Kildare 0-16
Westmeath 0-11

Kildare ensured their Allianz Football League Division 2 status with a five-point victory over Westmeath in Newbridge.

Jack O’Connor’s men never trailed over the 70 minutes as the in-form Jimmy Hyland, along with Neil Flynn and Darragh Kirwan, helped to keep their scores ticking over at St Conleth’s Park throughout.

Those three combined for ten of the winners’ 0-16 total as they earned a deserved victory over the Lake men which saw them just miss out promotion after finishing a point behind Armagh in the league table.

Westmeath were already safe coming into this Round Seven clash and chased the game from the moment Hyland opened the scoring for the Lilywhites three minutes in.

Aaron Masterson doubled the lead before Jack Smith hit back for the visitors and the sides would be level on 16 minutes after John Heslin pointed his first free of the afternoon.

Kildare manager Jack O'Connor celebrates. ©INPHO.

Scores from Kirwan (2), Ben McCormack and Hyland (free) created the first three-point gap and it would be the difference at the break (0-8 to 0-5) once Kevin Feeley's converted mark cancelled out Ronan O’Toole in first-half injury-time.

Points from Luke Loughlin and Ger Egan twice had the visitors’ deficit down to two but their Leinster counterparts started to pull away from them via the points of Flynn and Hyland (2, 1 free) either side of the water break.

Egan and Heslin (2 frees) kept Jack Cooney’s men well in contention but Hyland’s fifth point was backed up by another from Flynn before sub Paul Cribbin secured the points for Kildare in injury-time. 

Kildare - Mark Donnellan; Eoin Doyle, Mick O’Grady (0-2), Mark Dempsey; Shea Ryan, Con Kavanagh, Kevin Flynn; Kevin Feely (0-01, 1m), Aaron Masterson (0-1); Fergal Conway, Paddy Brophy, David Hyland; Ben McCormack (0-1), Darragh Kirwan (0-2, 1m), Jimmy Hyland (0-5, 2f). Subs: Darragh Malone for E Doyle (16mins), Paul Cribbin (0-1) for F Conway (50), Neil Flynn (0-3, 3f) for B McCormack (50), Liam Power for K Flynn (51), Luke Flynn for P Brophy (65).

Westmeath - Jason Daly; Jack Smith (0-1), Ronan Wallace, Boidu Sayeh; Jamie Gonoud, Kevin Maguire, James Dolan; Ray Connellan, Sam Duncan (0-1); Luke Loughlin (0-1), Ronan O’Toole (0-2), Paddy Holloway; Ger Egan (0-2), John Heslin (0-4, 2f), Kieran Martin. Subs: Killian Daly for P Holloway (32mins), Brandon Kelly for K Daly (65), Lorcan Dolan for G Egan (70+1), Alex Gardiner for R O’Toole (70+1).

Ref: Ciaran Brannigan (Down).

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