Nolan pays tribute to Kildare players
Kildare boss Padraig Nolan paid tribute to his players yesterday following their three-point victory over Leinster champions Westmeath at Croke Park.
Nolan's charges advance to face Laois, who were lucky winners against Offaly yesterday, in the next stage.
Nolan's side were reduced to 14 men in the first half when Ronan Sweeney was sent to the line after 20 minutes for collecting his second yellow card.
Nolan said: "Full credit to the players. We won it against the odds. We knew Westmeath were there for the taking and we sat down after the Wicklow match and said that. It was just a case of tightening up in a few areas.
"The pride and the passion was there and it was just a case of playing it cute. When you're a man down and you're ahead they have to come out to you and the longer it goes on the more likely they are to panic."
