Leinster Leader, September 8, 1928, page 3
THE PLAY
Kildare won the toss and elected to play towards the town goal and
against a light wind on a fast sod. The ball was thrown in by Mr. M.
Meighan, who captained the last All-Ireland team which hailed from Cork,
and the Cork men invaded Kildare territory but were stayed when Goff
was held. From the free Higgins put the Kildare forwards in possession
and Keogh shot just wide. Cork got away on the kick out and the play
was rapidly transferred to the other end per Murphy who put Coughlan
in possession for the latter to fail by inches. On the kick out Higgins
passed to Curtis who was fouled in possession. Higgins sent the resulting
free kick to the mouth of the Cork goal and Curtis getting possession
from the melee, opened the scoring with a point. Kildare were again
on the offensive when Fitzpatrick returned from Murphy's kick and Hayes
centred for Higgins to give to the forwards, but an infringement spoiled
the movement at the Cork goal where a great attack was in progress.
The Cork men were held up in a further advancement from the free when
Buckley sent to Goff, from whom Curtis received and passed out to Mangan
who shot for the net. Carroll cleared but Joe Loughlin got possession
and returned to Mangan who shot into the corner of the net amidst loud
cheers from the Kildare supporters. On the kick out Vaughan sent to
the forwards but Buckley returned to midfield and Jack Higgins showed
up prominent in an exchange with Donegan and Murphy. The Cork men infringed
and from the free Higgins put the forwards in possession. Hard pressed
in a determined attack the defenders conceded a "50". Again
Higgins placed the ball in the mouth of the Cork goal when the custodian
cleared. Martin returned and the Kildare forwards bombarded the Cork
posts where a great defence eventually prevailed and Hurley cleared.
Hayes returned and Keogh shot inches wide with a great shot. On the
kick out Cork infringed and Paul Doyle, from the free, placed the ball
advantageously, but the Cork backs rose to the occasion and the leather
went wide after a grim struggle. Frank Malone held up another Cork advance
and Buckley baulked Dr. Callanan who shot just wide. Mat Murphy put
the Cork men again on the aggressive and Dr. Kearney opened a sustained
attack on the Kildare posts in which Fitzpatrick showed up prominently
and effected some brilliant clearances. The attack developed into a
regular melee with Goff, Fitzpatrick and Walsh back on their goal-line
finding off a rapid bombardment from Coughlan, Kearney, O'Regan and
Callanan. Fitzpatrick in possession was driven out for a "50" and
from the free by M. Murphy the Kildare custodian stopped a great shot
in the mouth of the goal. Fitzpatrick cleared in brilliant style from
an attempted rush, and when J.J. Hogan returned a stinging shot "Gus" repented
the performance. Paul Doyle shot from the clearance, but J. Hurley,
the Cork right full, returned for Murphy to put Dr. Kearney in possession,
but the latter failed with a good opening and sent wide. The Cork men
were again attacking when Donegan went down injured, but later resumed.
The stoppage spoiled a great Kildare run initiated by Goff's clearance.
From the referee's hop Joe Loughlin sent forward but Hurley cleared.
Murphy put the Cork forwards on the move, but Fitzpatrick cleared and
Hayes and Paul Doyle continued a great passing movement. Keogh was intercepted
by Hurley and missed with a shot from the wing. Higgins sent back from
the goal kick and Martin sent in a dangerous shot which the goalman
intercepted. P. Loughlin returned and Carroll just saved and shot to
the wing where O'Donoghue, pressed by Curtis and Mangan sent out. From
the throw in Curtis again shot for the goal, but Hurley captured the
ball and in a resulting melee Kildare sent just wide. On the kick out
Higgins was fouled in possession and Carroll cleared from the resulting
free, Murphy putting the Cork forwards going. P.J. Walsh sent in a dangerous
shot which Buckley stopped. Callanan intercepted the clearance and O'Regan
made a further attempt on the Kildare posts which Fitzpatrick boxed
out. The Cork forwards fought determinedly for a score and Walsh and
Fitzpatrick cleared a touch and go situation in which a score seemed
inevitable. Fitzpatrick cleared across the goal and Buckley and Malone
were strenuously engaged on the right wing with Callanan and P.J. Walsh.
A throw-in helped the attackers. Malone passed out to Curtis who transferred
activity to the Cork end when the whistle went for a Cork infringement.
From the free Higgins sent the ball close in. Carroll cleared but Paul
Doyle captured and sent over a further point for Kildare. On the kick
out sent out and immediately after a Kildare infringement brought Cork
up attacking. J.J. Hogan sent to Coughlan who lost to Fitzpatrick who
cleared, and initiated a great Kildare run via Higgins, Martin and Paul
Doyle, the latter striking the cross-bar with a great shot for the Cork
net. Quick as a flash Doyle was in and capturing from the rebound sent
over the bar for a further point. From the kick out play was up-field
and Kildare conceded two frees in succession, the last being in dangerous
proximity to the Kildare posts. Murphy sent in a great shot for the
Kildare net, and in the course of a strenuous defence Fitzpatrick went
down injured and play was stopped. Fitzpatrick resumed and a free eased
the pressure which, however, was resumed per Donegan. Fitzpatrick was
prominent in defence and a further free eased. The Corkonians, however,
were going strong and a further determined attack was made in which
the defenders were forced to concede a "50", which Mat Murphy
sent just wide. Pressure on the Kildare citadel continued and Fitzpatrick
cleared. Cork essayed a further attack from the throw-in but Goff got
possession and a great Kildare run, aided by Higgins and Malone, resulted
in Joe Loughlin sending over a further point. On the kick out Hayes
put Kildare again attacking, but the effort went wide. Curtis and Vaughan
contended for possession on the kick out and Curtis was injured by a
violent backward toss. He resumed, though obviously badly shaken, and
Higgins took the resulting free and sent well into the Cork goal, when
Hurley brought off a great clearance. An infringement by Cork gave the "Short
Grass" a further free from which Paul Doyle sent over the bar for
a further point. The Kildare men maintained the pressure on the kick
out, but a good defence forced a wide. Mat Murphy put Cork attacking
on the kick out and in less time than it takes to tell the Kildare posts
were in jeopardy with the Cork forwards raining in well directed shots
for the net. Buckley cleared, but P.J. Walsh captured the ball and Fitzpatrick
cleared a resulting drive for the net. Goff was under a rush and the
custodian boxed out. At this stage Walsh gave his great display in the
Kildare posts when he was across the goal in time to clear a dangerous
low volley from Hogan. Back in the centre of the goal he stopped the
leather for the third time in as many seconds, and from a concerted
rush by the Cork forwards just got the ball clear over their heads before
attacker and attacked joined company in a tangle at the back of the
net. Fitzpatrick cleared the ball and the applause was deservedly general
for the fine defence. Hayes got possession from Fitzpatrick and P. Loughlin
just failed to convert. On the kick out there was a Cork infringement
by the backs and Higgins sent the resulting free into the Southern parallelogram,
but Carroll cleared and passed out to J.J. Hogan who was stayed by Hayes
and Fitzpatrick, the latter clearing. Cork joined issue along the Kildare
right wing and the ball was out of play off Kildare as the half-time
whistle went leaving the score:---
KILDARE 1 goal 5 points
CORK Nil
With such a large margin and playing with the wind matters looked
rosy for the champions on the resumption. The Kildare side got away
on the throw-in and when a promising passing movement was held up by
a Cork infringement the resulting free placed the Southern posts in
jeopardy. O'Donoghue and Murphy brought off a great clearance and a
further Kildare advance was only stayed when the ball was sent out.
From the throw-in Cork got some relief, but this was only momentary,
and Curtis and Malone reversed matters. Mangan sent in a great shot
for the Cork net which just failed. Cork's goal kick found Mat Murphy
on the qui vive and he quickly had O'Regan in possession. The Kildare
full backs were immediately subjected to terrific pressure and the bombardment
was only stayed when O'Regan went down injured. He resumed amidst applause
and in a further desperate tussle at the Kildare goal-mouth the defenders
conceded a "50". The free found the struggle renewed at the
Kildare goal, and sharp exchanges lasted for some time as the backs
fought desperately to save their net. It was some minutes before Fitzpatrick
emerged from the melee in possession and found a reliable ally in Goff
in effecting a clearance. Paul Doyle received from the clearance and
shot for the Cork posts. Carroll cleared, but Keogh captured and added
a further point for the All Whites. On the kick out Higgins returned
and Curtis secured and passed unto Mangan who shot for the Cork posts
and followed up in time to box into the net from the custodian's save.
On the kick out a Cork forward move was spoiled by an infringement,
but the advantage to Kildare was nullified by an infringement on the
visitors' part. Cork forwards got possession from the free, but Buckley
cleared and Malone sent down. Murphy returned and again the Kildare
posts were again in danger. Donegan failed with a great effort, but
was compensated a moment later when he sent across the bar for the first
point for the homesters. On the kick out Cork were again pressing, but
an infringement spoiled and the collapse of the ball called a halt.
With the new leather Kildare came up-field on a great run and Mangan
just shot on the wrong side of the post with a great effort. Kildare
were again pressing when Paul Doyle went down hurt, but resumed. Cork
cleared from the referee's hop, but the Kildare forwards were once more
busy from a free. Higgins sent down a great shot, but Doyle was fouled
and the resulting free barely missed. Away from the goal kick the Corkonians
penetrated to the Kildare defence and a great clearance by Fitzpatrick
was emulated a second later by Higgins. The attackers just shot wide.
Kildare got away and Curtis centred in style, but an infringement spoiled
the move. In a further Cork attack Dr. Kearney sent wide, but adjusted
matters a minute later when Donegan returned and he sent over a further
point for Cork. A further Cork advance was spoiled by an infringement.
At this stage Curtis went off as a result of injuries previously sustained,
Pringle coming on in his place. The Cork men were pressing on the resumption
when an infringement eased the attack and matters had reversed when
a Cork back again infringed. Mangan, from the free, added a further
goal to the Kildare quota. On the kick out Kildare were down again per
Gannon and P. Loughlin just failed to convert. On the kick out Gannon
again returned and, following an infringement in his position, Paul
Doyle shot over from the left wing for a further point. At this stage
many of the spectators were leaving the field and the side-line was
invaded to some extent. From the goal kick Mat Murphy sent to the Cork
forwards, but the effort went for nought as the ball was sent out and
from the throw-in Goff and Higgins put the Kildare forwards in possession.
Opposed by a good defence the forwards sent wide. In a further Kildare
effort the Cork custodian saved a great shot by Gannon. On the kick
out Cork infringed and Jack Higgins sent inches wide. The Southerners
made a great effort and got through the outer Kildare defence, but were
held up by the full backs. A great tussle ensued and Kildare sent out.
From the throw-in the Kildare posts were in jeopardy when Malone got
possession from Buckley and sent to Higgins from whom Martin received
and crossed to Paul Doyle who had hard luck in missing by a short margin.
No better luck attended a second effort by Doyle, and on the kick out
the Corkonians had conceded a throw-in twice and Kildare was again on
the offensive when the long whistle went leaving the scores:---
KILDARE 3 goals 7 points
CORK 2 points
The game was a strenuous one, played in the best sporting spirit. It was a grand display of Gaelic football and if the losers did not quite achieve the Kildare standard they showed that the material at their disposal is such as to make All-Ireland football honours for the Southern Capital a very probable outcome of next years contest.
The teams:--
Kildare---Martin Walsh, ML. Buckley, Matt Goff, A. Fitzpatrick,
F. Malone, J. Higgins, J. Hayes, J. Loughlin, W. Gannon, Joe Curtis,
P. Doyle, P. Martin, Wm. Mangan, P. Loughlin, T. Keogh. Subs---M.
Connor, F. O'Toole, P. Pringle, Dan Ryan, Joe Reilly.
Cork---J. Brennan, J. Hurley, T. Carroll, D. O'Donoghue, M. Walsh, Mat Murphy,
J. Vaughan, M. Donegan, M. Murphy, J.J. Hogan, P.J. Walsh, J. O'Regan, P.
Coughlan, Dr. J. Kearney, Dr. E. Callanan.
Leinster Leader, September 8, 1928, page 3.
Re
Kildare v Cork, All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-final, September
2, 1928.