It was attack against defence at Dr Cullen Park and the attacking team prevailed by 1-13 to 0-2.

This is Kildare's second successive landslide victory of the round-robin stage of the U17 competition as they also thumped Wexford in the first round. For Carlow, tonight represents an inauspicious opening to their campaign as a return of just two points in more than an hour highlights the limitations of using half of your forwards as sweepers.

The game was done and dusted by the interval as four points from corner forward Jack Smyth propelled the away side into a commanding 0-8 to 0-1 half-time lead.

Smyth got the Lilywhites up and running inside 30 seconds and a Paidi Behan free restored their lead after Jacob O'Brien opened the hosts' account from a rare foray forward. Muiris Curtin's brace and Smyth's second left four points between them after 18 minutes, 0-5 to 0-1.

Alex Beirne supplied the winners' sixth with ten minutes left before the break and Smyth's third arrived three minutes shy of the short whistle. There was still time for Carbury ace Smyth to add to his tally prior to the interval, nudging his side seven clear.

A Curtin free increased the winners' total when the action resumed ... Tom Browne made it 0-10 to 0-1 ten minutes into the second half and the gap was ten when - in response to a Colin Byrne effort - substitute Sam Morrissey bumped up the Kildare tally with eight minutes to go, 0-12 to 0-2.

Goalkeeper John Ball contributed to the facile win when he made a great late save. And it was all over long before substitute Aaron Kennedy chipped in with the goal for Padraic Carbury's lads in injury time.

Kildare - J Ball; O O'Loughlin, S Hill, J Hamill; N Jackman, L Broderick, P McDermott; D Costello, M Kiely; T Browne (0-1), A Beirne (0-2), M McGovern; M Curtin (0-4, 2f), P Behan (0-1f), J Smith (0-3). Subs: S Morrissey (0-1) for J Smith, A Kennedy (1-0) for M McGovern, E O'Haire for P Behan, D Higgins (0-1) for D Costello, S Englishby for N Jackman, A Kane for P McDermott.

Carlow - K Budzisz; C Connolly, C Bowden, J Dunne; M Behan, A Nolan, R Whelan; L Connolly, F Kavanagh; P McDonnell, P Regan, J O'Brien (0-1); J McCullagh, C Byrne (0-1), S Moran. Subs: B Crotty for S Moran, S Metcalfe for M Behan, D Nolan for J O'Brien, J Cummins for C Bowden.

Referee - F Pierce.

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