Armagh 1-12 Kildare 0-10
Rian O’Neill has been in sensational form this season, and it’s no surprise to anyone as he has been starring in lesser Armagh teams for the past few years, and now seems to have the supporting cast to really help him shine.
Kildare’s Daniel Flynn is on pretty much an identical trajectory. Leading the line for the Lilywhites, the unorthodox forward has been producing more magic than Walt Disney.
With Kildare kicking off this weekend’s games up at the Athletic Grounds against Kieran McGeeney’s high flying Armagh side, all eyes were on the two mavericks.
A wet, horrible, slippy night set the stage for the two entertainers to strut their stuff, and both show stoppers were limited by weather and surface alike.
Flynn struggled against a very aggressive and intensity-driven orange defence, while Rian O’Neill had to drop as deep as midfield to get himself in the game.
However, it was the Crossmaglen man who managed to pop up with moments of brilliance, as the Orchard County were determined to play an attacking game with lots of kick passing, despite the elements.
On one occasion, O’Neill had the ball on the right flank, and like a soccer player running on the overlap, he crossed the ball into the box, picking out his intended target with laser precision.
The forward nearly got a goal himself when he got on the end of a wonderfully inventive kick, attempting to palm the ball over the keeper’s head, but to no avail.
Instead, it was a night for the dogged defending as the relentless running of Aidan Forker and co found themselves able to break through the Leinster side’s barricade on a number of occasions.
The second half saw Armagh build a bit of a lead, and although Kildare were in touching distance throughout, it felt like a boxing match where the the tall, rangy jab of the Ulster side was able to pick its opponent off and not allow them to get within striking distance.
In the end, O’Neill’s spark wasn’t dampened by the rain as he finished the game with four points to his name, and McGeeney’s men will march on, while the visitors are still hoping to secure their Division One status.
