Messages

I'm guessing it will be Declan Campbell (Raheens).

Ollie Crinnigan.

Jeez. ..... 63 years .

f**k off..........53 years

I have never seen Kildare win a minor, u21/20 or senior All-Ireland.

None of the lads on this team are old enough to remember Kildare winning a Leinster senior title. 

Frustration again for the second week running. Feely's lack of fitness has killed us in these first two rounds. If we had him out around the middle for the full 70 we would be winning more contested kickouts. Nearly every single one landing down Moolick's flank ended up with a Galway free for some reason. We might as well give Fionn Dowling or Packie Connell a go down in Killarney and get Feely right for next year.

I haven't watched it back but if Dan Flynn lashed out then we can have no complaints. Backs were hanging out of him all game but the only way to answer that carry on is on the scoreboard. Paddy Brophy had his best game in a long while and he needs to find that form consistently in the long term.

Hopefully this run will bring Kildare on and we get everyone back on board again next year. Leper might call it a day but there's plenty of football left in Peter Kelly and Keith Cribbin. McCormack committing would be a big boost and a close eye is kept on the county championship to try and find a few more like Kevin Flynn and James Murray. A few of the u20 team will add a bit more depth to the panel. Dempsey and Hyland being the two obvious candidates.

Superb display. It's 10 years since we have won a semi-final at underage level so this was overdue considering the decent amount of Leinster titles we have won in the meantime. Bridging a 53 year gap now will be the next challenge.

Hyland announced himself on the national stage today. He dovetails very well with McLoughlin who looks like he will be the new Martin Lynch for Clane. The backline has improved hugely over the last month. I didn't see this team going far after Laois and Meath cut them open at the back. Dempsey was stuck to Shaw today and Barrett has really grown into the 3 jersey. Masterson has really benefited from the experience he gained during Moorefield's run during the winter. He plucked a few kickouts out of the clouds when Kildare needed it.

Credit to Cian O'Neill for resisting the temptation to throw Hyland, Dempsey and O'Neill in after the Carlow debacle. Long may this great run continue!

Kildare bench made the difference in the end. Great save from the keeper to stop Wicklow from leveling it inside the last ten minutes.

Final next Saturday in Tullamore.

[supporters are full sure that their team will do it.]

It's one of those that's 50/50 really but I'm sure both teams and sets of supporters are full sure that their team will do it. Should be a cracking day.

Anyone who has watched this Kildare group in Croke Park in recent years will be travelling more in hope than expectation. The football just seems to drain out of them up there for whatever reason. That said, it's a long time since Kildare have hit Croke Park with such strong performances behind them so hopefully that will give the lads belief.

There was only a point between the teams in the league and this should be close again. I worry about Feely's fitness. I get the impression that if it was a lesser player on the panel carrying such a knock, he wouldn't be starting.

SFL fixtures in Kildare scheduled for Saturday:

https://twitter.com/MonasterevanGAA/status/1016795798045065221

It will be interesting if they commit to Newbridge for Game 2. Playing a "home game" against Mayo (who are so good in Croke Park) in Croke Park would have been madness. But just because it was clearly the right decision to do it for Mayo, doesn't mean it'll be right all the time. They'd be throwing away an advantage in fan numbers. "Home advantage" should be used in whatever way the home team wants. Although the results of this week's games would be crucial to that decision (e.g if Kildare lose and Galway win, then Newbridge might be the right answer, but if it was the opposite then I'm not sure it would), whereas I think now venues are expected to be released today or tomorrow.

If KCB agree to move our home game out of the county they will have a rebellion on their hands and rightly so.

[Kelly making the difference of the bench.]

Kildare virtually have home advantage here.

Yea we are unbeatable in Croke Park.

Ulster teams tend to open up more outside Ulster which should suit Kildare. An arm wrestle would suit Monaghan as McManus will be the best, best at winning frees and most  accurate forward on display. Nolan the referee allows a lot of physical contact though which will suit the Kildare backs who are a bit handsy.

Hard to know where Monaghan are but if allowed dictate the tempo I think Kildare can win by 2 or 3. Healy & Kelly making the difference of the bench.

Kelly went off injured late on in Navan. Big doubt for Sunday.

Kildare played some sparkling football in that first half. Clear to see that there were a few lessons learned from the Carlow match. Ideal outcome that we were able to get the likes of Feely off well before the end and get some more minutes into some of the subs. The Super 8 format will test the depth of the panel.

We would have taken this five weeks ago. Amazing what a bit of momentum and confidence can do.

[Is McLoughlin lad a son of Paul(Wexford manager)?]

Well done Kildare. Completely dominated midfield. Aaron Masterson was very good. Centre forward was good before went off. Is McLoughlin lad a son of Paul(Wexford manager)? Majority of that Dublin eligible again next year and will hopefully learn from today.

No but same club.

I did not see that performance coming. The defending was magnificent. Our tackling broke the Dublin hearts. Masterson and Marnell might lack pace but make up for it with their work rate. They dominated the kickout battle. Jimmy Hyland has the ability to tear defences apart but I doubt he will get as much space the next day.

Great to see small clubs like Ardclough and Ballyteague producing quality Kildare footballers.

Hopefully Feely is fit enough to play out around the middle more this week. We will need his composure on the ball to break down the Fermanagh blanket. I think there's a good chance Niall Kelly will get the nod ahead of Brophy for this one.

Hard to believe that Kildare football was the laughing stock of the country only five weeks ago. I posted after the Carlow match that it needed to be a watershed moment and it certainly looks that way. The attitude since that day has been faultless.

To a man these Kildare players came of age last night. Peter Kelly typified the stubborness and defiance. It's a pity his career has been so interrupted by injury. Speaking of injuries, I doubt the plan was to leave Kevin Feely on for the full match but he was immense when we needed cool head on the ball even though he was clearly not at full steam.

O'Neill, Roli and Enda Murphy deserve great credit and fair play to O'Neill for taking a stand on Monday and uniting the county behind them. The old place was rocking last night and the scenes at the end have not been seen since '98. We have had some lean times over those 20 years and it was fitting that Leper kicked the final point having soldiered through most of that period.