Kildare 1-12
Dublin 0-12
Dublin are staring down the relegation trapdoor just eight months after lifting the Division One title following a fourth straight league defeat in Newbridge.
Kildare heaped further misery on Dessie Farrell’s understrength Dubs with an all-action display that further exposed the limitations of this young side.
Jimmy Hyland put in a player of the match display with a haul of 1-5, his goal midway through the second half setting Kildare on their way to a first win over the Dubs in 22 years.
Dublin can have some complaint about the nuanced performance of referee Sean Hurson, particularly when he decided not to award Dublin a penalty shortly after Kildare’s goal.
Kildare keeper Aaron O’Neill looked to take out Dean Rock off the ball as the Dublin forward prepared to knock the ball into the net but Hurson waved play on.
It would have been a stroke of undue fortune for a Dublin side who were second-best for the majority of the game and deserved to come out on the wrong side of the scoreline again.
Dublin had started the game in reasonably good form, twice taking the lead in the opening minutes through Brian Fenton and Ciaran Kilkenny.
Raheny midfielder Fenton got Dublin on the board inside the opening two minutes with a driving run and finish before Daniel Flynn hit right back.
Kilkenny knocked over an elegant point, from a fine Lee Gannon run, in the fourth minute as Dublin’s competent start continued before Ben McCormack hit back.
Dublin were denied a goal by a fine goalline clearance from Shea Ryan as he kept out Dean Rock’s shot, and the resulting 45 from Evan Comerford caught the wind and drifted wide.
Seán Bugler scored twice either side of a Hyland brace as the sides remained neck and neck, but Daniel Flynn’s second kept Kildare in front.
Kevin Flynn stretched Kildare’s lead out to two for the first time before Daniel Flynn added his third of the game to keep Kildare in the black.
Fenton saw his effort go wide in injury time and Hyland took advantage to nail his third point of the game after taking an excellent mark.
Another mark from Hyland early in the second half, from a poor Comerford kickout, made it a five-point game before Bugler fired over his third point.
A poor O’Neill kickout almost presented Rock with a goalscoring chance, but Kildare’s defenders mopped up.
Another Comerford kickout was caught in the wind and the ref awarded a soft free for a foul on Daragh Ryan, which Paddy Woodgate fired over.
Two quick Dean Rock frees, his first points of the match, reduced the arrears to three but the game turned when Kildare found the net.
Ryan Houlihan made a brilliant run down the left, leaving two defenders for dead and finding Woodgate.
He found Daniel Flynn inside and, though his goalbound shot was turned onto the bar by Mick Fitzsimons, Hyland turned the loose ball into the net.
John Small hit right back with a point but wides from Fenton and Kilkenny proved costly as Dublin remained five behind.
Then came the controversy as O’Neill found himself all at sea as he came to claim a Bugler line ball and Brian Howard looked set to profit.
He couldn’t grasp the ball but it fell to Rock, who looked to be barrelled over from behind by O’Neill when a goal looked a certainty. A penalty and black card would surely follow.
Referee Hurson judged it to be OK, Kildare cleared, and Dublin wouldn’t get a better chance to force their way back into the game.
Rock put over another free to make it a four-point game before Tony Archbold was inexplicably awarded a free after falling over, Hyland putting it over the bar.
Bugler and Gannon put over points either side of an O’Neill free but it was too little, too late as Dublin once again left themselves with far too much to do.
Kildare: Aaron O'Neill (0-01, 0-01f); Mick O'Grady, Shea Ryan, Ryan Houlihan; Tony Archbold, James Murray, Darragh Ryan; Aaron Masterson, Kevin Flynn (0-01); Con Kavanagh, Ben McCormack (0-01), Paul Cribbin; Paddy Woodgate (0-01, 0-01f), Daniel Flynn (0-03), Jimmy Hyland (1-05, 0-02f, 0-02m).
Subs: Jack Sargent for Kavanagh 31, Kevin O'Callaghan for McCormack 35+6 - h/t blood, Brian McLoughlin for Woodgate 54, Kevin Feely for Masterson 57, O'Callaghan for Sargent 63, David Hyland for Darragh Ryan 68.
Dublin: Evan Comerford; Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne, Sean McMahon; Jonny Cooper, John Small, Lee Gannon (0-01); Tom Lahiff (0-01), Brian Fenton; Niall Scully, Sean Bugler (0-04), Brian Howard; Ross McGarry, Ciaran Kilkenny (0-02), Dean Rock (0-04, 0-04f).
Subs: Robert McDaid for Lahiff 23-32 blood, Aaron Byrne for McGarry 48, McDaid for Cooper 55, Cillian O'Shea for Small 63 - 64 blood, Lorcan O'Dell for Scully 68, Alex Wright for Howard 70.
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
