Under 20s 2023

Tg4 video feed is all over the place

Should be out of sight here at half if not for some terrible shooting.

Making it look easy at times controlling the ball and tempo, midfield and half back line in particular look to be well on top.

Always good to beat Laois convincingly. So much talent in the squad. Leinster Final V Dublin next Tuesday in Dr Cullen Park at 7.30pm.

Really turned it up a level in the 2nd half, especially after Laois pulled it back to a 3 or 4 point game.

Harris, McGrath, Farrell and Fanning particularly impressive. Fanning was popping up everywhere even winning a short kick out at one stage whilst Farrell looks like he’s strolling it at times.

Great to be back in another Leinster final anyway.

Well done to the lads, took a while to hit their stride and then took Laois apart. Big chance now again against The Dubs if we can up it again.

Underage football is always unpredictable but I’m almost certain Laois won 3 in a row coming into this, they were well fancied. We played great football in the second half. The kick passing and some of the scores were a joy to watch. Fanning, Farrell & McGrath all have huge potential. Oisin O’Sullivan is direct and isn’t afraid to go for the jugular, created the goal with his first touch. Super option to have off the bench. Luke Killian out injured too, hopefully he isn’t much of a loss for the final.

Laois had beaten Carlow by 2, Longford by 3 and Meath by 5 in the group stage.

Poor return from Meath with this group of players, won Leinster minor in 2018, 2020 and 2021 along with the minor All Ireland in 2021 yet have only made one Leinster final at U21 / U20 level in the last 20 years.

Dublin might not be as strong at minor level as they were in the 2000's and 2010's but 2013 was the last time they weren't in the Leinster final at U20 / U20.

Pity there's no back door for provincial finalists like there is at minor level. Play like we did in the 2nd half tonight and we'd beat anyone, play like we did against Westmeath and we'd lose to anyone.

Since when has underage football ever been consistent or predictable though.

if_in_doubt wrote:

Laois had beaten Carlow by 2, Longford by 3 and Meath by 5 in the group stage.

Poor return from Meath with this group of players, won Leinster minor in 2018, 2020 and 2021 along with the minor All Ireland in 2021 yet have only made one Leinster final at U21 / U20 level in the last 20 years.

Dublin might not be as strong at minor level as they were in the 2000's and 2010's but 2013 was the last time they weren't in the Leinster final at U20 / U20.

Pity there's no back door for provincial finalists like there is at minor level. Play like we did in the 2nd half tonight and we'd beat anyone, play like we did against Westmeath and we'd lose to anyone.

Since when has underage football ever been consistent or predictable though.

This team won't be thinking about back doors. A Leinster there to be won

Serious marker of a performance after the disappointment of Westmeath and the struggles against Louth earlier in the competition. Maybe the good weather suits them ! I for one didnt see this hammering coming but underage football can throw up these results..

Great to be in another final and knocking on the door once again. 7 finals in the last 16 years... Plenty right being done at this level.

Best of luck agains the dubs lads - Absolutely nothing to fear now

In the second half especially they moved the ball really well with the boot and from the start they seemed to be far more positive than Laois.
That's a great way to get things moving before they face the Dubs. Well done to all involved!

It was great to see a kildare team playing without fear ,made loads of errors but also we're brilliant at times as well, some very good prospects on the way hopefully

I wont be getting carried away with this win, we were awful in the first half. Kicked way too many wides and we only started to play well when we saw that Laois couldn't win any of their kickouts and after losing about 10 in a row their heads went down and we flourished .
Well done to them but if we can only play well when our opponents are playing very badly then we are in trouble. Dublin wont drop the heads so in all honesty we will have to raise our game another 30/40% to be even at the races with them.

Have you seen dublin play this year?

Best of luck to the lads tonight, hopefully will see a big Kildare crowd there. Good spread of scorers last week, we will need the same again tonight and impact off the bench. Will likely be another tight one.

Only 1 change to the starting 15 from the last day with Eoin Cully starting ahead of Oisin O’Sullivan.

1 Cormac Barker
2 Harry O’Neill
3 Tomas Von Engelbrechten
4 Ryan Burke
5 James Harris
6 James McGrath
7 Jack McKevitt
8 Fionn Cooke
9 Shane Farrell
10 Ryan Sinkey
11 Callum Bolton
12 Colm Dalton
13 Adam Fanning
14 Niall Dolan
15 Eoin Cully

Subs; 16 David McPartlin, 17 Tim Ryan, 18 Ethan Mountaine, 19 Fionn O’Giollain, 20 Daire Guerin, 21 Ciaran Flanagan, 22 Killian Browne, 23 Sam Savage, 24 Oisin O’Sullivan

Luke Breathnach not named in the Dublin team which will be a blow to them no doubt.

Hopefully it’s a performance that mirrors the 2nd half against Laois rather than the Westmeath game.

Best of luck to all involved.

Heading to Dr Cullen Park myself. Good luck to the lads, they are more than capable of doing it.
C'mon the Lillies ️️️

Good luck to the team & management.

Good luck to team and management.

Best of luck. After the season, I've no idea what to expect. Worry is they don't either but as said above, let's hope it's the last half hour revisited of this campaign rather than the first three-and-a-half hours!

Link here for anyone not there or didn't know it's online.
https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/play/?pid=6226267228001&series=TG4%20Beo%20[2]&genre=TG4

Half-time and 0-7 to 0-5 to Dublin.

More possession and more territory I'd imagine, less/no composure for sure.

They are getting scores with less work and less waste.

Defence is doing trojan work in the face of turnovers, but once out of defence the turnovers are criminal so far. Mix of soloing 10 feet up in the air, inability to handpass a few yards, and poor foot-passing that isn't going to chest. And yet, completely in it but will need to calm down as it's all completely frantic and mad when on front foot.

Not suggesting being less direct, more lateral or slowing up, just more coolness on ball needed.

Dubs getting easy marks, frees. Our lads not going for those handy ones. Need more movement and more from our full forward line. Good few lads losing their footing on tge surface here.

Full-time, 0-11 a piece. Extra-time incoming. We might well win it yet but we should already have.

Thought Dublin poor and there for taking (still are I know). Not a very good Kildare either. Was talking to a mate involved in Kerry set-up last night (I know we aren't Kerry but just as an example). They destroyed Cork in Munster final and all they were worried about was who might make senior and how to get them there. Some on here will know these players better than I, and of course they are young, but on that performance so far, hard to know what to make of it all. Weird game.

Talked about compsure at half-time - the last 10 minutes and we had it and didn't take it. Reminded of seniors around composure, basic skills, decision making. We take a 0-10 to 0-9 lead, are dominating midfield, total control, get lucky when a free for them becomes a throw ball and then...

50 minutes - terrible rushed Kildare wide.
51 minutes - terrible rushed Kildare wide with goal on.
52 minutes - blocked Kildare shot from 14 yards with loads of options.
54 minutes - Ball into forwards kicked away needlessly to Dublin defender.
59 minutes - Kildare attack, ball given away with terrible solo into trouble.
63 minutes - Ball on 40, draw game, last chance, terrible kick into group of Dublin defeners.

Anyway, after going behind in that stretch, gutsy to pull it out after that and here's hoping over next 20.

Kildare 0-14 Dublin 0-12 at HT in Extra time

AET Kildare 0-16 Dublin 0-13. Phew.

Highlighted some issues in last post, but on the flip-side they've a serious pair of stones on them (showed it in coming back in Leinster, and in this game), serious fitness that saw them outlast Dublin in extra-time and finally break them, and thought tackling in the backs was superb throughout - disciplined, strong, hungry, loads of turnovers.

That last point is particularly pleasing aspect as a rarity in Kildare football of late. As well as that, really impressed with James McGrath's drive and leadership in heart of it at number six.

They left it all out there. Well done all. Didn't look likely after Westmeath game in group or Louth in quarter-finals. Derry/Down who play tomorrow night in All Ireland semi-final on 6 May.

Issues to fix of course as you'd expect at that age, but nice to be Leinster champions while trying to fix them. The old-school, old-man dislike of Dublin is particularly enjoyable on nights like this!