Cill Dara v An Lú 8th June LSFC

[Donnellys Hollow]

KILDARE: Donnellan, McGrillen, Foley, Bolton, Lyons, Conway, Cribbin, Moolick, Hurley, McNally, Kelly, O'Neill, Callaghan, O'Connor, Brophy.

[Captain Scarlet]

You would fancy Louth a lot more if hat is the starting team. Poor form at the back with young lads on the middle v Keenan. Then up front no real cutting edge.

[Dinny Breen]

Will be interested if that team lines out on Sunday especially without an established free taker. Plenty of pace in that team and I don't think scoring will be an issue defensively would be worried but I have feeling Louth's set-up won't be able to exploit that.

[Ohtoohtobe]

I'd be staggered if we're fielding without Chalky, Paul Cribbin, Flats, Connolly and Hyland. It just looks a weak team to me. Far too many unproven players. Very concerned about Donnellan too - he's blunder prone and it makes more sense to go with the tried and tested.
Could just be a dummy team in fairness.

[orangeman]

Kildare should have too much here.

[Donnellys Hollow]

I'd be staggered if we're fielding without Chalky, Paul Cribbin, Flats, Connolly and Hyland. It just looks a weak team to me. Far too many unproven players. Very concerned about Donnellan too - he's blunder prone and it makes more sense to go with the tried and tested.
Could just be a dummy team in fairness.

Agreed. I would definitely have Connolly, Hyland and O'Flaherty starting. Word is that Paul Cribbin picked up an injury down in Fota Island which is another blow. He's potentially our best player IMO.

Donnellan just does not fill you with the same confidence that Connolly does. If there's a block to be made, high ball to be dealt with, penalty to be saved, then I would back Connolly every time over Donnellan. Donnellan's kickouts may be better but are they that much better?

I think Hyland is a better half back option than both Conway and Keith Cribbin but it is Eoghan O'Flaherty's non inclusion that is particularly baffling. Even on a bad day he is still good for a handful of scores. He's showing a lot of faith in Callaghan and O'Neill who haven't really cut it in championship football in recent years.

Having no player selected from the two Newbridge clubs has not gone down well on twitter I see!

[Donnellys Hollow]

Who will kick the frees? Brophy or Hurley?

[Ohtoohtobe]

Donnellan just does not fill you with the same confidence that Connolly does. If there's a block to be made, high ball to be dealt with, penalty to be saved, then I would back Connolly every time over Donnellan. Donnellan's kickouts may be better but are they that much better?

Exactly. His kick-outs might be better in general but he's good for a kick-out straight to an opposition forward once or twice a game, for me his performance in the league semi against Tyrone summed it up, has the makings of an excellent keeper, but your heart is in your mouth when he has the ball. He's just too dodgy at present (this would probably improve with age in fairness).

Connolly does not get due credit for his shot-stopping. Dublin might have had seven or eight goals past us last summer only for him.

As for Flats, I think he might be in our top three all-round footballers and was our best last year. Does it, when allied with him being taken off against Kerry and his strange comments after, suggest a rift developing between him and Ryan? It's particularly baffling from a free-taking point of view with Mulhall out. I would expect Paddy to hit them but that's a gamble and I would have left him to concentrate on picking up where he left off in the league.

Can only hope this is nothing like the team that will take the field and we're fretting over nothing.

[Dinny Breen]

Phew as one of the few to keep the faith delighted to see that performance, our movement was excellent and our execution was sharp. Louth didn't perform in fairness but a 15 point win against a perceived bogey team is a good day.

[Donnellys Hollow]

A good day is right for those of us who remember 91 and 95. Louth were never at the races but Kildare deserve some credit for the football they played today. The interchange among the forwards was really impressive and as good as it has been for a number of years.

It was clear today what a loss Niall Kelly was during the league. McNally adds a lot of pace around the middle and has a bit of scoring threat to go with it. Fogarty should have made the 14 shirt his own with that display. He had the beating of every man Louth tried on him.

Special mention for Donnellan who I had expressed doubts about before the match. His kickouts were sharp and accurate and he was safe as houses under the high ball.

[inexile]

Phew as one of the few to keep the faith delighted to see that performance, our movement was excellent and our execution was sharp. Louth didn't perform in fairness but a 15 point win against a perceived bogey team is a good day.

To misquote Mark Twain "Reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated"

[All of a Sludden]

Well done Kildare, today's outcome was never really in doubt.

One more game before the inevitable.

[Line Ball]

Only for Hughie Morgan them O'Rourkes and crew would have been gone long ago!

[lynchbhoy]

Well done Kildare impressive perf but still need a good bit more structure continuity and cohesion if they are to beat the dubs
I expect them to meet Meath and that could be an interesting game with the flour bags to prevail IMO

I'm still not convinced with cil Dara ff lads as yet

[heffo]

Well done Kildare. Huge win irrespective of the level of the oppostion.

Sets up a nice semi final v Meath now.