Allianz Football League Div 1 - Kildare v Kerry, 30/1 @ 1.45

[decondd2]

Jan 29, 2022 20:14:17 GMT thehermit said:

Dublin getting hockeyed, long may it last 🤣

Hope Stefan is ok, didn't stream the game. Was it a fair result? I thought Na Geal would have won it out given their talent

A fair result. Steelstown took advantage of their chances in the first half and Na Gaeil didn't.

4 shots for Steelstown in the first 30min 1-3 scores.

Na Gaeil kicked at least 6 wides from frees alone in the first half and only scored 3 points.

Na Gaeil started the 2nd half better and brought it back to a 1 point margin. Steelstown had a man sent off on a second yellow but Na Gaeil kicked the next 4 chances wide while Steelstown opened the gap to 3 again and missed nothing. In the final quarter Na Gaeil seemed to panic and tried to force goal scoring opportunities. They were turned over and counter attacked and should have conceded 2 further goals only for a save from Devon Burns and a ball that hit the crossbar.

Late into injury time Steelstown managed to manufacture a 2 on 2 situation with only Stefan and Devon Burns back. Steelstown rounded the goalkeeper Burns and he handtripped the player getting a black card and giving away the penalty. In the middle of bodies Stefan seemed to fall over and has a very severe shoulder injury. He was down over 20mins and taken away by ambulance. This is obviously a massive blow for Na Gaeil facing into a year where they will play Senior Football, but for Stefan who would have got great benefit from being involved in Kerry training this year. I was listening to James O'Donoghue on the Football Pod with Paddy Andrews and he was talking about how his shoulder injuries ruined his Kerry career. I hope Stefan gives himself the proper time to recover and gets a chance to be around the Kerry panel anyway.

[Mickmack]

Leinster Leader
by Tommy Callaghan

27 Jan 2022

It could hardly get more difficult for Glenn Ryan and his management team than to take on Kerry in the opening game of the 2022 Allianz Football League, Division 1, this Sunday (January 30) with a 1.45pm throw-in.


And with Jack O'Connor returning to St Conleth's Park for the first time since his departure from The Lilies, that adds a little spice to the occasion without a doubt.

“It is an exciting game to be looking forward to but it is not the be-all-and-end-all, I'm sure there will be plenty of side-shows that people will be talking about that are of no relevance, if we play football for these sideshows, it is for the wrong reason.”


The words of Glenn Ryan as he looks forward to his side's opening Allianz Football League clash.

“First game of the League, but among the panel there was great enthusiasm about playing Westmeath and against Carlow and Laois (O'Byrne Cup) and that is what you want; obviously a lot more at stake playing Kerry, not going to fool ourselves to that degree, but it is not going to define us one way or the other, it will be, hopefully, be part of us getting better” adds the Round Towers man.


While thus far some 34 or 35 players have seen game time in the O'Byrne Cup, it is the lads that have not yet appeared that fans are most concerned about. Ultra cautious Glenn says “we will see how they are going, they will get game time if they are right, if they are not right, they won't; it is important to get fellas on to he pitch who are 100 per cent, we won't be rushing anyone back, if an extra week means they will be 100 per cent right they will get that extra time, the rush will come when they are right.”


As far as what team will be named for the Kerry game, well, Glenn is, hardly surprising, keeping that close to his chest and considering he has not finalised his panel as of yet, that is understandable.

However he did admit “we would have a fair idea of the best XV that we think might be available to us for Kerry; how close we are to that not too sure.”

Kildare missed out on an O'Byrne Cup final against Dublin last weekend and instead had to settle for an in-house final prep game amongst the panel instead, it will be very interesting to see what the starting team will be.



Meantime the backroom team has all been finalised at this stage, with Dave Hare confirmed as the Strength & Conditioning coach. Hare has been working with Dublin Development squads and St Jude's in the city and is certainly a highly thought of trainer in this regard.

The physio is Kildare native Breiffni O'Donnell who runs a Physiotherapy Clinic in Craddockstown Golf Club. Breiffni has been involved with various Kildare teams in recent years, and is also connected to Naas Rugby Club and the Moorefield GAA Club.

Rumours of a Skills Coach have been circulating for some time and Glenn confirmed that former Kerry great, Paul Galvin is “lending a hand in this regard.”
A talented and controversial player in his day, Galvin has four All-Ireland senior medals to his name, seven Munster medals and a host of other achievements. He was Player of the Year in 2009 and won three All-Star Awards, he managed Wexford footballers in 2019, replacing Kildare's Paul McLoughlin, but resigned some 12 months later, due to work commitments (not having played any championship due to covid). He could certainly prove to be some addition to Kildare.

Glenn, somewhat playing down Galvin's appointment said “He (Galvin) has been in a few nights; he is helping out with the skills, helping out and trying to improve elements in that regard and looking at where we can improve, adding “no different to what we would have been doing anyway; an extra pair of eyes; just a very low involvement.”

While suggesting that Galvin's appointment would certainly make the headlines, Glenn replied, “there should be more important things to be focusing on; he is part and parcel of a team where everyone has an in-put, all important, from perspective it is important we get the right people to do those jobs that we think need to be done; if there is a bit of talk about it .... there should be other things to talk about.”

During the O'Byrne campaign Kildare have no doubt been moving well and while the manager seemed quiet happy with the way his squad was performing he added “I'd be very happy with the players enthusiasm to try and do things and their enthusiasm to work and to tackle and maybe do the right things off the pitch along with the right things on it; you can't judge everything on the opposition or maybe the time of the year; maybe they will all be better, as we will, in time.

“The one thing we have little control of is the attitude of the players when they go out on to the field, that should all be in their control, whether it be on the pitch, in the gym, or training, everything we have asked them to do so far has been met with a great enthusiasm and a great desire to try and get better and improve and this is out job on a management team and build on the hard work that has been done by Jack O'Connor and Cian O'Neill and other managers who have put a lot of time into those players.”

Kildare opened a new gym at the end of 2021 and Glenn is fulsome in his praise for that particular venture.

“The new gym is brilliant and to have everything here under the one roof so to speak, when you look at the challenges that were here previously, particularly for Jack O'Connor over the past couple of years what with covid, the gym in the industrial estate in Newbridge; the pitch here, everything under the one roof is a huge bonus.


“A great facility; great foresight to have it, it is called The Oaks, and it is not just for the senior team it is a facility that will be used all the way down to the Development Squads and getting back to the Great Oak Trees from little acorns grow and all that, that is why it is called The Oaks, to show that development of lads growing and maturing and getting and growing into something we can be proud about, and of course the whole connection with Kildare, the Church of the Oak, it ties it well; great to have it there and now it is important that we get the best use of it.”


The link between the minor, U20 and senior players is vitally important in any county and the new management team in Kildare certainly are taking that on board.

“We have been speaking with the U20 and the minor managements; one night we were doing a set of runs in one part of the running area in Hawkfield; the U20s were warming up before they went out and the minors were over at the other side warming up, so you had the whole of Kildare football from minor to U20 to senior level in a 50m sq area and that can only be a good thing with the minors looking to the U20s and the U20s looking to the senior; Brian Flanagan, Mark Scanlon, Hughie Lynch, Eamonn Callaghan, we know each other; we have all played and got great pride from playing with Kildare, we all have a role in making Kildare better — not just making our own teams better — it is very important I think; we will be working together.”


There is little doubt that there will be huge interest, not just in the opening game of the league, against Kerry but throughout the entire seven match programme, three at home and four away and while Glenn says it is great to see the interest, he does put in a caveat in that regard.

“It is great to see it but there has been a problem in Kildare for a long time and we have to temper that enthusiasm with realism and what it is that we ultimately achieve is what we should be judged on and not the peaks and troughs, people getting high after one game and burying us after another.


“We will try to get the consistency out of these lads on a daily basis and if we get that on any one day and are happy with the commitment and the effort and everything that they show; some days we will play well; others day we won't, it is be realistic as I say, about performances and try to judge them on the one constant we want, work-rate and effort and we see what happens after that.


“We have ideas and will work towards consistency over time; there are certain things we can control ourselves and those are the things we want to be consistent with; our attitude and application.”

[Mickmack]

Those last two words, attitude and application were qualities that Glen Ryan had in abundance as a player. He was an outstanding warrior.

If he had get Kildare to play like he did they will be a formidable proposition.

[ciarraimick]

Nice crowd here in Newbridge. Pitch will be slippy I'd say. Look g forward to game now. Ciarraí abu.

[royalkerryfan]

Well I thought Navan was bad but I can see why the GAA won't hold championship matches here.

First half fairly disjointed,

HF line not offering much and a lot of self inflicted mistakes.

Hoping Gavin injury isint too bad as he was doing well.

Hopefully a better second.

[ciarraimick]

Hope Gavin White s injury not serious. He was playing very well. Only Paudie in our half forward line going well. Burns and Moynihan poor.

[taggert]

Geaney struggling with the pace of the game too. 3 of 6 forwards not cutting it. All too common for us.

[southward]

Defence looks solid but fairly disjointed up front. Could have done with a few more scores with the wind to face in the second half.

[ciarraimick]

True Taggert.

[ciarraimick]

David Clifford has a habit of goi g for goals when a handy point is on. He should have taken a handy point just before half time. He kicked 2 fab points earlier. Backs doing fine so far. Moynihan looks unfit to me.

[greengold35]

Jan 30, 2022 14:52:07 GMT ciarraimick said:

David Clifford has a habit of goi g for goals when a handy point is on. He should have taken a handy point just before half time. He kicked 2 fab points earlier. Backs doing fine so far. Moynihan looks unfit to me.

Don’t know - love his unpredictability, a goal then could have killed the game.

[taggert]

Jan 30, 2022 14:52:07 GMT ciarraimick said:

David Clifford has a habit of goi g for goals when a handy point is on. He should have taken a handy point just before half time. He kicked 2 fab points earlier. Backs doing fine so far. Moynihan looks unfit to me.

To be fair, DM needs game time. He is much better than Burns.

[southward]

Clifford's just got booked for the world's most innocuous foul ever.

[taggert]

Paudie has done some good things but some terrible things too - giving away possession far too cheaply in both halves.

[taggert]

Jan 30, 2022 15:04:07 GMT southward said:

Clifford's just got booked for the world's most innocuous foul ever.

Dreadful decision.

[taggert]

Some putrid displays by several Kerrymen today.

[Annascaultilidie]

Kerry conceded no goal today.

That is what a large cohort on here have been crying out for no doubt they will be very satisfied with the match today.

[onlykerry]

Kerry clung on for a draw - painful 4th quarter from Kerry. Terrible to see the lack of ambition with the ball as they played the possession game over and back before eventually coughing up a turnover as the clock wound down. They looked a tired team.

[kerryeastcoastusa]

A lot to ponder after that one. Forwards terrible … subs no impact. Defense solid. Some of the panel really aren’t top level intercounty standard and at this stage never will be.

[taggert]

Kerrys forward play today was as dysfunctional as it was against Tyrone when only 1 of our 6 forwards played well and we conceded 3 goals that day.

If David Moran gave away the 3 2nd half points that A Spillane did (1 turnover soloing in the tackle and 2 frees), he'd be on Crimeline.

Maybe Kerry people need to start asking themselved are far too many players over rated and are several on the panel, not really up to it.

[listowelemerrs]

Actually one of the worst kerry performances I’ve seen in recent memory. Journalists and football people all over the country think kerry have the best forward line? I’m sorry but I said it last year only the 2 Clifford’s are good enough to win you an all Ireland. Armagh have possibly as good as forward line as us. Mayo’s forwards are good. Tyrone’s also. Geaney, Spillane , o’brien , Moynihan , brosnan and a lot more need to buck up. Sean o shea form is worrying now. He last played well in 2019 imo. Badly need Moran and Diarmaid o Connor back around the middle. O brien is an upgrade on Moynihan and burns if he can get back to 2019 from hopefully. No pace without Gavin white is another worry. Begley looks good and strong this year again. Need all our injured players back and play more direct not this lateral brutal style of backward football under Jack. Not a good start. But here’s hoping.0

[Kingdomson]

Kildare had some big men around the place and they came to the fore in that 2nd half. The Kerry midfield were cleaned out in that 2nd half and we scored just 3 points in that period. Many expected Kerry to win this game with a degree of comfort but not for the first time things did not go according to script when a bit of pressure came on.

[colinsworth1]

We’re going nowhere with performances like that
No ball into forwards lucky to get a draw
It’s the smallest county grounds in the country
Which may have contributed to lack of Width in our attacking play
SOS was a non factor in second half the game passed him by
It’s early and we have players to come back but
Dublin won’t fear us next weekend based on that performance

[mike70]

Lads we lost the middle in the second half , the 2 boys were out on there feet, the Kildare boys were full of running, we be glad to have the na Gaeil boys back. The boys inside were snuffed out for must of the game, hard to put the ball in when the boys inside struggled. I did think Kildare had more in the tank as well, anyway take our point, lots work to do.
Also a big concern for Gavin White, let’s hope he is alright.

[thehermit]

Diabolical, absolutely diabolical.

[taggert]

Jan 30, 2022 15:48:56 GMT colinsworth1 said:

We’re going nowhere with performances like that
No ball into forwards lucky to get a draw
It’s the smallest county grounds in the country
Which may have contributed to lack of Width in our attacking play
SOS was a non factor in second half the game passed him by
It’s early and we have players to come back but
Dublin won’t fear us next weekend based on that performance

I live up here and Dublin haven't feared us in a decade. Most of their fans think we have 1 top forward, a couple of decent backs and thats it.

[thehermit]

Jan 30, 2022 15:52:39 GMT thehermit said:

Diabolical, absolutely diabolical.

Never seen Clifford so poor, midfield non-existent

[Whosinmidfield]

The Kildare defence were totally on top of us, they actually looked very comfortable in that second half. We looked like we couldn’t break them down at all. The half forward line was a big issue for me. We can only play one of Paudie/Moynihan/Savage/Burns at a time. They’re too similar so they take away from each other when they all play together. Sean O’Shea is needed back at 11 for the Dublin game, midfield doesn’t suit him anyway. Our defence was actually good. A good number of times we swarmed the player in possession and turned him over which is not something we usually see from this team. A poster above mentioned Adrian Spillane was at fault for 3 points, my own view was that he was one of our better performers, he worked very hard and turned over a lot of ball. Foley did well on Daniel Flynn and all the backs played to a reasonable level but all the forwards were poor.

[colinsworth1]

Jan 30, 2022 15:53:28 GMT taggert said:

Jan 30, 2022 15:48:56 GMT colinsworth1 said:

We’re going nowhere with performances like that
No ball into forwards lucky to get a draw
It’s the smallest county grounds in the country
Which may have contributed to lack of Width in our attacking play
SOS was a non factor in second half the game passed him by
It’s early and we have players to come back but
Dublin won’t fear us next weekend based on that performance

I live up here and Dublin haven't feared us in a decade. Most of their fans think we have 1 top forward, a couple of decent backs and thats it.

Understood whatever about the last Decade
The Dubs were poor last night and are definitely in transition
I thought we’d have a real good chance next Weekend against Dubs but after what I saw today I’m not so sure

[greengold35]

Jan 30, 2022 15:44:05 GMT kerryeastcoastusa said:

A lot to ponder after that one. Forwards terrible … subs no impact. Defense solid. Some of the panel really aren’t top level intercounty standard and at this stage never will be.

Totally agree - midfield non existent in 2nd half, 2/3 half forwards replaced ( as expected), David Clifford only threat inside - only hope is that it’s still early days & we probably haven’t delved into tactics etc yet - the return of Diarmuid O’Connor &Jack Barry will give us more options around the middle which should mean Seanie O’Shea moving into forwards but not encouraging.