Byrne goes goal crazy as Kildare stroll to easy victory over Warwickshire

Kildare emphatically made it two wins from two in Division 2B of the Allianz Hurling League with a huge win over Warwickshire in St.Conleths Park.

Kildare were in a different parish to their opposition as they rattled in four goals in each half to give the scoreboard a rather strange final look to it.

Brian Byrne was the star for Kildare as he hit 3-14 throughout in a fine man of the match display with the subs bench also having a big impact with Mark Delaney, Reece Gavin and Barry Cormack all finding the net.

Warwickshire were down a fair chunk of their side from last year and they will struggle to avoid relegation on that showing with Kildare now facing in to two crunch encounters with Derry and Wicklow as they aim to claim a top two spot.

Kildare were hot favourites coming into the game and they portrayed all of that in the opening first ten minutes as they hit six points in a row.

Brian Byrne got the scoring underway within the first sixty seconds and he hit three further scores in a fine opening to the game.

Caolan Smith and Kevin Whelan also found the target before the English visitors registered anything on the scoreboard.

Niall Kennedy and Darren O’Neill got a couple of quickfire scores in response for Warwickshire but it was only brief respite with Kildare soon kicking on again.

Whelan and Byrne knocked over points before the hosts struck four goals in just over five minutes as they put the game to bed.

Barry Cormack struck with his first touch after coming on for James Burke before Byrne added a brace of fine efforts.

Bernard Deay also got in on the act mere moments after being booked when he forced a shot to the net on the back of a long Brian Byrne free dropping in the square as Kildare raced into a 4-9 to 0-2 lead.

Warwickshire replied with points from Kennedy and O’Neill but it was David Herity’s men who finished the half the better with Byrne striking over a trio of further scores before Paul Divilly landed a huge free from distance as Kildare held a facile twenty one point lead at the break.

The tone continued along the same pace upon the resumption with Byrne sauntering across the field taking scores at his will.

The Naas man sealed his hat-trick straight from the throw-in as he placed a shot past Phil Crean after finding space deep in the Warwickshire half.

Byrne’s tour de force was interrupted by a couple of frees from Emmet McCabe but the vice-captain soon regained his stride with five more points as well as having a driven shot at goal palmed away.

Two Kildare subs made sure they made the scoresheet with Reece Gavin pulling a shot to the net on the back of a Brian Byrne pass before Mark Delaney also scored after a mistake from the keeper.

The goal tally was soon equal to that of the first with Kevin Whelan ending a fine game for himself with a lovely placed shot into the corner.

Kildare actually finished the game with 14 players as Rian Boran went down with an injury but after all the subs were used they finished the game a man down.

Rather fittingly Byrne then rounded off the scoring with his seventh free of the contest as Kildare eased to an 8-19 to 0-6 success.

Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Cathal Derivan, John Doran, James Dolan, Diarmuid Cahill, Martin Fitzgerald, Rian Boran, Kevin Whelan 1-2, Ross Kelly, Paul Divilly 0-1 (0-1f), Brian Byrne 3-14 (0-7fs, 0-2 65), Conor Dowling, Caolan Smith 0-2, James Burke, Bernard Deay 1-0.

Subs used: Barry Cormack 1-0 for Burke 17 mins, Mark Delaney 1-0 for Deay 24 mins, Paul Feerick for Dolan h-t, Niall O’Muinneachain for Dowling 50 mins, Reece Gavin 1-0 for Smith 50 mins.

Warwickshire: Phil Crean; Tom Kelly, Dean Bruen, Ronan O’Donoghue, Darren O’Neill 0-2, Peadar Scally, Michael O’Regan, Daire King, Kieran Meaney, Ciaran Heeney, Willie Allen, Niall Kennedy 0-2, John Collins 0-2, Kelvin Magee, Ian Dwyer.

Ref: Nathan Wall (Cork)