played against the elements, having won the toss, they led at half-time by four points and a minute into the second half that lead had one point added to it, all that before Derry came storming back with two goals inside a minute and from there to the final whistle

The Lilies were chasing, going three points behind, getting it back to one with five minutes remaining but failed to get level with Derry, who deservedly held on for a three -point win and earned two precious points in Round 3 of the Allianz Football League, Division 2, on Saturday evening at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge.

Those stats though only tell one aspect of this intriguing encounter.

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It was the visitors who opened the scoring with Shane McGuigan firing over after fifty seconds, wing-back Conor Doherty then added a two-pointer with less than two minutes on the clock.

Brian McLoughlin, carried his recent excellent form into this game and opened Kildare's account on five.

From the resultant kick-out Derry were dealt a mighty blow when talisman and captain, Conor Glass, was shown a straight red card after coming into contact with Callum Bolton, referee Gough having no hesitation in dishing out the red, and in fairness to Glass he did not contest the decision walking to the sideline immediately.

Kildare hit three points on the trot through McLoughlin, Ben Loakman and Eoin Cully to take the lead. It was short lived however as Lachlan Murray leveled before Shane McGuigan, who missed what looked like a run-of-the-mill effort for him, made up for it with a mighty two-point free from close to the sideline to regain the lead 0-6 to 0-4 with 13 minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later and Derry hit the Kildare net opening up the Kildare defence, McGuigan made no mistake from close range.
Alex Beirne reduced the deficit before Derry came again and a cross from the left wing saw Kildare 'keeper Cian Burke get the slightest of touches, the ball going out for a 45 which Shea McGuckin hit short.

Ben Loakman then showed his class with a hum-dinger of an effort, twisting his man, left, right and left again before splitting the posts as the rain turned to sleet and snow.

A Derry wide followed but before Cian Burke could take his kick-out Brian Byrne was lying prostrate, the umpires called the referee and Niall Loughlin was shown a black card, that on 24 minutes.

Ben Loakman found the range again to reduce the deficit to two but things were getting very hot, very tense and it seemed only a matter of time before the experienced David Gough would be reaching for his cards again.

On thirty minutes, another skirmish ensued and, after consulting his umpires, this time Kildare's Alex Beirne was shown red (to his astonishment), which to many looked very harsh, while Derry's Conor Doherty was given a black.

Derry were down to 12 and Kildare to 14 as the tension rose, the supporters from both sides were on their feet.
Kildare quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority with points from Colm Moran, Eoin Cully and Ben Loakman they took the lead — 0-10 to 1-6 — with 35 minutes on the clock.

A free some 25m out saw Brian McLoughlin take, what looked like a straight forward point but his effort dipped over keeper McGuckin and into the net as The Lilies now led by four, while Derry's Niall Loughlin had the Derry side back to thirteen players, and then before the break Conor Doherty returned, his side now back to 14 for the second half, but it was Kildare who were in the dominant position leading 1-10 to 1-6, and about to play with the elements at their back, having kept Derry scoreless since McGuigan's goal in the fifteen minute.

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Conditions were deteriorating rapidly, the surface was cutting up horribly as off we went again, Kildare on the attack, a foul and up stepped Ben Loakman to make no mistake putting five between the sides.
Few could have envisaged what was about to unfold.

Derry wing-forward Paul Cassidy gained possession and went forward, and forward as the Kildare defence backed off, the no. 12 fired the ball to the top right hand corner of Cian Burke's net. Then from the kick-out The Oakleafers came again, turned over Kildare, Matthew Downey set up Lachlan Murray who punched to the net — Derry 3-6 Kildare 1-11, just two minutes gone in the second half.

Derry now took control around the middle, under pressure the Kildare kick-out went astray as Derry, even at this early stage of the half, could smell blood. They increased their lead through McGuckin (45) after Brian McLoughlin had prevented another

Derry green flag being raised. Murray added a point and Kildare were on the ropes, big time. Callum Bolton steadied the ship somewhat but half-time substitute Matthew Downey replied.

The home side got right back into it with a brilliant Ben Loakman two-pointer and, while Niall McLoughlin replied on the double for the visitors, another two pointer from the Sarsfields man left a point separating the sides 3-11 to 1-16, and all to play for with 48 minutes on the clock.

Kildare had Darragh Kirwan and Neil Flynn on the field at this stage, both making their first league appearance while for Kirwan it was his first game since last season's county final, his rustiness showed.

The Lilies were caught out on a 3x3 breach, McGuigan fired over the close-in free.

Kildare hit a couple of wides before Conor Doherty brought Derry's total to 3-12 and three clear on 63 minutes.
Kildare came again, a Loakman free and a point from Neil Flynn left one between the sides.

Derry though managed the final minutes extremely well, using all their experience to great effect, McGuigan added a point while Kildare spurned a few chances before Lachlan Murray got the final score of the game to leave Derry winning on a final score line of Derry 3-15 Kildare 1-18 much to the delight of the boys in red and their big number of supporters.

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SCORERS:

Derry: Shane McGuigan 1-5 (1 x 2pt, 1 free), Lachhlan Murray 1-3, Paul Cassidy 1-0, Niall Loughlin 0-3, Conor Doherty 0-3 (1 x 2pt), Matthew Downey 0-1.

Kildare: Ben Loakman 0-10 (2 x 2pt 2 frees), Brian McLoughlin 1-2 (1 free), Callum Bolton 0-2, Eoin Cully 0-2, Colm Moran 0-1, Neil Flynn 0-1.

TEAMS:

Derry: Shea McGuckin; Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes, Sean Young; Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Ethan Doherty, Shea Downey, Paul Cassidy; Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. Subs: Matthew Downey for Sean Young (half-time); Niall Toner for Shea Downey (59 minutes); Conor McAteer for Niall Loughlin (74 minutes).

Kildare: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Padraic Spillane, Ryan Burke; James Harris, Eoin Lawlor, Brian Byrne; Kevin Feely cpt., Brendan Gibbons; Brian McLoughlin, Callum Bolton, Colm Moran; Ben Loakman, Alex Beirne, Eoin Cully. Subs: Darragh Kirwan for Colm Moran (44 minutes); Jack McKevitt for James Harris (44 minutes); Sam Doran for Kevin Feely (59 minutes); Neil Flynn for Brian McLoughlin (64 minutes); James McGrath for Harry O'Neill (74 minutes).

Referee David Gough.