Leinster semi-final places at stake
Ben Purcell with cousins David and Daniel Boland after the recent county final win
The three Kildare football representatives are through to the last eight of their provincial championships, with each of them progressing relatively smoothly despite a first half scare for Grangenolvin in the Junior grade. RICHARD COMMINS previews their quarter -final clashes this weekend.
Any idea that Athy might have been satisfied with a first Kildare title in five years were firmly put to bed in Aughrim two weeks ago when they made light of the Baltinglass challenge in the opening round of what looks to be a wide-open provincial senior championship.
Under the lights in Newbridge on Saturday night they’ll have a familiar foe on the Summerhill sideline, the Meath champions currently being tutored by the former Celbridge manager Dave Clare, who has been resident in the village just over the Kildare border for over twenty years.
Considering they are the two counties closest to Dublin in population, the record of Kildare and Meath clubs in this competition is distinctly unimpressive. Kildare have only had three winners, the last being Moorefield’s second title in 2017 but it’s been a veritable drought in the Royal County where you have to go back 23 years to Dunshaughlin winning in 2002. Their last final appearance was two years later (Skryne).
That’s not to suggest Summerhill should be underestimated, by any means. They were perhaps more dominant than even the nine-point margin suggested against Longford’s Killoe in the opening round.
In midfielders Adam Flanagan, the former Meath player, and Adam McDonnell, they have an in-form duo who scored 1-4 before them that day and their battle with David Hyland and Kevin Feely will be an interesting, and perhaps decisive match-up.
The form of the likes of Colm Moran, Ronan Kelly and brothers Niall and Barry Kelly will give Athy plenty of confidence, but they’ll face a Summerhill defence that was outstanding as they dogged out a county final win over Paul Galvin’s Ratoath.
Twin brothers Ronan and Ross Ryan, the former a Meath stalwart of a few years now and the latter due to join up with Robbie Brennan’s panel, were outstanding that day, while up front Conor Frayne was in outstanding form on a day his brother Eoghan, the county starlet, was held scoreless from play.
Clare knows Athy well and keeps a watchful eye on Kildare football. His description last week of Athy as a team of “mongrels” was intended as a compliment to their never-say-die spirit and work rate, though no doubt the headline will be pinned to the dressing room wall in Conleth’s.
Athy are relishing the momentum their recent run has brought them and with ‘home’ advantage in Newbridge and if their young forward starlets can maintain their form, they can progress to a semi-final against either Portarlington or Louth’s Naomh Mairtin.
The one thing we don’t know about Sallins is how they will handle a close encounter. Have they truly shaken off the ‘wobbliness’ down the home stretch that afflicted them in the Kildare championship in recent years?
They have powered past teams this year to the extent that games were over long before any jitters could set in, and their demolishing of a very poor Grange side from Carlow in the last round shed very little light on how they would cope in a more competitive scenario.
We might learn a lot more about them this Saturday as they go to Navan for one of the last games at that venue before it is redeveloped and they’ll face a Kilbride side on the crest of a wave.
Managed by the articulate former Meath star Anthony Moyles, Kilbride are a name that might resonate with older readers. They were once the dominant force in Royal football, winning five titles in eight years between 1964 and 1971, with Jack Quinn, a renowned county full back and All Ireland winner, their star turn.
But they dropped out of senior status in 1978 and haven’t been back since, falling down to Junior level before climbing back to intermediate in 2023. Now they are back where they’ll feel they belong and they look like a side who can push Sallins as far as anyone in this provincial campaign.
Sallins will have to keep a close eye on stocky forward Josh Harford while David O’Leary scored nine points, including the late winner and a couple of two-pointers, in a dramatic county final win over Castletown.
The Kildare winners have a few injury concerns, notably captain and towering midfielder Daragh Mangan and wing back Luke Kelly who came off the last day, but such is the strength of their squad and the form they are in they have no reason to approach it in anything other than confident form.
Of the three Kildare teams, Grange were the only ones who looked in jeopardy at any stage of the opening round ties. They misfired in uncharacteristic fashion against Offaly’s St Brigid’s to trail by five points after the opening half but were it not for a rare off day in front of the posts from Fionn Bergin, their dominance at midfield should have seen them at least level at that stage.
With the introduction of midfield star and Fionn’s brother, Conall, at half-time, and a renewed accuracy in front of the posts Grange powered past their opponents in the second half to set up Saturday’s encounter with Wexford’s Cloughbawn and they’ll be looking for a sixty-minute performance on this occasion.
Cloughbawn are better known for the small ball game and toiled away in the Wexford Intermediate ‘A’ championship since it was set up in 2012, finally clinching that title this year, and they were impressive in downing St Finian’s of Dublin in Parnell Park in the last round.
Grange were not at their best defensively against St Brigid’s in the first half and they will need to be wary of a Cloughbawn side who are adept goal-getters, with Conal Flood notching a hat-trick against their Swords opponents the last day and Shane Kehoe a regular net-finder in the Wexford championship.
Home advantage should help Grange, but they will hope to have Conall Bergin at close to full fitness and available to start while the attack will need their shooting boots on.
