Kildare v Fermanagh

Very good performance today. Players didn't let last week hold them back and produced a excellent controlled attacking display.
The word controlled is important, because they are starting to get into the rythm of head up football. Playing what's in front of them. Two quick thinking frees and two goals from them.

Took us 10 minutes to get going but when we did it was quick and incisive football. Good to see us more patient today and not take on silly shots when others are in better positions. For such a young team they doing remarkably well.

When McCormack got injured I worried where his scores would be made up. Chris Healy is a little terrier in the best possible way. Tough, low center of gravity and not afraid to put himself about. Two goals in two games plus an assist for Flynn's goal has been brilliant.

Unlucky for Feely to get injured, as he was beginning to dominate in midfield. His withdrawal coincided with our usual dip before half time.

Thought the full back had their best performance to date. Fermanagh only got in once after a long ball the Byrne got under. But Donnellan made his customary save. His kickouts were also very good. Hyland was excellent and made himself available for a number of kickouts and Lyons had his best Kildare game for a long time.

All in all a good day and it's nice to be top of the league with three to go. The one downside was realising if we had held out last week we would be three points clear of the rest.

Important to bounce back today and I thought we played well for most of the game. The last time we lost matches to late goals to Tyrone and Down we lost our momentum so it was good to see it didnt happen again. Good to see the other results went our way, with Galway and Cork losing. Not wanting to ahead of ourselves but wins against Down (away) and Clare would see us up.

A couple of things really pleased me today. Firstly, the number of kick-outs won by a defender (usually Eoin Doyle) sprinting out to the wing and Mark Donnellan chipping the ball out to him was great. Possession is key and too often we are kicking 50/50 balls to the midfield and hoping we win them. Looks like we've worked hard on in training and good to see it pay off.
The second thing was the quick free kicks which we've now scored 3 goals in 2 games. 2 goals and and assist for Chris Healy. Brilliant! We've always seemed slow and ponderous taking frees so this adds a bit of unpredictability to our play which is great.

The type of game it was suited the full-back line as Fermanagh didn't kick much ball, so they were able to bomb forward. Eoin Doyle did some great covering and tackling. Some good runs forward by Tommy Moolick were rewarded by 2 goals. Up front, Fergal Conway worked really hard as usual and Neil Flynn and Chris Healy looked sharp.

The only down side was when we lost concentration in the spell before half-time and let them in for a few easy scores. Even though the ref was poor today, sometimes we make it easy for him to give a decision against us with a hand on the back or a small tug of a jersey.

Great to see the lads bounce back with a big win today. They played very well. Thought Fergal Conway in particular was brilliant. He was everywhere, dispossessed the Fermanagh lads perfectly at times too. Chris Healy did well up front too.

Only concern for me is when the whole full back line decide to take off up the field. We almost got caught out at one stage when one of the Fermanagh forwards was the only player near our own goal but luckily Donnellan made a great save.

Any news on Kevin Feely's injury?

Lily8 wrote:

Great to see the lads bounce back with a big win today. They played very well. Thought Fergal Conway in particular was brilliant. He was everywhere, dispossessed the Fermanagh lads perfectly at times too. Chris Healy did well up front too.

Only concern for me is when the whole full back line decide to take off up the field. We almost got caught out at one stage when one of the Fermanagh forwards was the only player near our own goal but luckily Donnellan made a great save.

Any news on Kevin Feely's injury?

ankle injury

Echoing all that was said, a good way to bounce back after last week's disappointment. We were controlled after that initial slow start and dealt with any fermanagh challenge. I agree re full backline's performance - best in a good while, but improvement is still needed. Eoin Doyle led like a real captain and Healy is a very exciting player, showing his worth with involvement in goals. Overall there seems to be a good communication between all sectors of the field and lads have worked on shot selection and passing, building scoreable positions. Dowling impressed kicking a few points when he came on which is hugely important.
Three huge tests are ahead of us now especially with Clare's win over the rebels. Down seem to have awoken and of course Galway still have us under the thumb (hopefully it will change in a few weeks time!!!). Good to see improvement and 6 points from 8 must be seen as a mark of progress. Hopefully much more to come.......

9 62 is some scoring in 4 games.

I don't think the players would have been as agonised by the defeat in Derry as the supporters, apart from the players that made the individual errors. It's a learning process but you can't be brooding when there's another game down the tracks. It was actually a good thing. Imagine the hype gone bananas now if they were four from four!! It was summed up by someone saying after it that maybe promotion would come too soon and while it would be a bit disappointing, he'd settle for third. A few weeks ago he'd have been ripping the arm off you for third last! You'd have to be happy with the development. I think the way they've been going that's a result you'd have been expecting. The coaching and management deserve credit and the players are responding. Securing Division 2 status would be a tremendous success but you've got to be hopeful now that they can keep it going.

Kildare, despite the U21 result, are the one team putting it up to Dublin in terms of producing players, regardless of the tosh someone else threw out here the other day about Kildare being in a mess at underage level. And when, inevitably, the Dublin run ends, the hope is that Kildare are in place to be winning Leinsters again. And that would be huge.

Nice to be winning games racking up scores. That high press does that - but the biggest tests are down the line when the best teams get in behind you.

I said last year that you'd have to judge management in September 2017 but so far, so good.

I don't think the players would have been as agonised by the defeat in Derry as the supporters, apart from the players that made the individual errors. Like you'd be gutted to have thrown it away but it's not like you're out and gone. It's a learning process but you can't be brooding when there's another game down the tracks and having that was actually a good thing. It was summed up by someone saying here after it that loss that maybe promotion would come too soon and while it would be a bit disappointing, he'd settle for third. A few weeks ago he'd have been ripping the arm off you for third last! You'd have to be happy with the development. I think the way they've been going that's a result you'd have been expecting. The coaching and management deserve credit and the players are responding. Securing Division 2 status would be a tremendous success but you've got to be hopeful now that they can keep it going.

Kildare, despite the U21 result, are the one team putting it up to Dublin in terms of producing players, regardless of the tosh someone else threw out here the other day about Kildare being in a mess at underage level. And when, inevitably, the Dublin run ends, the hope is that Kildare are in place to be winning Leinsters again. And that would be huge.

Nice to be winning games racking up scores. That high press does that - but the biggest tests are down the line when the best teams get in behind you.

I said last year that you'd have to judge management in September 2017 but so far, so good.

Pleasant reading:
Allianz FL2 P W D L Dif Pts
Kildare 4 3 0 1 27 6
Galway 4 2 1 1 13 5
Clare 4 2 1 1 6 5
Meath 4 2 0 2 4 4
Down 4 2 0 2 -5 4
Cork 4 1 1 2 -6 3
Derry 4 1 1 2 -22 3
Fermanagh 4 1 0 3 -17 2

What a pleasing day that was. The quick'thinking for the goals was brilliant and we looked dangerous.
The lads all burst themselves with Conway and Keith Cribbin especially emptying the tank.

The best thing was the fact that there wasn´t many ´Ahforfuksake...whatinthenameahfuck... moments ie really silly things were kept to a fairly low level and in fact the lads showed real patience at times working the ball into good positions.

Bit of a mad division so great to be sitting on top.

Great response after what happened at the end last week. It's encouraging to see a Kildare attack playing with confidence and backing themselves. There seems to be a conscious effort to work goal chances rather than playing the percentages. It won't always work out and we won't win every game but it's positive football which could bring back the crowds.

Many there?

A little report on today's endeavours:

Kildare 4-14 Fermanagh 0-14

TommyKeegan wrote:

Many there?

I am poor at estimating but around 3k+

Awful time and weather would have put a lot off but the football was great at times.

Second attempt at linking to match report:

http://kildaregaa365.com/index.php/simply-irresistible-four-goal-kildare-destroy-fermanagh/

Very good account of events in Newbridge yesterday as always 365!

I've been to the 4 games lads and even in Derry last week our attacking play in particular is very good to watch. Compared to the tripe that we watched against Clare, Wexford and Westmeath last year I think it's great fun watching Kildare again. Long may it continue. There will be more bumps on the way no doubt but we're definitely going in the right direction. Well done to players and management. Roll on Newry!

God it's great to be in a good mood of a Monday!

Any word on feelys injury? Does mccormack go back into the team for down game?

bigball wrote:

Any word on feelys injury? Does mccormack go back into the team for down game?

I think that would be hard on Chris Healy.....!!

Overheard a Kildare fan chatting to a lad from Fermanagh on the way out afterwards........Yer man says - "Yer wee No. 15 is a fair bit of stuff". Our man replies - "sure jaysus he's only in cos another lads injured........wait til ye see the lad he replaced - a superstar in the making!!!!!"

Wait till they see Jimmy hyland. Now theres a star in the making

McCormack is out for 4 weeks according to O'Neill's interview yesterday. Healy slotting straight in has been some bonus.

Chris has had to wait for his chance and has done very well since coming in.. whether Ben comes back in or not its a nice headache for Cian to have, nothing like having competition for places, and to have options on the FF line.
The Sunday night stout tasted really good last night.

Maybe we could play Chris and Ben McCormack and move Dan Flynn further out the field. With Neil Flynn, the full-forward line would be a bit light, but could be devastating if they got the right ball.

i loved the way Chris created the 4th goal yesterday. He used his body cleverly to create the free and then had it taken while the Fermanagh man was still arguing about it! For his goal - most forwards would have tapped it over as there was a defender and the goalie still to beat. Great to see our forwards back themselves and have a bit of unpredictability about them. Long may it continue!

Yeah agree completely with that last point Johnny, bit of unpredictability and off the cuff play is what we have been missing for a long time.. Great to see.

Linked to that, does anyone think Dan Flynn was whipped off after he went for a goal rather than take the point . Would have been goal number 5.

It looked like it Highball......

O'Neill normally shakes hands with all th elads as they come off - he didn't with Daniel! Just an observation!