Brilliant Draw for Kildare vs Tyrone

Fourteen-man Kildare fought back to earn a draw against Tyrone at Healy Park .

Brendan Gibbons was sent off on a 2nd Yellow ten minutes into the second half, but a young and inexperienced Kildare picked up the mantle.

Brian McLoughlin was the Kildare star, kicking nine points including the late two-pointer to draw the game.

Eoin Cully had Kildare's opening two points.

Callum Bolton and Brendan Gibbons were edging centre field keeping Kildare in the game. 

Kildare were wasteful kicking wides but a two pointer from Alex Beirne, and points from Brian McLoughlin and Kevin Feely had the sides level on the half hour.

And, just before half time, a Darragh Swords goal saw Kildare lead at the interval by 1-8 to 0-8

Tyrone hit two early 2nd half points, but a Callum Bolton two-pointer saw Kildare still lead by 3 points.

But a Tyrone goal after 44 mimutes saw Tyrone gain the initiative.  To compound the pressure, Brendan Gibbons then went on the 2nd Yellow..

Moments later the Lilywhites suffered a further blow, reduced to 14 men when midfielder Brendan Gibbons received a second yellow card.

The sides then swopped two pointers, with Alex Beirne kicking the Kildare score.

Kildare continued to hold their own in the middle third, but the pressure mounted in the closing stages.

Tyrone went four points up, before Kildare four points margin, but Kildare refused to yield, expecially Brian McLoughlin's 3 points: including a two-pointer with five minutes remaining..

And despite another Tyrone goal, McLoughlin kicked another 3 points, including a brilliant two-pointer on the stroke of full time to give Kildare an excellent draw, in a game they could have won, but will be very happy to have taken the away point away from home against the favourites.

Kildare:

C. Burke, L. Kelly, P. Spillane, R. Burke, J Harris, E Lawlor, B Byrne, C Bolton (2, tp), B Gibbons, B McLoughlin (0-9, 3f, 2 tp), A Beirne (0-5, 1f, 1 tpf), D Swords (goal), B Loakman, K Feely (0-1), E Cully (0-2).

Subs: Ryan Sinkey for Darragh Swords (ht), Colm Moran for James Harris (65), Sam Doran for Eoin Cully (68)