High-flying and undefeated Kildare had a runaway win over a Leitrim outfit from whose panel twenty of last year's players have departed in what was a Division 3 top of the table versus bottom of the table clash.
Brian Flanagan's men were dominant in every sector of the field and toyed with their opponents for the greater part of the clash. Leitrim did show some improvement after the break but were still outgunned by Kildare to the tune of 0-10 to 0-06 in the final thirty five minutes of the action.
Kildare was totally dominant in the opening twenty-five minutes of the opening when they hit an unanswered 1-13. In this period Alex Beirne registered 1-03 for the Lilywhites with his 'cheeky' goal coming from a 13 metre free on the 25 minute mark after he spotted that Leitrim had only two men on their goal line.
In this period Aaron Masterson shot a two pointer from play for the Kildare men while Ryan
Sinkey, Cathal Hagney, Kevin Feely, Brian McLoughlin, David Hyland, and Colm Dalton all chipped in with a point each.
Leitrim eventually got their account opened when DCU's Sigerson Cup winning player, Tom Prior split the Kildare posts on the 26 minute mark. Kildare continued to lord it in the proceedings right up to the break Aaron Masterson hitting a two pointer from play while Alex Beirne converted two frees and Ryan Houlihan slopped over a point.
At the break Kildare led by a whopping 1-17 to 0-01.
After the restart Kildare stayed in the driving seat with Cathal Hagney firing over just seconds after the action resumed. Leitrim's Sean Harkin answered with a 41st minute point.
In the remainder of the half Kildare continued to outgun Leitrim with Brian McLoughlin hitting a two pointer from play while Darragh Swords and Ryan Sinkey adding two points apiece with Didier Cordonnier '45', Alex Beirne (free), and Rian Teehan chipped with a point each.
Leitrim answered with a Paul Honeyman two-pointer from a placed ball while Tom Prior, Ben Guckian (free) and Sean Harkin bagged a point each.
Scorers – Kildare: Alex Beirne 1-07 4f; Ryan Sinkey 0-04; Brian McLoughlin 0-03 2pt; Cathal Hagney, Aaron Masterson 2pt, & Darragh Swords 0-02 each; Kevin Feely, D Hyland, Ben McCormack, Colm Dalton, Ryan Houlihan, Didier Cordonnier '45' & Rian Teehan 0-01 each.
Leitrim: Tom Prior, Sean Harkin & Paul Honeyman 2pf 0-02 each; Ben Guckian 0-01f.
Kildare: Didier Cordonnier; Ryan Burke, Mick O'Grady, Brian Byrne; David Hyland, James McKevitt, Ryan Houlihan; Kevin Feely, Aaron Masterson; Brian McLoughlin, Alex Beirne, Colm Dalton; Ryan Sinkey, Cathal Hagney, Ben McCormack.
Subs: Rian Teehan for Dalton (28); Tommy Gill for Houlihan (35); Adam Fanning for McCormack & Darragh Kirwan for Masterson (HT); Darragh Swords for McGrath (58).
Leitrim: Daire O'Shea; Eoin McLoughlin, James Rooney, Cathal McHugh; Sean Harkin, Mark Diffley, Eanna McNamara; Conor Quinn, Keith Keegan; Jack Flynn, Stephen McLoughlin, Tom Prior; Paul Honeyman, Keith Beirne, Jack Foley.
Subs: Ben Guckian for Beirne & Diarmuid Kelleher for McNamara (HT); Conall McGovern for Quinn (58); David Feeney for Foley (69).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
