Fermanagh 0-18 Kildare 3-20

Fermanagh’s season came to an end in Navan this evening as a powerful Kildare side claimed a comprehensive victory over Rory Gallagher’s charges.

The Lilywhites dominated proceedings in the first half and went in at the break with a comfortable 1-13 to 0-05 advantage.

Fermanagh did battle hard in the second half but they never looked like threatening the Lilywhites as Kildare progressed through to the Super 8s.

Fermanagh needed to get off to a good start to the encounter against a Kildare side who entered the game full of confidence following their win over Mayo seven days earlier.

 And Gallagher’s side very nearly had the ball in the back of the net in the second minute but Eoin Donnelly’s lobbed effort came back of the underside of the crossbar and was cleared to safety.

At the other end, Kildare wasted very little and when Daniel Flynn got on the end of a high ball and finished to the net it put them into a 1-03 to 0-01 advantage by the seventh minute.

Kildare’s pace and power caused Fermanagh all sorts of problems over the course of the contest with Neil Flynn, Daniel Flynn, Paddy Brophy, Paul Cribbin all among the points as they pulled away.

Indeed, it could have been worse for the Ernemen as Keith Cribbin was slipped in on goal but Pat Cadden pulled off a fine save to deny the Lilywhites a second goal.

Fermanagh did have their chances during the first half but the registered seven wides as well as dropping a couple of efforts into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Seamus Quigley, Ryan Jones and Declan McCusker did manage points for Fermanagh in the first period but at the break they trailed 1-13 to 0-05.

Fermanagh started the second half on the front foot with Seamus Quigley, Ruairi Corrigan and Tomas Corrigan among the points early on but any notion of a Fermanagh comeback was ended when Neil Flynn got on the end of a flowing move to palm the ball to  the net to make it 2-15 to 0-08.

In fairness to Fermanagh they continued to chip away at points through Seamie Quigley, Sean Quigley and Tomas Corrigan but Kildare were always in command and they wrapped up the win when Chris Healy’s attempt at a point dropped over the head of Cadden to leave it 3-20 to 0-18.