Sarsfields 2-15 Moorefield 2-09
Sarsfields are the Kildare Senior Football Champions for the 25th time in their history after they claimed a six point victory over Moorefield in St.Conleth's Park.
Sarsfields needed a last gasp Barry Coffey point to rescue a draw in the original tie but the Davy Burke coached side made no mistake at the second attempt with a powerful display leading the way to victory.
Cian Costigan and Shane Doyle scored second half goals that helped put the seal on the win and while Moorefield scored a stoppage time penalty they were well beaten as their hopes of a historic three in a row fell by the wayside.
Prior to throw-in it was announced that both Cian Costigan and Declan McKenna would come in for Alan Smith and Cian McConnell on the Sarsfields side while for Moorefield's Adam Tyrrell replaced Mark Dempsey.
They were the scheduled changes but after the pre-match parade Moorefield made four more alterations with Tom Kinsella, Ciaran Kelly, Jason Phillips and Sean Dempsey all coming in as Ross Glavin tried to spook his Sarsfields counterparts.
It didn't seem to work originally though, as Sarsfields' Ben McCormack kicked the opening two points, both efforts coming from play.
Moorefield responded with a fourth minute Eanna O’Connor free but 'the Sash' were rampant in the opening quarter and they scored the next three points with Cahill, from a free, and Darragh Ryan and Conor Hartley, from play, all splitting the posts.
There was also a number of off the ball incidents throughout with both sides guilty of indiscretions, while things even threatened to spill over on the sideline.
Moorefield were sluggish during this period but a drilled Eddie Heavey point halfway through the half soon got them into their groove.
Eanna O’Connor and Ciaran Kelly followed up with points and all of a sudden only a point separated the sides.
The defending champions then hit the front for the first time when a long ball from Eanna O’Connor was knocked down by Jason Phillips in the square to Ciaran Kelly and he laid off to goal poacher Niall Hurley Lynch who buried a shot past Paddy O’Sullivan in the Sarsfields goal.
It was a real purple patch for Moorefield and further scores from Kelly and Cian O’Connor had them in a 1-06 to 0-05 lead.
Sarsfields ended this barren scoring spell of fourteen minutes with points from Hartley, Ryan and Declan McKenna but they missed a glorious chance to go back in front when Cian Costigan turned his marker Liam Callaghan and had Ciaran McEnerney Aspell in space in front of goal but the Sarsfields defender mis-hit his shot and the effort went by the post.
O’Connor, with his third of the half and his first from play, increased 'the Moores' advantage to two in first half stoppage time as they went in to the break leading on a 1-07 to 0-08 scoreline.
The second half was a lot less intense than the ferocious first half and there was only two points in the opening ten minutes with Ray Cahill and Adam Tyrrell exchanging frees.
Sarsfields lost captain Sean Campbell to injury in the early part of the half but it only seemed to serve as motivation as they scored 1-06 without reply between the 42nd and 57th minutes.
Points from McCormack and Declan McKenna had got Sarsfields level before Barry Coffey edged them into a two point lead with a brace of efforts.
Cian Costigan then found the net in the 50th minute when McKenna won a break at midfield before laying off to McCormack and the centre forward duly found Costigan to score.
Coffey and McCormack then increased the margin and Sarsfields looked home and hosed as they went seven clear.
Moorefield refused to throw in the towel and a point from Adam Tyrrell was followed by the awarding of two penalties with Tyrrell seeing the first saved before Eanna O’Connor scored with the subsequent spot kick a couple of minutes later.
That gave Moorefield a glimmer of hope in the four minutes of stoppage time but that was quickly extinguished when sub Shane Doyle took advantage of Moorefield keeper Tom Kinsella wandering outfield and struck home to an empty net as Sarsfields put the seal on a first county title in three years.
Sarsfields: Paddy O’Sullivan; Shea Ryan, Sean Campbell, Tom Aspell, Con Kavanagh, Ciaran McEnerney Aspell, Darragh Ryan 0-02, Matty Byrne, Caoimhin McDonnell, Declan McKenna 0-02, Ben McCormack 0-04, Conor Hartley 0-02, Barry Coffey 0-03 (0-2fs), Ray Cahill 0-02 (0-02fs), Cian Costigan 1-00.
Subs used: David Shalvey for McDonnell 37 mins, Diarmuid Hartley for Campbell 40 mins, Alan Smith for Cahill 45 mins, Shane Doyle 1-00 for Costigan 51 mins, Brian McDonnell for McEnerney Aspell 57 mins.
Moorefield: Tom Kinsella; Sean Healy, Liam Healy, Sean Dempsey, Liam Callaghan, Kevin Murnaghan, James Murray, Aaron Masterson, Cian O’Connor 0-01, Adam Tyrrell 0-02 (0-01f), Eddie Heavey 0-01, Niall Hurley Lynch 1-00, Ciaran Kelly 0-02, Jason Phillips, Eanna O’Connor 1-03 (0-02fs).
Subs used: Anthony Durney for Murnaghan 18 mins, David Whyte for Phillips 34 mins, Eamonn Callaghan for Kelly 43 mins, Daryl Flynn for Hurley Lynch 46 mins, Daire Dunne for Heavey 60 mins, Eoin O’Connor for L.Callaghan 61 mins.
Referee: Liam Herbert
