Armagh V Kildare - Crossmaglen - 14/3/10 14.30

[AFS]

14-03-10 (Sunday)
National Football League
Round 4
Roinn II
Crossmaglen 2.30pm Ard Macha v Cill Dara
Referee: Joe McQuillan (An Cabhán)

I'll delete this if a thread already exists. I know shortso started a few last week, but don't think he did one for this match, couldn't find any on the search anyway.

Ronan Clarke maybe out for the rest of the league apparently. Probably no Vernon for this match either by the looks of things. Without the excellent showings from those two, and Toner, down in Newbridge last year we would've been turned over easily enough. On this basis I'm not overly confident for Sunday. However, Stevie McDonnell is currently twice the player he has been for the last 2 or 3 years and we're usually tough to beat in Cross. Interesting game, without even mentioning the subplots.

[T Fearon]

By far the most attractive home league fixture of the season for us and a victory would definitely be a huge confidence booster and set u up nicely for a promotion push. Earley will pose problems at midfield, and the defence had better be on its toes and not concede frees for Doyle to convert.

However the momentum gained from two on the trot victories, coupled with Stevie's outstanding form (aided hopefully by more of the same from Henderson), and home advantage in front of what will be a huge crowd, might just see us sneak a very narrow win

[illdecide]

I hope i'm wrong but i think Kildare will beat us by a few points. Kildare will win the midfield battle and we concede for to many free's to close to the goals and thats one of our weak points, in saying all that Kildare aren't the best of travellers but i think McGeeney will have them well up for this one and they may be just too strong for us on the day without Clarke and Vernon

[DuffleKing]

Very good performance in kildare last year but that was built on the back mainly of McKeever, Toner, m o'rourke, b mallon and clarke. Three of those probably won't feature on sunday. could be a very difficult game but the winners have a great run at promotion.

[mackers]

Toner got so far under Dermot Earley's skin last year that Earley refused to shake his hand at the end of the match......could be interesting viewing on Sunday. Kildare are a step up (maybe two) from Westmeath and Laois so we'll have a better idea of where we're at after this match. John Doyle is in the top five forwards in the country IMO (he's far from just a freetaker) and always does well against us, hope that's remembered when Andy Mallon and Paul Duffy are making their surging runs forward.
I'm sure Geezer will have a plan on how to snuff out Stevie's threat so a lot will depend on Henderson. Obviously I haven't seen Kildare this year but their FB line was a weak link last year, may be the Kildare posters would disagree but it could be an opportunity for Henderson if Geezer double teams Stevie.

[Dinny Breen]

in saying all that Kildare aren't the best of travellers

Eh! We won in Fermanagh, Monaghan, Laois and drew in Meath last year and this year we have won our one away game.

Obviously I haven't seen Kildare this year but their FB line was a weak link last year, may be the Kildare posters would disagree but it could be an opportunity for Henderson if Geezer double teams Stevie.

Would tend to agree but we gave Damien Hendy his first start in 2 years at full back last Sunday against Michael Murphy and he kept him scoreless from play until deep into injury time. McGrillen is doing really well in the corner since his return from Sigerson so we might be looking up in that area.

[Donnellys Hollow]

I wouldn't read too much into Armagh stopping Dermot Earley last year. Daryl Flynn was suspended for that game and Killian Brennan, who has seen better days, lined out at midfield. Rob Kelly replaced him after about twenty minutes and he was a complete bag of nerves on his inter-county debut so Dermot was really ploughing a lone furrow last year. Flynn is playing better than Earley at the moment so if Armagh focus too much on nullifying Earley, Flynn could take them by surprise.

Hughie McGrillen got a bit of a rough ride from Clarke last year but he has come on a tonne since then. He was our best defender last Sunday and would be my selection to mark McDonnell. Emmet Bolton has oodles of pace so I'd expect him to mark Henderson. If Hendy plays as well as he did last week against Murphy, he becomes a real option for the No3 shirt for the summer.

It'll be a tight game with only a score or two in it at the end I reckon. Armagh are very tough to beat at home but we usually play well in Crossmaglen. Having seen a lot of Laois over the past 18 months, I was surprised Armagh only scraped past them by a point and that gives me a degree of confidence for Saturday. If the likes of Karl Ennis, Paudie O'Neill and Ken Donnelly can maintain their form from last Sunday, we should be capable of putting up a decent score. It will depend on whether Hendy, McGrillen and Bolton can hold their opponents like they did against Donegal.

[Shortso79]

Ripping - missing the Kildare match this weekend.

In the Mirror today that Clarke will do well to be back for the Donegal match in April

It would be a massive win for Armagh

Last year Armagh beat Kildare 1-12 to 1-10 in Newbridge

The Armagh team and Scorers from last year was

Paul McEvoy
Andy Mallon
Aidan O'Rourke (1-0)
F Morriarty
Tony McClelland
Ciaran McKeever
Barry Shannon
Kieran Toner
Charlie Vernon
Aaron Kernan (0-3)
M O'Rourke
Ronan Clarke (0-4)
Stephen McDonnell (0-2)
Brian Mallon (0-1)
K O'Rourke (0-2)

Stephen Kernan for K O'Rourke
Tony Kernan for Clarke
P Courtney for Moriarty

The Kildare team and scorers was

Shane McCormack
Andrew McLoughlin
Kevin O'Neill
Hugh McGrillen
Mark Scanlon
Brian Flanagan
Mikey Conway (0-2)
Killian Brennan
Dermot Earley
Eamonn Callaghan
Padriag O'Neill (0-1)
Ronan Sweeney
James Kavanagh (1-2)
Ken Donnelly
John Doyle (0-5)

Robert Kelly for Brennan
Karl Ennis for Sweeney
Morgan O'Flaherty for Scanlon
Alan Smith for Donnell

[Zulu]

Playing at home tends to be a significant advantage in the league but I'd expect Kildare to win this clash by 3 or 4 points. I reckon they are genuinely one of the top 8 or so teams in the country at the moment and Armagh are not, throw in the fact they can't afford anymore slip ups after the Down game and I'd fancy them to be very determined visitors to Crossmaglen.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I wouldn't read too much into Armagh stopping Dermot Earley last year. Daryl Flynn was suspended for that game and Killian Brennan, who has seen better days, lined out at midfield. Rob Kelly replaced him after about twenty minutes and he was a complete bag of nerves on his inter-county debut so Dermot was really ploughing a lone furrow last year. Flynn is playing better than Earley at the moment so if Armagh focus too much on nullifying Earley, Flynn could take them by surprise.

Hughie McGrillen got a bit of a rough ride from Clarke last year but he has come on a tonne since then. He was our best defender last Sunday and would be my selection to mark McDonnell. Emmet Bolton has oodles of pace so I'd expect him to mark Henderson. If Hendy plays as well as he did last week against Murphy, he becomes a real option for the No3 shirt for the summer.

It'll be a tight game with only a score or two in it at the end I reckon. Armagh are very tough to beat at home but we usually play well in Crossmaglen. Having seen a lot of Laois over the past 18 months, I was surprised Armagh only scraped past them by a point and that gives me a degree of confidence for Saturday. If the likes of Karl Ennis, Paudie O'Neill and Ken Donnelly can maintain their form from last Sunday, we should be capable of putting up a decent score. It will depend on whether Hendy, McGrillen and Bolton can hold their opponents like they did against Donegal.

How often have Kildare played Armagh in Cross? I'm struggling to remember 

[AFS]

How often have Kildare played Armagh in Cross? I'm struggling to remember 

We played them there in 2005 and 2006. We beat them by a point in 2005, and they beat us by two in 2006.

This'll be the fifth time in the last six years that the teams have played each other in the league. It currently stands at two apiece. There hasn't been more than two points between the teams at the end of any of those games.

[Uladh]

I remember John Doyle causing a wrack a couple of times in cross.

Is kevin o'rourke on the armagh panel?

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I remember John Doyle causing a wrack a couple of times in cross.

Is kevin o'rourke on the armagh panel?

No Kevin was dropped. Paddy O'R isn't a fan of short men.

[Donnellys Hollow]

The Kildare team and scorers was

Shane McCormack
Andrew McLoughlin
Kevin O'Neill
Hugh McGrillen
Mark Scanlon
Brian Flanagan
Mikey Conway (0-2)
Killian Brennan
Dermot Earley
Eamonn Callaghan
Padriag O'Neill (0-1)
Ronan Sweeney
James Kavanagh (1-2)
Ken Donnelly
John Doyle (0-5)

Robert Kelly for Brennan
Karl Ennis for Sweeney
Morgan O'Flaherty for Scanlon
Alan Smith for Donnelly

Pretty certain it was Leper Callaghan and not Kavanagh that got the Kildare goal. Bit of a fluke too if my memory is correct.

[drici]

By DARAGH O CONCHUIR
National Football League Division 2

Armagh: 1-14
Kildare:   1-12

KILDARE'S education continues under Kieran McGeeney but the former All-Ireland winning captain had to watch his charges endure a painful lesson at the hands of many of his former team-mates, as Armagh ground out a deserved victory in Newbridge to end the hosts' unbeaten record in Division 2.

Kildare's Brian Flanagan gets the ball upfield against Armagh in the Allianz NFL Division 2 game at St Conleth's Park, Newbridge.

The result and display prompted much doom and gloom around St Conleth's Park, which tells a tale.

The Lilies have come a long way in a short space of time, and expectation had begun to go through the roof.

This should introduce a little reality to proceedings but the fact of the matter is this. Kildare played very poorly – scoring only three second half points, with two of those from Johnny Doyle frees - and still almost stole victory against the strongest team Armagh have been able to field this year.

They lost but remain favourites to be promoted, with their fate in their own hands. Much more importantly, they are making themselves genuine contenders to reach a Leinster final.

That is a bit down the line yet of course. But there was much to be upbeat about after Sunday's game, if you sift through the details.
Kildare did so much wrong. Midfield struggled badly for a start. Armagh targeted Dermot Earley and Kevin Toner did a number on the Sarsfields man, not always within the boundaries of the rules.

Earley allowed Toner's bumping, buffeting, pulling and dragging to get under his skin however and that clearly affected his overall game, quite apart from the aerial stakes.

In contrast to Toner, Charlie Vernon was very prominent on the ball, making numerous runs in support of his attack as well as winning primary possession, chiefly because Earley was unable to make a run.
Recognising this, McGeeney moved swiftly, hauling Killian Brennan ashore after just 18 minutes. Rob Kelly came on and he tried hard in what was a competitive baptism of fire for the Straffan man.

Shane McCormack might have varied his kickouts a bit more given Kildare's midfield travails, but only used two short ones. It always helps to have Plans B, C and D. Ronan Sweeney's off-day at wing-forward didn't help with the options mind you.

Most disappointing of all though was the number of times Kildare players lost the ball in the tackle, or gave it away with a dreadful pass. For some reason players overcarried when the likes of Johnny Doyle, James Kavanagh and Alan Smith were making good runs.

The irony of the situation is that Kildare's style of play this season is perfectly suited to beating Armagh; the long, quick ball into a moving forward. They lost their composure though, having been hit hard, and been faced with a sea of orange.

And yet, they nearly won.

Judging from the past 12 months the lessons will be learned and when similar conditions are encountered again, in a much more important game, one would expect the brain to maintain control and stave of panic.
The crucial score of the game was Aidan O'Rourke's goal from a 40th minute penalty, after Brian Flanagan was adjudged to have hauled Martin O'Rourke down inside the area.

It looked a harsh enough call by the overly fussy Michael Kelly but Flanagan might well recall that it was him losing possession cheaply around midfield that led to the swift counter-attack.

The stand-in full-back converted the kick with aplomb, sending McCormack the wrong way.

Kelly's officiating was eccentric to say the least – how it took Toner until the second half to get a black book having committed three fouls on Earley inside the opening five minutes beggars belief – and the Sligo man tried to even matters up when giving an even softer penalty to Kildare three minutes from time, somehow concluding that Andy Mallon had fouled Eamonn Callaghan.

Michael Conway was the man entrusted with the spot-kick duties, having already slotted three brilliant points from play. His score just before half time will live long in the memory, an example of what this team can do when at their free-flowing best.

Clarke was penalised for over-carrying when trying to make ground along the Kildare endline. Conway himself took the free and the ball went through at least another six pair of hands before finding its way back to the Nurney man who drove over with relish from 35m.

The penalty wasn't so memorable though. Once again Kildare missed from the spot, although this time it was a good save from Philip McEvoy – who had denied Ken Donnelly and Callaghan earlier – that was the cause.
The rebound came back out to Conway, significantly, on his right boot. He didn't realise the amount of time he had and his scuffed effort came back off the inside of the post and was eventually cleared.

The first half had been better for the hosts, with James Kavanagh kicking two wonderful points and Pàdraig O'Neill lofting over a massive, soaring left-footed effort from just outside the 45.

Callaghan continued his impressive scoring form this season to go with his industry, rocketing a shoot to the Armagh net in the 25th minute via the underside of the crossbar, although the suspicion might have been that he was going for a point. Given that his jersey was tugged for what probably should actually have been a penalty, it was a fair result.

That score gave Kildare a 1-7 to 0-8 half time lead but Armagh upped the intensity even further in the second half and the Lilies struggled badly for 25 minutes.

They did find it within themselves to almost commit daylight robbery though and threw everything at the visitors in the closing stages.
This wasn't a glorious defeat but it could be one that is remembered most fondly come the summer.

Armagh: P McEvoy; A Mallon, A O'Rourke 1-0(pen), F Moriarty; T McClelland, C McKeever, B Shannon; K Toner, C Vernon; A Kernan 0-3(fs), M O'Rourke, B Mallon 0-1; S McDonnell 0-2(fs), R Clarke 0-4, K O'Rourke 0-2. Subs: S Kernan for K O'Rourke (62); T Kernan for Clarke (67); P Courtney for Moriarty (70+2)

Yellow: B Donoghue for M O'Rourke (70)

Kildare: S McCormack; A McLoughlin, K O'Neill, H McGrillen; M Scanlon, B Flanagan, M Conway 0-3; K Brennan, D Earley; E Callaghan 1-0, P O'Neill 0-1, R Sweeney; J Kavanagh 0-2, K Donnelly, J Doyle 0-4(3fs). Subs: R Kelly for Brennan (19); K Ennis for Sweeney (ht); M O'Flaherty for Scanlon (42); A Smith for Donnelly (44)

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo)