Kildare Under 20's 2019

May as well get the ball rolling on the Under 20’s as well as the minor's at this stage in the hope that we've some level of positivity to look forward to.

Development league starts next month and we’re in a 5-team group along with Cork, Dublin, Galway and Kerry – so a pretty high standard there. Each team plays each other once so 2 home games and 2 away.

Rest of the groups seem to be based on geography more than anything by the looks of it so would imagine that this Joe Kerins Cup is deemed to be the higher standard of the development competitions, or an O’Byrne Cup type tournament for the Under 20’s perhaps.

Gay Campbell has been involved with our underage sides for a good while now so will hopefully know these players inside out and be able to get them playing well. No idea how many are still eligible from last year but those that remain should be complemented by some decent minor teams over the last couple of years at least.

Home to Dublin on the 29th May
Away to Galway on the 1st June
Bye week on the 8th June
Home to Cork on the 12th June
Away to Kerry on the 15th June

Week break after the Kerry game before playing Laois in the first round of the Leinster championship on the 22nd June in Newbridge with Westmeath awaiting the winners in the next round. Moved from a group-based competition last year to a knock out one this year so that’s probably where the need for the development competition came in.

That's a fairly congested league format, still it should be good prep. Laois manager not happy with their group and the league on during the Leaving cert.

Is the squad finalised?

First match at home tonight against Dublin in Newbridge at 7. Team as follows;

1. Didier Cordonnier (Two Mile House)
2. Oisin O’Cuill (Cappagh)
3. Conor Lynch (Maynooth)
4. Daniel Reilly (Clane)
5. Cian Buckley (Milltown)
6. Jack Sargent (Eadestown)
7. Darragh Ryan (Sarsfields)
8. James Carey (Carbury)
9. Darragh Kirwan (Naas)
10. Liam O’Flynn (Celbridge)
11. Adam Steed (St Laurences)
12. Caolan Halpin (Ballymore Eustace)
13. Luke Griffin (Naas)
14. Jack Cully (Carbury)
15. Eoghan McGlinchey (Athy)

Darragh Ryan the only starter who also started last season.

Anyone at the match?

Yep - slack start cost us. We were 2-07 to 0-02 down after 20 odd mins but from there on played some decent stuff. Enjoyable game from 2 good teams - interested to know how close to full strength each team was.
From our side Aaron O’Neill, DJ Earley, Mark Barrett and Darragh Kierwan were missing (anyone else?)

Yeah the game was pretty much over early on. 11 down at one stage in the first half, Dublin played very well, constant running off the ball and very quick and sharp on restarts. We struggled to get going and a few wides combined with giving away possession a few times allowed them to pull away easily enough.

Played some good stuff in the 2nd half though, brought the gap back to 5 points and between the 40-50 minute mark we looked to be on top with momentum behind us but just couldn't create the goal chance we needed really.

Jack Cully and Luke Griffin both kicked some nice points, some from frees, in the 2nd half.

Anyone at the Galway match ?.

No, but it looks like they might be in a spot of bother at this stage....

Bit of a hiding alright.

What was score? And who's in charge? Many of last year's heroes still underage/playing?

Gay Campbell, 1-19 to 0-10

Aaron O’Neill, Mark Barrett, DJ Early, Darragh Ryan + probably a few more from last years squad involved too.

Laois flying too, scored 13 goals in their two matches todate

All the same, some good players on that panel.

Similar enough story in the Galway game as the Dublin one, slow to start and Galway just looked a lot sharper and more clinical – created chances easier and a lot more efficient in taking them.

Didn’t come into it as much as it went on as we did in the first game and the goal really killed it off right at the start of the 2nd half. Don’t think we scored from play in the 2nd half with Jack Cully and Darragh Kirwan popping over some frees.

Good bit of rotation over both games at least.

Starting 15 against Galway;
Fionn Talbot, Daniel Reilly, Mark Barrett, Conor Lynch, Evin McGovern, Jack Sargeant, Brian Stynes, James Carey, Darragh Kirwan, Liam O’Flynn, Padraig Tuohy, Niall O’Sullivan, Colm Joyce, Jack Cully, Darragh Ryan
Subs used; Paddy McDermott, Caolan Halpin, Oisin O’Cuill, Sean Cullen, Cian McQuillan

In some of the other games so far Kerry beat Dublin by a goal in a low scoring game, Galway have beaten Cork and Cork drew with both Dublin and Kerry.

Playing Cork tomorrow night in Kilkenny, and the Leinster Championship game against Laois has be changed to Tuesday the 25th, still in Newbridge. Laois might have knocked in 13 goals but Carlow and Tipp have hardly been setting the world alight at underage level recently – wouldn’t read too much into them racking up big scores at this stage.

Team for Kildare V Cork

1.Aaron O Neil
2.Nial O Sullivan
3. Mark Barrett
4. Caolan Halpin
5. Evin McGovern
6. DJ Early
7. Daragh Ryan
8. James Carey
9. James Burke
10. Liam O Flynn
11. Daragh Kirwan
12. Brian McDonnell
13. Colm Joyce
14. Luke Griffin
15. Jack Cully

16. Fionn Talbot 17. Brian Stynes 18. Conor Lynch 19. Paddy McDermot 20. Adam Steed 21. Sean Cullin 22. Eoghan McGlinchy 23. Paidi Behan 24. Padraig Tuohey

Another loss ?

1-12 to 2-8. 10 down at half time, slow start seems the norm for this team.

11 points down early in the 2nd half last night and managed to pull level right at the end before Cork won it in injury time.

Playing Kerry on Saturday afternoon in Thurles, Galway already have it won though as they're unbeaten so far - no final for the top 2.

You'd imagine the team that lines out against Kerry will be the one most similar to the team that will start against Laois. 3 games so far have all be over by half time so that's the biggest issue we'll face against Laois, if they get a good start or an early run on us it could be a long night so hopefully we finish this competition on a bit of a high note against a Kerry team who you'd expect would be the favourites for the All Ireland.

When the manager didn't want to stay on with the squad, being by his own description, ambitious, you got an idea as to what the expectations were for them for the year ahead. Fair play to Gay Campbell for stepping up to the plate and some of those performances were decent, given the number of players that have been used. Clearly, they need to sort out being at concert pitch from the throw-in though. These are great games to have before Laois.

Cancelled??

Kildare (Leinster U20FC v Laois) tomorrow @7.30

Aaron O'Neill; Niall O'Sullivan, Mark Barrett, Caolan Halpin; Evin McGovern, DJ Earley, Daragh Ryan; James Carey, James Burke; Liam O'Flynn, Darragh Kirwan, Brian McDonnell; Colm Joyce, Luke Griffin, Jack Cully.

Good luck to the lads in this one... we have enough in the tank for Laois lets hope there is no ambush.... Kildare by min. 4pts

Nervous every time the ball is around our goal mouth. Barrett off the pace a litlle bit. Any time we get a grip at midfield we look comfortably better. Subs bench will need to make an impact in this half

Terrible performance. From midfield up, nowhere near quality of last year. Definitely no one of Hyland/McLoughlin/Robinson calibre.

Funnily enough was similar to last year - but then we had McLoughlin to come on for 15 mins & beat them on his own.

Decent Laois performance I suppose but pretty obvious they will shit their pants if/when they meet Dublin.

Aaaanyway - on to Saturday’s game & Leinster minor final...