Kildare on the brink as resurgent Cork claim crucial win

Kildare have slipped ever closer to the Division 2 trapdoor after a resurgent Cork second half boosted the Rebels' survival prospects.

The abject hosts were five points behind approaching half-time at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh but they took their opponents for 2-11 against 1-02 from there to move seven ahead, with every score from open play.

Kildare remain without a point at the foot of the table, while the Rebels have vaulted out of the drop zone, moving ahead of Fermanagh and Louth into fifth.

John Cleary made one late change to his line-up, with Luke Fahy in for Darragh Cashman. Kildare were down four of last week’s team through injuries, including three starting forwards in Darragh Kirwan, Ben McCormack, and Barry Kelly, plus centre-back Kevin Flynn.

Both attacks struggled to manufacture shots into the opposition’s packed defences. Kildare only had seven into the first-half breeze but still led by the break, 2-03 to 1-05.

A Brian O’Driscoll snapshot got Cork up and running after a Brian Hurley turnover, but the Lilywhites would hit the net with their first attempt after eight minutes.

Daniel Flynn’s overhead flick kept the play alive and his mazy movement wrongfooted the covering defenders. He connected with Alex Beirne’s direct run and the centre-forward buried a low shot to the corner. It was Kildare’s first green flag of this league campaign, followed by a pair of Kevin Feely points.

Having waited all spring for a goal, Kildare had their second before long.

It came from a turnover and a speculative long ball, which ran perfectly into Flynn’s path. He steered back onto his right to produce a clever near-post finish making it 2-02 to 0-03 after 23 minutes.

Cork slowly began to produce a response, led by their corner-backs.