Size matters.
After claiming Mayo’s sizeable scalp at the weekend, the men of Kildare are growing into their white jerseys and they’re gunning for the Super 8s now.
When you consider the Lilywhites lost every game in the League before going down to Carlow in the first round of the Leinster championship, it’s been some turn up for the books since then.
Through all the tough losses and all the desolate defeats, however, what’s stood out about Cian O’Neill and what’s stood out about Kildare is that they’ve remained loyal to their system and their beliefs.
Let’s not forget, even though they didn’t win a game in the League, their campaign was far from a disaster. On countless occasions they went down by the bare minimun in these tight games where if the stakes were higher, they may have just found that bit extra to dig a little deeper.
When their lives were on the line against Derry, Longford and Mayo respectively, they went to the well and they came out of it fighting.
One of the most physical teams in the country, their big men stood up and were counted when their necks were on the line. Men like Paul Cribbin took a stand, men like Kevin Feely, David Hyland and Daniel Flynn. We could stay going because in truth, every man in a white jersey grew into that game on Saturday night.
That man Feely was particularly effective. The former professional footballer with Charlton was drawn back across the pond two years ago because of how much he missed Gaelic football.
He’s been making it count upon his return. Between lording the skies over Brian Fenton in last year’s Leinster final to pulling the strings from midfield in every game he plays, the former centre half has turned into one of the game’s most effective midfielders.
Given his size and soaring ability under the dropping ball, Cian O’Neill’s decision to allow him to float into the full forward line whenever he sees fit seems like a tactical masterstroke.
“I’ve noticed with Cian O’Neill teams a lot, he tells Feely to drift into the full forward line a lot. He drifts in with the play and tries to create a mismatch on his man in there,” said Colm Parkinson on Monday’s GAA Hour Show.
“I don’t think he’s in there permanently, but I think it’s a clear instruction from Cian O’Neill because you’ll see Feely in there, you’ll see Moolick in there.
Indeed, Feely popped up in the Mayo full back line so often that many onlookers felt he was actually playing there.
“”They’re definitely not afraid to attack, they drift out there to that far post,” added Wooly.
The Mayo lads bore the brunt of effective attacking plan from Kildare.
Cian Ward was impressed with their commitment to their style of play.
“Peter Kelly from corner back drove forward as well and he went the length of the field to fist a score once. The big one was David Hyland getting that brilliant turnover on Jason Doherty down by the wing, and then as the play developed, Hyland was again competing with Jason Doherty in the full forward line. There was a ball lobbed in, he won it, and Niall Kelly fisted it over the bar.
“Even though they were tigerish in the defence, they didn’t just stop at that. They really went at the game and that’s a hugely admirable trait in a team,” added the Meath man.
Wooly feels it’s very similar to the one Dublin play.
“Kildare have been very consistent with the way they’ve played since Cian O’Neill took them over where they try to keep four up. They almost mirror Dublin’s system I always say. Eoin Doyle is their sweeper, he drops off the centre forward.”
Fermanagh will be a different challenge on Saturday. But a challenge Kildare will be keen to meet head on seeing as they fell to a similarly defensive challenge in Carlow earlier in the year. Cian O’Neill will be devising a plan for that.
You can listen to this chat and much more from Monday’s GAA Hour Show right here.
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