QUICK LOOK: How every Kildare SFC team fared in Round 2 over the weekend
Daragh Nolan gives a rundown of how each team fared in Round 2 of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship
The top seeds continued to lead the way but there was plenty to be impressed with elsewhere across a jam-packed Joe Mallon Motors SFC and indeed wider Kildare championship weekend.
Group A
Celbridge are sitting pretty after two wins from two in Group A. They left it late to beat The Bridge in what was a nail-biting conclusion to their Round 2 meeting.
Johnstownbridge have been inches from both victory and defeat in both games and suffered the latter here after an enthralling encounter where back-to-back two-pointers from Sam Doran and Darragh Sloane shot them into a surprise lead late on. After a Paddy Wall leveller, Dean O’Donoghue was the man who won it for Celbridge.
The table-toppers’ Round 3 game with Clane could dictate who joins them in the knockout stages with Johnstownbridge favoured to beat Allenwood and potentially join Clane on three points depending on how they fare.
Clane were pegged back late and nearly fell to The Bridge in Round 1 but overpowered Allenwood to amass those three points with Adam Fitzpatrick taking a starring role in this game and registering fabulous 2-5 to lead his side to victory.
Results
Celbridge 1-16 to Johnstownbridge 1-15
Clane 2-17 Allenwood 1-13
Group B
Sarsfields and Maynooth have a final round showdown to decide who tops Group B with both safely through to the Championship knock-outs proper while Carbury and Caragh face off to get one of their points tallies off the mark.
Caragh gave Sarsfields a much-better crack than they did Maynooth, they were back to their hard-working and hard-to-beat selves but were overpowered by superior opposition.
Caragh could be one of the strongest members of the SFC ‘B’ championship that they now find themselves in after defeat to the men from Newbridge who are looking to get back to the top of the mountain. The Sash are aiming for their first final since 2021 and a first title in seven years.
Despite the brilliant efforts of Carbury forward Eoin Cully (hitting 1-7) throughout their game, Maynooth were able to build on their first round beating of Caragh to secure progression. This was a vital win for Maynooth’s belief with far too many Championships wins in recent years being followed by an inconsistent performance. Carbury pushed them all the way with the eventual winner’s pulling clear in the final 10 minutes.
Results
Sarsfields 1-18 Caragh 2-7
Maynooth 1-15 Carbury 1-11
Group C
County champions Athy are at the summit of Group C but each of Raheens, Kilcock and Sallins below have a chance headed into the final round. Athy themselves will want to beat Raheens to complete the three from three wins while Sallins, after two near-misses, will be looking to finally get one over the line against Kilcock.
Athy edged the Intermediate champions with a Sean Moore winner as Sallins were once again beaten by the tightest of margins. Colm Dalton was firing with Cian Grimes showing off his stellar distance shooting on another impressive outing. However, the county champs just kept chipping away after trailing by eight at half-time with the wind in their faces as they picked up a second win.
Kilcock managed a massive result by beating Raheens in their Round 2 meeting with this nip-and-tuck tie being decided by a last-ditch free which was awarded for a kick-out infringement. An attempt by Raheens keeper David McPartlin to take a quick kick-out was punished as Graham Waters hadn't yet left the small arc and Shane O’Rourke was presented with the easiest of chances to secure the win.
Results
Athy 1-15 Sallins 1-14
Kilcock 0-16 Raheens 0-15
Group D
Naas are safely through to the knockouts from Group D after two wins in their two games. Moorefield, after a draw and a loss, have themselves needing a win over Eadestown in Round 3 to go above Emmet Bolton’s side. Clogherinkoe have it all to do when playing Naas after their opening day defeat and controversial draw with The Moores.
Naas and Eadestown was an even contest early on but the eventual winners struck fear into the hearts of all title contenders with a rampant second half display where they put 2-13 on the board. This reporter feels it too early to know where Naas are at given their opposition but many around the county fancy the previously four-in-a-row winners to get back on top.
Moorefield stole a point from a certain defeat when Aaron Martin pegged back Clogherinkoe right at the death. The Moores led early and perhaps should have been out of sight being denied and/or wasting four goal chances in their dominant opening spell. Clogherinkoe managed a brilliant flurry before the break with two goals in two minutes and took a lead in at the interval before leading for large swatches of the second half. Cloghs stars Jack Robinson and Jimmy Lynch were magnificent to watch throughout.
A beautiful Mark Murray two-pointer had The Moores within one in the 65th minute when they breached while in possession. The game was stopped but the ball was thrown up with the officials having missed the specific breach in question. Moorefield won it back, levelled things, and Clogherinkoe’s knock-out hopes took an enormous dent in the cruelest of fashion.
Results
Naas 4-21 Eadestown 1-14
Clogherinkoe 2-14 Moorefield 0-20