Kildare ladies aiming for Leinster Final

TG4 LEINSTER LGFA SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – PREVIEW

KILDARE begin their second season in the TG4 Leinster LGFA Senior Football Championship with a home game against defending champions, Dublin, in Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday next at 2pm (pity the clash with the senior men’s team in their Leinster semi-final in Tullamore at the same time). They conclude the Group Stage by hosting Meath at the same venue the following week. Both Dublin and Meath have been All Ireland champions in recent years but Kildare are not just there to make up the numbers with an appearance in the Leinster Final very much in the sights of manager Pat Sullivan and his Lilywhite charges.

“The facts are that there has never been a Leinster title (senior) won by Kildare but there has never been a better opportunity for us from where we are with a new squad. 2005 is the last time that we beat Dublin in a Leinster game but we’re parking the past and looking to the future. We know Dublin and Meath are massive challenges but we want to get to a Leinster Final and we’re very clear about that,” Pat Sullivan told the Kildare Nationalist at the weekend.

Dublin successfully began the defence of their Leinster crown with a 2-10 to 1-6 victory over Meath in Pairc Tailteann, Navan on Sunday last with the goals coming from Hannah Tyrrell (penalty) and championship debutant, Sophie McIntyre and will therefore be firm favourites to reach another Leinster Final. However, Kildare beat both Dublin and Meath in the Lidl National League Division 1 so confidence will be gleaned from those two victories.

“The League was a big development phase for us and beating Dublin and Meath was a massive step forward for us,” Pat Sullivan explained.

“Division 1 status was the biggest challenge we needed to get and we’ve learned a lot as a panel so now we are preparing for championship intensity but we do know what we are facing.”

While Kildare has achieved a meteoric rise over the last three years Pat Sullivan is well aware that his team are probably that little bit behind the more experienced Division 1 teams in terms of development.

“We are probably 12 months or maybe a year and a half behind where other teams are in terms of S&C and the physical demands of the game,” he said.

“I think we have learned a lot by staying on the journey of getting to where the Armaghs, the Kerrys, the Dublins and Meaths are and we are gaining momentum as we’re going along as well.”

While there has been a considerable turnover of players in the past few months getting the right mix of experience and youth is what is important to the Kildare manager.

“We have a great bunch of players, their application and what they do is absolutely excellent and credit to them for what they have been doing in the last four or five months,” Pat Sullivan said before concluding that he hoped to have experienced players like Lara Gilbert and Lauren Murtagh back in contention for the Leinster Championship.

While relatively young in years, Kildare captain, Laoise Lenehan, has packed a lot of experience into the last few years and she is thrilled with the influx of new players into the Kildare squad this year. “They’re brilliant,” she told us this week.

“As I mentioned before, the likes of Aoife Murnane and Laura Gildea have slotted into the team so well and they have no fear at all. They’re only doing their Leaving Cert this year. They are role models for us as well. These girls are fresh out of minor and they’re bringing this level of commitment and intensity that makes us follow them.”

The Kildare captain is not dwelling on the League victories over Dublin and Meath too much.

“It’s a fresh start and we are just focusing on ourselves and we’ll take it game by game. It’s now more intense and there are tougher games but this is where we want to be. This is what we have been working on for the past five years since I’ve been involved. There is a great atmosphere at the moment and we’re all really enjoying it and we are looking forward to the two home championship games in Cedral St Conleth’s Park,” she said.

TG4 Leinster LGFA Senior Football Championship Fixtures

Sunday 27 April: Kildare V Dublin, 2pm, Cedral St Conleth’s Park

Sunday 4 May: Kildare V Meath, 2pm, Cedral St Conleth’s Park

Sunday 11 May: Final, Croke Park