Even if it was only a pale imitation of the Dublin side that beat Kerry last September, there was something really satisfying about Kildare’s victory against the All-Ireland champions on Sunday.
There was plenty to find fault with in the Kildare performance but I’ll take a victory against top level opposition at any time of the year. At no stage did Dublin look like winning the game and even when they had an extra man, Kildare were more than able for them. We’ve never been a clinical side up front so a six point win represents a comprehensive victory.
It says something of the quality of our defence that we only conceded two points from play despite Dublin controlling midfield. Once more our halfback line continually turned the ball over while the full-back line, against a really decent inside forward line, were superb. Ollie Lyons was the standout player in that line, bursting forward at every available opportunity and always taking the right option as he did so. You could make arguments for a lot of players worthy of a starting place in the side but that trio look the only certainties to start the first round of the league against Tyrone. And if they maintain their current form, it’s hard to see how they’ll be dislodged before the championship.
That also speaks volumes for the strength of the panel when you consider that all-star Mick Foley is yet to come back into the reckoning while Hugh McGrillen has been limited to a substitute’s role so far.
McGrillen, like Kelly, Lyons and Fitzpatrick, has really blossomed in this Kildare setup and seems to get better every year. He wasn’t on the pitch long when he coolly stroked over a point while his incredible stamina makes him a huge asset every time Kildare attack. He has always looked like a player more suited to life outside the full-back line and maybe this year he’ll finally get that chance.
At the moment, life for Eoghan O’Flaherty at half-back is proving frustrating and his first half dismissal didn’t do him any favours. Ever since Mikey Conway’s absence through injury, Kildare have been in desperate need of a creative influence around the middle and while O’Flaherty would seem a natural fit for the role, it’s been a struggle so far. He was foolish to pick up a second yellow but, as is so often the case, it was his first yellow that was the problem. He lost possession near the opposition 45 and committed a cheap foul to stop Dublin launching a quick attack. It was needless and it was headless and at this time of the year, when referees are on high alert at the start of a new season, he gave the ref an easy opportunity to prove to the assessors that he was applying the full rigours of the rule book. Even if he hadn’t picked up a second yellow, the likelihood was that he would be substituted just to avoid the risk of Kildare losing a man. Dublin had just done something similar with their midfielder, Michael Darragh Macauley.
Life at centre-forward had started promisingly for Mikey Conway. His delivery to the forwards is usually top class yet he looked more at home in his previous incarnation at half-back. He has less time and space as a 40 yards man and maybe a switch with O’Flaherty might do both players the world of good. Playing in Newbridge and playing in Croke Park, which is where the business end of the championship will take place, is completely different and Conway will surely have more influence in a more spacious environment.
Croke Park should also suit players like Alan Smith and James Kavanagh. Smith seems to be growing in confidence with each game and two first half points from play was a decent return even if he has a long way to go to rediscover the form of 2009. Kavanagh is in a similar boat and needs to start converting more chances.
Tomás O’Connor has been a sensation since his move to the edge of the square and if the other forwards can start to feed off him, then there will be more goal chances. There are few players in the game who would have won the ball that led to the penalty against Dublin.
Our attack is still missing too many chances, chances that the top teams won’t miss, but we will get through the vast majority of games because we have such a mean defence. For all their primary possession, Dublin didn’t ceate too many scoring opportunities despite their attack being fed a decent supply of ball. Bryan Cullen and Kevin McMenamon are proven championship players while Paddy Andrews is a serious talent. Not even the introduction of Diarmuid Connolly unsettled the Kildare defence and if you looked at the game from the Dublin management’s point of view, two of their starting full-forward line were substituted.
More and more, this Kildare team are figuring out how to overcome their limitations. They’ve learned how to stop an opposition and now their opponents are beginning to understand that the onus is on them to stop Kildare.