NFL Division 2: Tyrone 2-16 Kildare 1-19
Brian McLoughlin emerged as the hero at Healy Park, rescuing a battling draw for the 14-man Lilywhites with a late two-pointer.
Kildare displayed courage and togetherness as they refused to buckle after losing midfielder Brendan Gibbons to a second booking 10 minutes into the second half.
McLoughlin finished with a nine points haul as Brian Flanagan’s newly promoted side made a positive return to Division Two football.
The game’s opening two points were scored by league debutants Ethan Jordan and Kildare’s Eoin Cully, who stylishly cut inside to split the posts.
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Jordan edged the Red Hands two ahead with a two-point free, but Cully continued to cause problems with his pace, firing over a second gem, and was denied another by Joey Clarke’s diving block.
But a second two-pointer from Jordan, followed by a neat score from Ciarán Bogue, an All-Ireland Club JFC finalist with Clogher, had Tyrone four clear by the end of the opening quarter.
Kildare negotiated a sticky spell before countering to reel off scores through Alex Beirne (two), McLoughlin and Kevin Feely, who drew the sides level on 29 minutes.
They went in front for the first time in first-half stoppage time, Darragh Swords finishing to the net from close range following a goalmouth scramble to send the Lilywhites in with a 1-8 to 0-8 lead.
Tyrone wasted no time in trimming the deficit through Jordan and substitute Eoin McElholm, but a trademark Callum Bolton two-pointer restored the three points cushion.
The Red Hands raided for Cathal Donaghy to send Joe Oguz for a goal, planted clinically in the bottom corner of Cian Burke’s net in the 44th minute.
Moments later the Lilywhites suffered a further blow, reduced to 14 men when midfielder Gibbons received a second yellow card.
Jordan’s evening took another positive turn as he fired over his third two-pointer, but again Kildare were able to find a response, Beirne also raising an orange flag from a long-range free.
Darragh Canavan came off the bench to slot over a couple of scores for a four points margin, the almost inevitable precursor to another Kildare surge, as McLoughlin grabbed 0-3, bringing them level with a two-pointer.
But Jordan capped a dream debut by crashing home a goal straight from the kick-out. However it was not enough, with McLoughlin claiming 0-3 down the straight, including a brilliant two-pointer right at the death.
TYRONE: N Morgan; C Quinn, A Clarke, J Clarke; B Cullen, M McKernan, R Cassidy (0-0-1); J Oguz (1-0-0), C Kilpatrick; C Donaghy, C Bogue (0-0-1), C Daly; M Conroy (0-0-1, f), M Donnelly, E Jordan (1-3-3, 2 tpf, 1f).
Subs: B Kennedy for Bogue, E McElholm (0-0-1) for Conroy (both h-t); D Canavan (0-0-2) for Donaghy (51 mins); F Burns for Cassidy (67).
KILDARE: C Burke; L Kelly, P Spillane, R Burke; J Harris, E Lawlor, B Byrne; C Bolton (0-1-0), B Gibbons; B McLoughlin (0-2-5, 3f), A Beirne (0-1-3, 1 tpf, 1f), D Swords (1-0-0); B Loakman, K Feely (0-0-1), E Cully (0-0-2).
Subs: R Sinkey for Swords (h-t); C Moran for Harris (65 mins); S Doran for Cully (68).
Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).
