Kildare U-20’s

Was really impressed with some of this group at minor level a few years ago, especially the forwards like Browne, Conneely, Bagnall and Meehan.

Development tournament starting next weekend. At least 3 games in that with a possible 4th depending on results.

John Kerins Cup;
19th Feb Laois v Kildare
26th Feb Dublin v Kildare
5th Mar Kildare v Meath

Top the group and there's a final against one of Kerry, Cork and Galway on the 12th of March.

Should be good preparation before the Leinster championship. Quarter final away to Laois on the 14th of April, home advantage for the winners of that against Offaly / Louth or Carlow in the semi final then.

Snatched a draw yesterday against Laois, lucky not to lose it.

Any match report or even a break down of the scorers?

I was told wrongly, it was Laois who snatched the draw.
Found this:
https://www.laoistoday.ie/2022/02/19/all-square-as-laois-and-kildare-play-out-entertaining-u-20-league-encounter/

Any match report/scorers from last weekends game?

Good win against Meath at the weekend, looks like these lads are in a solid enough position at this stage. I haven't seen any games or anything, have any players impressed?

Leinster Quarter Final V Laois fixed for Hawkfield Thursday night. Hopefully a good crowd shows up to support the lads.

Hope to get to this - this is an another excellent team with some hugely promising players, particularly Maguire (one of the best Kildare underage defenders I've seen), Browne and Bagnall.

We're lucky in Kildare that there's always big interest in the underage teams - unlike in Dublin, whose supporters are generally bandwagon jumpers, no disrespect to them - but we need to keep working at it until we're Div 1 fixtures (and then double down it).

2019 Leinster minor final best underage display since 2018 AI win – went to extra time against Dubs and we psychologically broke them, very satisfying. Hopefully more in-store this campaign.

Kildare98 wrote:

Hope to get to this - this is an another excellent team with some hugely promising players, particularly Maguire (one of the best Kildare underage defenders I've seen), Browne and Bagnall.

We're lucky in Kildare that there's always big interest in the underage teams - unlike in Dublin, whose supporters are generally bandwagon jumpers, no disrespect to them - but we need to keep working at it until we're Div 1 fixtures (and then double down it).

2019 Leinster minor final best underage display since 2018 AI win – went to extra time against Dubs and we psychologically broke them, very satisfying. Hopefully more in-store this campaign.

Maguire hasn’t being great so far this year for college or county

Browne has hamstring injury in fitness battle

Really looking forward to seeing how this team get on. It was the same team that won the Minor Leinster in 2019. Players like Dean O’Donoghue, Tommy Gill, Luke Gorman and Cathal McCabe played a big part for their clubs in last years senior championship.

Is it my imagination or has Browne been injured a good bit over the last couple of years with different things?

Will be a hard game, we struggled to get out of Portlaoise with a win at minor level 3 years ago. Probably as good a group as Laois have had at this age group in the last 10-12 years and Eddie Kinsella is a good manager. They've named 9 of the team that started at minor 3 years ago along with 3 of the subs that appeared that night, only 6 of them started against us in the John Kerins Cup. They were taken aback at getting well beaten by Dublin in that competition and subsequently made a lot of changes. When we played them in February we leaked goal chances easily in the 2nd half and they've been playing practice matches with a third midfielder and just 2 inside forwards believing they can take our full-back line one-on-one and if they stop us scoring goals they win.

If we can win this one, this team could do anything and I'd have no fears for them away to Offaly next week if they did, but this ain't no gentle championship opener, even with home advantage.

SouthernStar wrote:

Really looking forward to seeing how this team get on. It was the same team that won the Minor Leinster in 2019. Players like Dean O’Donoghue, Tommy Gill, Luke Gorman and Cathal McCabe played a big part for their clubs in last years senior championship.

Cathal McCabe u20 Huling captain and Senior on Hurling panel not involved with at all football inter county level

Am I right in thinking there’s only three players who started the 2019 Leinster minor final starting this game? I know a lot can change in three years but still strikes me as a bit odd

From minor panel 2019 with had 35 players on panel

4 starters and 4 subs involved against Laois tonight

Last year we only started with 1 player who started the Leinster minor final 3 years earlier. This year we start with 3 from the Leinster minor final 3 years earlier.

Cian Burke started in goal for the minors 3 years ago, the under 20s the last 2 years, NUI Maynooth in the Sigerson this year but now is replaced by Barker for Barker's free-taking ability?! Ryan Burke was full-back on the NUI Maynooth freshers team that won the division 1 league title before Christmas. O'Donoghue and Maguire must have been playing great stuff in training in the last couple of weeks.

They're a good group of players who will give everything and injuries to Browne, Flynn and Quinn (just back from it) haven't helped but management seem to be taking a lot from the last John Kerins Cup game win against a disappointing Meath team who have their own problems at the minute. Best of luck to the lads, they have f**k all margin for error tonight.

Shergar wrote:

Last year we only started with 1 player who started the Leinster minor final 3 years earlier. This year we start with 3 from the Leinster minor final 3 years earlier.

Cian Burke started in goal for the minors 3 years ago, the under 20s the last 2 years, NUI Maynooth in the Sigerson this year but now is replaced by Barker for Barker's free-taking ability?! Ryan Burke was full-back on the NUI Maynooth freshers team that won the division 1 league title before Christmas. O'Donoghue and Maguire must have been playing great stuff in training in the last couple of weeks.

They're a good group of players who will give everything and injuries to Browne, Flynn and Quinn (just back from it) haven't helped but management seem to be taking a lot from the last John Kerins Cup game win against a disappointing Meath team who have their own problems at the minute. Best of luck to the lads, they have f**k all margin for error tonight.

Jack Quinn only made panel on final pick

Full time: Kildare 2-16 Laois 3-11. All Ireland champions Offaly up next.

Did our best to try throw that one away almost.

9 up at one stage in the first half and 6 or 7 up again at one stage in the second half. Kicked 4 or 5 wides in a row as well in the first half when we looked to be well on top.

Laois almost got a goal to win it right at the death as well. We put up a good score and with Offaly hammering Carlow it's hard to predict anything for next week.

Next Thursday night @6.30pm in tullamore semi final

Going to be some battle next week. Outside of Kildare & Dublin, standard of Leinster underage football over past decade has generally been deplorable, risible even, but huge improvement in past couple of years culminating in AI wins for Offaly & Meath.

Remember going to Tullamore in 2018 when Offaly were somewhat fancied - we blew them away & game was over after 10 mins. Sublime exhibition & some of the best football I’ve ever seen from a Kildare team. I remember thinking this was AI calibre stuff & for once I wasn’t delusional.

Anyway, will be going to this one as well... Expecting a ferocious performance from Offaly as defending AI champions, and particularly with a home game, they will be intent on ripping our heads off. Bring it on, I say - it’s games like this where u find out if u have the stuff.

Expect also another Twitter meltdown from Pat Nolan if we win - he seems to find Kildare very triggering for some reason. Probably cos they used to laugh at us & we’ve spent past decade inflicting serial humiliations on them at every level.

Kildare v Offaly live on TG4 YouTube channel Thursday from 6. 25pm

Best of luck to the team tonight. Its a game they are well capable of winning. Its also a game they are capable of conceding 5 goals in if they defend like they did last week. There's a remote possibility they could do both. Hopefully there's a couple of changes in the backs before throw-in. Offaly not as physically strong as Laois but a little more pace in attack.

Hopefully the management have seen enough of Offaly to know they won't beat us kicking points from beyond 30 metres and they have the lads blocking up the middle rather than getting dragged out to the wings. Because if they win this, Dublin are no great shakes and, when you strip away the hysteria, Sligo were nothing special last night so there's a serious chance of an all-ireland final spot if they get through this.

So poor in that 1st half. Handling skills non existent, no structure, men miles behind their opposite number aimless passing and poor decision making. 

Big improvement needed if they are to make any fist of it.

Well done young Lillies !!!