KILDARE manager Cian O’Neill has named his team for Sunday’s opening O’Byrne Cup game against DIT in St Conleths Park (throw in 2pm) and it shows a strong Newbridge representation.

Moorefield’s Tom Corley will have another chance to stake his claim to be Kildare’s number one goalkeeper
Photo: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Moorefield and Sarsfields have shared the last four county titles between them and they contribute five players to O’Neill’s first ever Kildare selection.

Defenders, Liam Healy and Ryan Houlihan, are included on the senior team for the first time having played in the 2015 Leinster Under 21 final defeat to Dublin. 31 year old Tom Corley was first choice goalkeeper under Kieran McGeeney in 2009 but apart from a couple of O’Byrne Cup ties in 2015 hasn’t featured since the league in 2010 and now has another chance between the posts. Adam Tyrrell made two O’Byrne Cup appearances in 2014 and went on to play a key role in Moorefield winning a county title later that year and he is picked at wing forward.

Ryan Houlihan will make his senior Kildare debut on Sunday after an impressive underage career with the county
Photo: ©INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

Sarsfields’ Matt Byrne is named at midfield alongside Daniel Flynn. The 24 year old didn’t play for Kildare at minor or under 21 level but along with Corley becomes the second player to play soccer in the League of Ireland with Kildare County and now for the Kildare senior footballers. It’s reward for a tremendous 2015 for his club when he was one of three players nominated for senior championship player of the year at the Kildare GAA awards following some sterling performances in the centre of the field as Sarsfields won the county title.

Elsewhere, Allenwood footballer Johnny Byrne is picked at centre half back. His only previous appearance for the senior team was as a substitute in McGeeney’s last game, a qualifier in Newbridge against Tyrone. He won a Leinster Under 21 football medal that year and also played in a Leinster minor final in 2009 but his focus more recently has been on hurling. He played under Brian Lawlor last year as Kildare won promotion and reached the Christy Ring semi final but was also an impressive performer on the football field for his club during that time.

James Eaton and Seamus Hanafin are among those picked in the forward line. Eaton played two games in the 2013 O’Byrne Cup but hasn’t featured since. He has remained a very consistent performer on the club scene for Athy however and this year finished joint top scorer in the senior championship as his team went within minutes of lifting the title. Ballyteague’s Hanafin has appeared in O’Byrne Cup in three of the last four seasons, including scoring a goal in last year’s semi-final win over Sunday’s opponents.

Clane’s Cian O’Donoghue was an impressive early season performer last year and went on to make one championship substitute appearance and he is included at wing back.

There is plenty of experience in the team with Ollie Lyons, Peter Kelly, Cathal McNally, Eoghan O’Flaherty and Fionn Dowling also named.

The focus though will be on the new faces in the team and with a major cull of the squad expected after the pre season competition, the pressure is on. O’Neill has previously suggested that the teams named for the first two games in January will be very different so for some, Sunday may be their only chance to impress in a game situation. As always, results in the O’Byrne may not count for a whole lot but for the individuals involved, it could be a game of great importance.

The Kildare team in full:

1. Tom Corley
2. Ollie Lyons
3. Peter Kelly
4. Liam Healy
5. Ryan Houlihan
6. Johnny Byrne
7. Cian O’Donoghue
8. Daniel Flynn
9. Matt Byrne
10. Cathal McNally
11. Eoghan O’Flaherty
12. Adam Tyrrell
13. James Eaton
14. Fionn Dowling
15. Seamus Hanafin