Allianz Hurling League Divison Two, round one
Down 2-19 Kildare 0-22
DOWN finished strongly on Saturday in McKenna Park, Ballycran to rubber-stamp the Ards' venue as a fortress against any team at this level.
At one stage Kildare had trailed by seven points, but they turned the game around and seemed to have the momentum to take the points when David Qualter edged them ahead from a free in the 66th minute.
However, the home side dug in to score five points in a row and get their season off to the perfect start.
First-half goals from Daithi Sands and Shea Pucci had helped Down overcome an indifferent start that saw Kildare score the first four points before Tim Prenter opened the home side’s account in the sixth minute.
Sands' goal in the 13th minute levelled the tie and gave Down the confidence to push on, although the visitors contributed to their own problems by recording 10 wides before the break.
Stephen Keith also saved a penalty after 29 minutes when the teams were level at 1-6 to 0-9. Down responded to the heroics of their goalkeeper by pushing on with a goal from teenager Pucci to lead 2-8 to 0-10 at the interval.
On the restart, Tom McGrattan and Chris Egan kept the scoreboard ticking over and the home side went seven points clear before they hit the wall.
Kildare scored nine of the next 10 points with a burst of energy started by a Qualter free after 46 minutes. A free from McGrattan was Down’s sole score for 20 minutes until Phelim Savage kick-started a run of five points in five minutes that got them over the line.
Prenter, McGrattan (two) and sub Finn Turpin all split the posts to take them into an insurance point lead with just a minute left.
Down T McGrattan 0-8 (1′65, 5 frees), D Sands and S Pucci 1-1 each, T Prenter 0-3, P óg McCrickard and P Savage 0-2 each, C Egan and F Turpin 0-1
Kildare D Qualter 0-11 (10 frees), D Melville, J Burke and G Keegan 0-2 each, D Guerin, M Curtin, D O Meara, C Dowling and J Travers 0-1 each
Referee T Gleeson (Dublin)
