Kildare's Doherty enjoying competing against the best teams

Kildare will welcome, if that’s the correct word, the current TG4 Leinster LGFA senior football champions and past All Ireland champions, Dublin for Round 2 of the Lidl NFL Division 1 to Manguard Park on Sunday, throw in 3pm. Despite the enormity of the task facing the newly promoted Lilywhites, stalwart corner back, Mia Doherty is relishing the challenge ahead on Sunday and for the remainder of the League.

Speaking to the Kildare Nationalist this week the Leixlip player said, “We are under no illusions in Division 1. They are all going to be big games, tough games. Dublin, Kerry, Armagh are all physical teams with pace and a good engine in them but we are looking forward to it. We are in Division 1 football and there is a reason why we are here. We want to compete and play the big teams.” 

 Kildare lost by three points to Waterford in Manguard Park, Hawkfield on Sunday but almost forced an unlikely draw following an outstanding injury time goal from Neasa Dooley which brought it to a one score game. Now in her final year of a Pharmacy Degree in Queens University in Belfast, Mia Doherty believes that there may have been an element of their own play which led to Kildare’s first Lidl League loss in two years in their first sojourn in Division 1.

“Waterford were a very strong side and the experience probably did stand to them but we had turnovers and we know that a high rate of turnovers is going to punish us in the big games especially in Division 1,” the Kildare defender said. “Maybe we could get away with it last year or the year before but we gave stupid ball away so we were getting punished on the scoreline.” Doherty, who will play in her fourth O’Connor Cup with Queens this week, sees success at underage level as the main reason for Kildare’s senior success over the last two years. “Serious work is being done at underage level,” the Leixlip player told us. 

“Last year we had great success from U12’s in every age up to minors and then the seniors won Division 2. We are investing loads in there.” Doherty sees the competitiveness of Division 1 and indeed Division 2 as being good for ladies football. “You have more spectators because the standard is higher and the games are good to watch,” she explained.

While Kildare lost their opening round under new manager, Pat Sullivan, Dublin, meanwhile, under their new joint Management Team of Paul Casey and Derek Murray, had what was described as “a gritty home victory” over Mayo last weekend.

Concluding her look at the games ahead, Mia Doherty said, “We have a tough few games coming up, including Dublin and Kerry, over the next two weeks but that will be good. Dublin have a few All Irelands in their back pockets and so have Kerry so they have kind of set the benchmark of where we are at. Meath have had their great run, they won the Intermediate and then the Senior and the same with Armagh, they did really well last year.” 

After Sunday’s game in Manguard Park Kildare face away fixtures against Kerry, Meath, Armagh and Mayo before hosting Tyrone, who were promoted with the Lilywhites last year, in the first ladies football game to be played in the new Cedral St Conleth’s Park on 29 March.

Dublin will be favourites for Sunday, having defeated Kildare in the TG4 LGFA Leinster and All Ireland Championships last year but Mia Doherty and her fellow Lilywhites are anxious to make their mark in Division 1 of the Lidl League in 2025.

Pat Sullivan has picked his name for the game 

1. Anna Dunlea (Raheens) 

2. Ruth Sargent (Eadestown) 

3. Laura Dunlea (Raheens) 

4. Mia Doherty (Leixlip) 

5. Lauren Murtagh (Milltown) 

6. Laoise Lenehan (Kill) 

7. Molly Aspell (Kilcullen) 

8. Claire Sullivan (Carbury) 

9. Lara Curran (Milltown) 

10. Leah Doran (Balyna) 

11. Aoife Rattigan (Cappagh) 

12. Gillian Wheeler (St Laurences) 

13. Neasa Dooley (Athy) 

14. Alannah Prizeman (Naas) 

15. Roisin Byrne (Sarsfields) 

Substitutes:

16. Mary Hulgraine (Sallins) 17. Aoife Murnane (Maynooth) 18. Ciara Moran (Na Fianna) 19. Emma Wheeler (St Laurences) 20. Zoe Brierty (Carbury) 21. Leah McGovern (Raheens) 22. Siofra Galvin (Sarsfields) 23. Hannah Murphy (Suncroft) 24. Aisling Irhue (Sarsfields) 25. Lisa Shaw (Naas) 26. Amy Mahon (Ballymore) 27. Ellie O’Toole (Kilcullen) 28. Erin Brereton Foley (Castlemitchell) 29. Aoife Kilkenny (Carbury) 30. Lia Reilly (Sallins)