LSFC Meath v Kildare

[thejuice]

I'd say you'll be able to pick up a ticket outside croker.

Graham has decided to stay at home rather than go to Portugal as he's on the campaign trail.

Im really starting to look forward to this game, pity i wont get home for it, but i should be back for the game Vs Dublin (if we get there)

[thejuice]

Meath Vs Armagh in Senchalstown on Sunday 13th Senior warm-up game for the Championship. this should be good preperation for the Kildre game, and our first game in a while against possible All-Ireland Champions. Meath-Armagh games have always been good, bruising encounters.

Could be a good indicative of both teams current standing before the Championship starts.

[his holiness nb]

Will ye be in Senchalstown Juice?

I see tickets are on sale now on ticketmaster for the double header by the way

[thejuice]

Sadly as stated earlier, im in England at the moment, and while i was looking to be back for the double header but i'll be up to me eyes with work. Dont know when i'll be home next. but ill do me damndest to see the Royals in Croker (or wherever thay may be) as many times as possible this year.

[Jinxy]

Jack in that job Juice. It's not worth it!

[The Claw]

Anyone have an update on the Bray situation? i see Peadar Byrne got a red for a second yellow in a club game there, if he fcuks up again he may give up football or i'll make him give up.

[Jinxy]

Oh Peadar, will you ever learn?

[Dinny Breen]

Kildare's 2nd team had a good work out at the  week-end, good to see Glavin and Foley back playing and only those two, O'Neill and maybe Heffernan and Conway will feature in some capacity against Meath.

Mayo 0-18 Kildare 0-12

IT took an almost full-strength Mayo team almost three-quarters of the game to get the upper hand of a near totally experimental Kildare outfit in the accompanying senior football challenge.

Whether it was reluctance to risk adding to the already lengthy casualty list which prompted Kildare boss John Crofton to rest almost all of his first choice fifteen or the chance to learn something about the 'wannabes' the result was a pretty meaningless exercise all round.

Kildare kept pace with the Connacht men for all of the first half trailing by just a single point eight to seven at the change of ends. That was more or less as far as they got however, as Willie Heffernan's lovely angled point five minutes after the restart proving their only score until they staged something of a mini-revival with ten minutes remaining.

Heffernan did reasonably well in the middle of the park all afternoon and probably won't have done his chances of starting against Meath any great harm.

He was overshadowed however by partner Ross Glavin who handled an awful lot of ball in a solid performance without -– it has to be said – winning a great deal of primary possession.

Indeed it seemed as if Glavin's natural defensive inclinations had really taken over at times, as most of his best work was achieved as a sort of second centre-back. Another to impress was wingback Mick Foley. The Athy man has just returned after a long layoff with a back problem.

While tiring understandably as the game wore on he still managed to knock over a couple of good points and play a major part in Kildare's late mini-revival. With a couple of weeks training remaining the former Maynooth College man certainly seems likely to be in the shake-up when final decisions are made.

For the remainder of the Kildare contingent it proved a quiet enough afternoon, illuminated in the main by three first half Derek McCormack points, which also leaves the Ballykelly man pushing hard for a return to the half forward line.

In goal Tom Corley dealt adequately with whatever came his way – and God knows that was little enough – kicking out well into the bargain. In front of him Messrs Dowling, McCabe and Ian Lonergan found life 'interesting' to say the least, their immediate opponents accounting for ten points of the winners' total.

Further out Foley was the shining light, with Heffernan and Glavin's failure to field anything of consequence taking some of the gloss from otherwise satisfactory outings.

Up front Derek McCormack took his three points well, with Adrian Kelly sniping two and Padraig O'Neill a further brace from play in a three-point contribution.

Michael Conway opened the scoring with a good free but achieved little else of note, while Niall Browne worked very hard in the first half before sinking into anonymity in the second.

The opening period was evenly contested with Mayo leading by that single point at half way despite playing into a lively breeze. On the resumption the visitors upped the ante considerably outscoring Kildare by eight points to one in the first 25 minutes of the half to lead by double scores – sixteen to eight – with ten minutes to play.

To their credit Kildare staged something of a mini-revival, outscoring the winners by four points to two in the remaining minutes, the points shared equally between Foley and O'Neill.

They had cut the margin back to five and were still running at the opposition when Mayo broke out of defence for the deadly accurate Conor Mortimer to kick the last point of the day – and his eighth in total – a late free as the clock finally ran down.

[turk]

Heffernan shouldn't have to prove himself to Crofton like this - it is disgusting. Crofton is walking a dangerous line here.

Kildare v Meath should be a cracker!!

[Dinny Breen]

Heffernan shouldn't have to prove himself to Crofton like this - it is disgusting. Crofton is walking a dangerous line here.

Willie is just not fit enough and seems to be carrying weight, he's do a good job on a tight pitch like Newbridge but his game is not suited to Croke Park particularly as his distribution can be poor..

Agree that it should be a cracking game, not that I'll enjoy watching it...

[An Lark]

Dinny,

I'm looking forward to Heffernan getting his chance. He'd a great debut against Wicklow 2 years ago (I think) and was then dropped for the next game.

Willie is just not fit enough and seems to be carrying weight

Not so sure. I'm totally out of touch with what is going on back home but he looked in great condition when he came on in the League semi against Donegal.

Makings of close tight game and I too am looking forward to it.

One thing - I fecking hate double headers in Croke Park. No atmosphere for either game.

[Dinny Breen]

Not so sure. I'm totally out of touch with what is going on back home but he looked in great condition when he came on in the League semi against Donegal.

He's very ponderous and just lacking in sharpness, he hasn't had much game time so that wouldn't have helped and playing for Nurney isn't that high a standard. The weight is just a up and close personal observation. Speaking of Nurmey would love to see Conway get the chance as that kid has serious talent...

Agree with double headers, O'Connor Park would have been the perfect venue as it's a long time since Kildare or Meath brought big numbers to Croke Park where a packed O'Connor park would have made for a savage atmosphere.

[Jinxy]

Any word on Stephen Bray yet? Will he be suspended for this game?

[Jinxy]

Stephen Bray has been cleared for this game, thanks be to God. We played Armagh in a challenge match yesterday. Lost by a goal but started with 6 lads off the u-21 team so it was a good run out. Any more injuries in Kildare? Is John Crofton going to tog out himself?

[Dinny Breen]

No injury worries yet, I'd say JC has his head wrecked over team selection, what ever midfield pair he puts out people won't be happy, personally I'd go for Glavin and Sweeney. Seemingly Kevin O'Neill has been playing full-back in training since the Donegal game, his best position by a mile. Looking forward to Sunday....