Galway manager Kevin Walsh.
Allianz Football League Division One
GALWAY 0-16 KILDARE 0-10
By Ger McNally at St Conleth's Park, Newbridge
Kildare’s nightmare Allianz League campaign ended with their seventh successive defeat but things look much brighter for Galway and their sixth win of the season prepares them nicely for the final against Dublin next week.
u1:p</u1:p>
These two were the stand out teams in Division Two last year, but since their fortunes have contrasted wildly. Galway took to Division 1 like a duck to water and immediately look at home with the best teams in the country.
Kildare’s losing streak has sapped all confidence and belief from them and they will need a lot of soul searching between now and the Leinster Championship if they are to turn their season around. u1:p</u1:p>
Galway were always in control of this game and once Patrick Sweeney kicked the opening two scores of the game and from there on, they had a stranglehold of proceedings.
u1:p</u1:p>Kerry native Eanna O’Connor, on his first start of the season, and Tommy Moolick briefly kicked Kildare level, but that was the only time in the game that Galway weren’t ahead.
u1:p</u1:p>Eamon Brannigan and Sean Kelly caused Kildare all sorts of problems with their pacy running and although Galway led 0-8 to 0-5 at half time, their lead would have been greater had Kelly scored from the one goal chance in the half but he shot wide from a great position after 17 minutes.
u1:p</u1:p>In the second half, Kildare had chances to put pressure on Galway, but time and again their shot selection and then shot execution let them down. They ended with a total of 15 wides.
u1:p</u1:p>As Galway already began to turn their thoughts to Dublin, Kildare were able to cut their lead back to three with three minutes remaining, but Galway always had another gear to move into and they scored the last three points.
**Scorers for Galway: **Sean Armstrong 0-3 (1f), Sean Kelly 0-2, Padraic Cunningham 0-2, Patrick Sweeney 0-2, Johnny Duane 0-1, Frankie Burke, Adrian Varley 0-1, Shane Walsh 0-1 (1f), Michael Daly 0-1, Cian D'Arcy 0-1, Eoin Finnerty 0-1.
**u1:p</u1:p>Scorers for Kildare: **Eanna O'Connor 0-4(1f, 1'45), Johnny Byrne 0-1, Paul Cribbin 0-1, Daniel Courtney 0-1, Tommy Moolick 0-1, Jimmy Hyland 0-1, P Brophy 0-1.
**u1:p</u1:p>GALWAY: **Ruairí Lavelle; Evan Wynne, Declan Kyne, David Wynne; Gary O'Donnell, Johnny Duane, Gareth Bradshaw; Thomas Flynn, Ciaran Duggan; Eoin Finnerty, Patrick Sweeney, Sean Kelly; Eoin Brannigan, Sean Armstrong, Padraic Cunningham.
**Subs: **Shane Walsh for Kelly (h/t), Frankie Burke for Sweeney (46), Cian D'Arcy for Armstrong (57), Michael Daly for Finnerty (53), Adrian Varley for Cunningham (67).
**u1:p</u1:p>KILDARE: **Aaron O'Neill; Peter Kelly, David Hyland, Mark Hyland; Johnny Byrne, Eoin Doyle, Kevin Flynn; Paul Cribbin, Tommy Moolick; Fergal Conway, Eanna O'Connor, Paddy Brophy; Eamnn Callaghan, Jimmy Hyland, Keith Cribbin.
**Subs: **Mark Dempsey for M Hyland (HT), Fionn Dowling for Conway (45), David Slattery for Callaghan (52), Daniel Courtney for Byrne (55), Ruadhan Ó'Giollain for J Hyland (68).
u1:p</u1:p>REFEREE: Conor Lane (Cork).
