Christy Ring Cup quarter-final
Derry 0-10 Kildare 2-16
Cahair O’Kane reports

KILDARE produced a slick, sharp performance at Owenbeg to upset the odds convincingly and end Derry's hopes of a first Christy Ring Cup success.

Brian Lawlor’s side hit the ground running and Bernard Deay’s terrific low finish after 16 minutes helped the visitors into a 1-9 to 0-3 half-time lead that they fully deserved.

Derry briefly threatened a comeback with four of the first five points of a vigorous restart, but with Ray McLoughney and Gerry Keegan impressive up front, there was only going to be one winner from the moment that Kildare countered and Ross Kelly found the net after 47 minutes.

It was a hugely disappointing performance from the Oak Leafers, who started sluggishly and by the time they found the pace of the game, Kildare were cruising towards the last four.

Derry: D McDermott; M Warnock, C Quinn, E McGuckin; C McQuillan, L Hinphey, K Hinphey; O McCloskey, P Cleary; B Óg McGilligan (0-1), P McCloskey (0-1), A Kelly; S Farren, R Convery (0-5, 0-4f), B Rogers (0-1)

Subs: C Convery for S Farren (49), A Rafferty for O McCloskey (55), M O’Hagan (0-1) for Cleary (57), D O’Neill (0-1) for P McCloskey (65), S McGuigan for McGilligan (65)

Kildare: P Dermody; J Doran, F Ó Muineachain, D Harney; N Ó Muineachain, R Hoban, E O’Neill; M Moloney (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-1); B Deay (1-0), P Divilly (0-3, 0-2f), R Kelly (1-0); G Keegan (0-4), T Murphy (0-1), R McLoughney (0-4)

Subs: R Casey (0-1) for Keegan (61), D O’Flaherty for Murphy (63), W Greene (0-1) for Hoban (65), K Whelan for Kelly (67)

Referee: L McAuley (Antrim)

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