Cavan 0-14 Kildare 2-13
Kildare picked up the first win of their Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign as they finished with a flourish to see off Cavan by 2-13 to 0-14 at Kingspan Breffni Park.
A fiery encounter, which produced two red cards, was put to bed three minutes from time when Daniel Flynn smashed home a tremendous goal in his first match after returning from a spell in the AFL.
Cavan poured forward late on but the Lilywhites soaked up the pressure and ran out deserving winners.
The hosts had led by 0-08 to 1-04 after an exciting but error-ridden first half.
Playing with a strong breeze at their backs and with Killian Clarke lining out in a new role at full-forward, they were quickly motoring and raced into a 0-03 to 0-01 lead after 11 minutes.
Kildare had opened the scoring through Fionn Dowling but a point from Gearoid McKiernan, a huge score – with his first touch on his first appearance of the year – from fit-again Cian Mackey and a free from Niall McDermott saw the hosts take charge.
But Kildare, who were pressing Cavan high up the field, were causing problems close to goal and a neat point from Niall Kelly brought them closer before Eoghan O'Flaherty netted in the 16th minute after the Lilys recycled the ball following Conor Gilsenan's save from a weak Dowling penalty.
Cavan immediately hit back with a long-range McDermott free but disaster struck the Blues when captain Damien O'Reilly was dismissed on a straight red card for an open-hand slap on Emmet Bolton.
While they rallied well and landed successive points from McDermott (free) and two from Martin Reilly, Dowling and Flynn fired over fine scores in response.
Jason Ryan's men made much better use of the wind in the second half, booming over a succession of quality points.
Eamon Callaghan got them off the mark in a tit-for-tat third quarter, in which McDermott (two frees) and McKiernan scored for Cavan, while Eoghan O'Flaherty and the excellent Paul Cribbin were on the mark for the visitors.
Cavan were pinned back for long periods and fell two behind after Ollie Lyons sent over a super point from distance.
O'Flaherty, who was very impressive at centre-forward, landed three good points as Kildare moved four clear, 1-12 to 0-11, with 10 minutes left on the clock.
Cavan never gave up and reduced arrears with an excellent point from McKiernan and a McDermott free, either side of a second yellow card for Kildare sub Cian O'Donoghue.
In a frantic final few minutes, Paul Cribbin lashed over a top-class point and although Martin Reilly replied for Cavan from a free, Padraig Fogarty teed Flynn up for the all-important goal and the issue was sealed.
Cavan: C Gilsenan, J McLoughlin, R Dunne, K Brady, R Flanagan, F Flanagan, D O'Reilly, G McKiernan (0-3), K Clarke, J McEnroe, D McVeety (0-1), M Reilly (0-3, 1f, 1 45), C Mackey (0-1), T Corr, N McDermott (0-5f)
Subs: M Argue for Clarke (25 mins), C Moymagh for Brady (temp, 36 mins), J Brady for Mackey (39 mins), M McKeever for Corr (63 mins), P Smith for McVeety (64 mins)
Kildare: M Donnellan, O Lyons (0-1), E Bolton, M O'Grady, K Cribbin, F Conway, E Doyle, H Lynch, P Cribbin (0-2), D Flynn (1-1), E O'Flaherty (1-4, 3f), P O'Neill, F Dowling (0-2), N Kelly (0-2), E Callaghan (0-1)
Subs: G White for Lynch (14 mins), C Fitzpatrick for O'Neill (b/c, 29 mins), C O'Donoghue for O'Grady (b/c, 57 mins), P Fogarty for N Kelly (60 mins)
Referee: C Reilly (Meath)
