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County Kildare History and Heritage

1928 All-Ireland Football Championship

Kildare v Cork, All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-final, Sept 2, 1928

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.