Kildare minors progress to McGirr Cup with thrilling Armagh win

Kildare 1-15

Armagh 1-13

Kildare reached yet another Paul McGirr Cup Minor Football Championship final with a superb win over Armagh. Niall Cronin’s side won the competition in 2024 and find themselves in yet another decider after an excellent victory.

After some passive Armagh possession in the opening seconds, it was The Lilies who broke out of the back to score first.

Ollie Deller was the man to turn over possession with a smart tackle and, after progressing the attack, he was also the man to set up Rory Thompson for the game’s first score.

Kildare were backed by a strong crossfield breeze in the first half that they didn’t take advantage of. Perhaps the only example of them doing so came from Hugh Martin doubling his side's lead in the second minute with a fine curling effort.

Keelan McEntee was the man to answer for Armagh and he did so in superb style by rattling the net in the sixth minute. The Crossmaglen Rangers midfielder ghosted through the opposition backline before putting his boot through the back of the ball and Jamie Wall in the Kildare goal was simply a spectator.

Armagh then doubled their advantage inside the same minute with a point from corner-forward Ronan Martin.

Ollie Deller was again aiding Kildare with turnovers in the middle of the park and his interception set up Pauric Carty for The Lilies’ third point. 

After a fallow period for both teams, Rory Thompson levelled things just before the quarter of the hour mark with a free.

The Lilies pushed two clear thanks to a Charlie Doran two-pointer when the Clane man was afforded far too much space.

Kildare maintained that advantage until the break with points from Pauric Carty and Calum Keaveney matching the pair from Daithi O'Callaghan and Ronan Martin at the other end.

The Lilies led 0-8 to 1-3 at the break.

Despite a seemingly precarious lead with the wind now in their faces, Kildare came flying out of the blocks with a point from Sean Gleeson 36 seconds after the restart. 

An Armagh free was matched by a Kildare point from yet another Ollie Deller turnover before The Lilies then grabbed their first goal.

Naas man Nathan Dunne reacted first to a poor parry from Armagh goalkeeper Padraig Finn and, despite having his first effort blocked, he hit the net with a stellar finish into the corner.

Two more points from Deller and Thompson had Kildare in command at 1-12 to 1-4 and the route back for the trailing side laid firmly outside the 40m arc.

With one from play and one from a set-piece, Odhrán Reel hit two-pointers for his side to halve The Lilies’ advantage.

Kildare got their lead back to five in the 53rd minute through substitute Eoghan Lyons before an Armagh surge left this game on a knife edge.

A Tiarnan O'Neill two-pointer preceded a brilliant score from Armagh midfielder Daithi O'Callaghan, whose long-range point made this a two-point game at 1-14 to 1-12.

A couple minutes from the end of normal time, an incisive run from goal-scorer Nathan Dunne made space for Aidan Maddock to grab Kildare’s final point.

Ryan Dynes got the game’s last score for Armagh with a score a minute from the end. The trailing side would get no closer however as The Lilies held on through a painstaking spell of additional time for a 1-15 to 1-13 victory.

Kildare, Nathan Dunne 1-0, Rory Thompson 0-3 (0-2 frees), Pauric Carty 0-2 (0-1 45'), Charlie Doran 0-2 (one two-pointer), Hugh Martin 0-2, Calum Keaveny 0-2, Sean Gleeson 0-1, Ollie Deller 0-1, Eoghan Lyons 0-1, Aidan Maddock 0-1.

Armagh, Odhrán Reel 0-5 (0-5 frees, two two-pointers), Keelan McEntee 1-0, Ronan Martin 0-2 (0-1 frees), Daithi O'Callaghan 0-2, Tiarnan O'Neill 0-2 (one two-pointer), Harry Fearon 0-1, Ryan Dynes 0-1.

KILDARE: Jamie Wall; Daniel Sargent, Niall McAndrew, Senan Gallagher; Charlie Cullen, Aidan Maddock, Sean Gleeson; Calum Keaveny, Ollie Deller; Nathan Dunne, Hugh Martin, Mark Travers; Pauric Carty, Rory Thompson, Charlie Doran. Subs: Eoghan Lyons for Rory Thompson (45 minutes), Rian Curran for Ollie Deller (51 minutes), Cillian Long for Pauric Carty (54 minutes).

ARMAGH: Padraig Finn; Tomas Fox, Gavin O'Rourke, Donncha Aherne; Brendan Ferreira, Cormac Murphy, Conal Wilson; Daithi O'Callaghan, Keelan McEntee; Thomas Olarte, Pádraic Toal, Ryan Dynes; Odhrán Reel, Harry Fearon, Ronan Martin. Subs: Tiarnan O'Neill for Brendan Ferreira (50 minutes), Shea Rafferty for Ronan Martin (50 minutes).

Referee: Ian Howley (Dublin)

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