Kildare GAA: Sarsfields capture Aldridge Cup at their ease

Sarsfields Conor O'Donovan wins procession ahead of Athy Niall McEvoy during the Aldridge Cup Final against Sarsfields

placeholder image — Sarsfields Conor O'Donovan wins procession ahead of Athy Niall McEvoy during the Aldridge Cup Final against Sarsfields

Darroch Mulhall's four second-half two-pointers not enough for the county champions

Sarsfields had little difficulty incapturing the 2026 Aldridge Cup defeating Athy by a very comfortable nine points at Manguard Park, Hawkfield, on Saturday evening.

Sarsfields took the lead through Jake Loakman inside the opening minute, added a somewhat fortuitious goal almos immediately and effectively dominated the game, on the score board at least, for the rest of this decider.

County champions of 2025 Athy scored just four points in the opening half, they had plenty of chances, early on especially but some poor finishing saw them trail at the break 1-9 to 0-4, with James Aspell, Conor O'Donovan and Jake Loakman prominent for the Newbridge boys.

The second half was more of the same with Sasfields pulling away and but for four late two-pointers from veteran Darroch Mulhall, the score line would have not have been pretty reading for Athy.

Scorers: Sarsfields, Barry Coffey 0-5 (1 two-pointer free, 1 free), Cian Costigan 1-0, Jake Loakman 0-3 (1 free), Rian Beagan 0-2, Conor Donovan 0-2, Shane Higgins 0-2, Ryan Kearney 0-1, Jimmy O'Neill 0-1, Niall Costigan 0-1, James Aspell 0-1.

Athy, Darroch Mulhall 0-8 (3 two-pointer frees, 1 two-pointer), Ben Purcell 0-2, Tony Gibbons 0-1, Niall Kelly 0-1.

SARSFIELDS : James Lyons; Alan Scully, Ethan Mountaine, David Higgins; James Aspell, Daragh Conlon, Jimmy O'Neill; Gavin Anderson, Shane Higgins; Rian Beagan, Ryan Kearney, Barry Coffey; Jake Loakman, Cian Costigan, Conor O'Donovan. Subs: Cathal White for James Aspell (half-time); James Loughman for Alan Scully; Niall Costigan for Conor O'Donovan; Donal O'Brien for Ethan Mountaine; Dylan Dunne for Ryan Kearney; Dan Fox for David Higgins; Daithi Dowling for Gavin Anderson.

ATHY: Shane Jackman; Dara English, Darren Lawler, Niall McEvoy; Killian Mulhall, Mark Hyland, Sean Moore; Conor Kelly, Jack Dooley; Barry Kelly, Tony Gibbons, Liam Byrne; Brian Kelly, Ben Purcell, Niall Kelly. Subs: Phelim Behan, Michael Behan, Darroch Mulhall, Cormac Kennedy, Max Conway, Donal McGrath.

REFEREE: Damian Whelan.