Kildare snatched a late draw against Armagh in the opening game in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League this afternoon.
Jimmy Hyland scored four points throughout for Kildare and his 74th minute free grabbed a share of the spoils at Armagh’s expense.
Armagh will rue kicking a number of wides throughout as well as letting a five-point lead slip after Stefan Campbell scored a goal halfway through the second half.
Kildare opened the tie with a lovely score from Conor Hartley after Kevin Feely released a pass out to him in space.
Kieran McGeeney’s men then began to find their groove and they kicked the next three points with Campbell, Jarlath Og Burns and Jamie Clarke all finding the target.
At this stage Kildare lost valuable midfielder Kevin Feely to a bad head injury but his replacement Fionn Dowling wasted no time in making a mark as he kicked an excellent point from distance, before Jimmy Hyland kicked a free to bring the sides level halfway through the first period.
Armagh did manage to hit back with a Niall Grimley point from play and a well taken free courtesy of Rory Grugan.
It was Kildare who started to gain a foothold for the rest of the half however, as Eoin Doyle fisted a point when a goal may have been on before Ben McCormack swiveled into some space and found the target.
Kildare then retook the lead for the first time since the 3rd minute with Adam Tyrrell converting a free but the home side couldn’t take that advantage into the break as Clarke hit back with Armagh’s first point in fifteen minutes to leave the teams deadlocked at 0-6 apiece.
Whatever slight wind there was, Kildare were playing with the aid of it in the second period and they quickly made immediate use of it with Dowling kicking his second point.
Armagh weren’t for giving in though with points from Grimley and Jemal Hall edging them back in front again.
Hyland equalised with a well taken effort from out wide but Armagh were beginning to motor and they soon hit Kildare for 1-2 in quick succession.
Jamie Clarke got the ball rolling with a beautiful effort on the turn and in between a Niall Grimley free, Stefan Campbell powered forward from a ball into space by Rory Grugan and the ace sharpshooter buried a shot into the bottom corner as the Orchard County moved into a 1-10 to 0-8 lead.
Kildare then replied with two well taken points from play by McCormack and Hartley as the scoreline was down to 1-10 to 0-10 entering the final quarter.
Fergal Conway was making his first appearance for Kildare of the season and he reduced the lead to two points with a flighted effort and substitute Aaron Masterson brought that deficit down further in the 66th minute.
Hyland then kicked Kildare level at the beginning of stoppage time but Armagh looked like they had snatched victory with a Rory Grugan free.
Kildare weren’t to leave empty handed though with Hyland kicking his third point from a free off his weaker foot with the last kick of the game as the teams had to settle for a draw.
Scorers for Kildare: Jimmy Hyland 0-4 (0-3fs), Conor Hartley 0-2, Fionn Dowling 0-2, Ben McCormack 0-2 Eoin Doyle 0-1, Adam Tyrrell 0-1 (0-1f), Fergal Conway 0-1, Aaron Masterson 0-1.
Scorers for Armagh: Stefan Campbell 1-1, Niall Grimley 0-3 (0-2f), Jamie Clarke 0-3, Rory Grugan 0-2 (0-2f), Jemar Hall 0-1, Jarlath Og Burns 0-1.
Kildare: Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, David Hyland, Mark Hyland, James Murray, Eoin Doyle, Keith Cribbin, Kevin Feely, Fergal Conway, Conor Hartley, Adam Tyrrell, Eoghan O’Flaherty, David Slattery, Ben McCormack, Jimmy Hyland.
Subs: Fionn Dowling for Feely 10 mins, Aaron Masterson for O’Flaherty 52 mins, Cian O’Donoghue for M.Hyland 59 mins, Jason Gibbons for Hartley 60 mins, Padraig Nash for Tyrrell 68 mins.
Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Connaire Mackin, Aaron McKay, James Morgan; Mark Shields, Aidan Forker, Greg McCabe; Stephen Sheridan, Niall Grimley; Jemar Hall, Rory Grugan, Ryan McShane; Stefan Campbell, Jarlath Og Burns, Jamie Clarke.
Subs: Rian O’Neill for Og Burns 47 mins, Joe McElroy for Hall 59 mins, Jason Duffy for McShane 64 mins, Niall Roland for Forker 72 mins.
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
