ALL-IREALND SFC QUALIFIERS ROUND FOUR: Kildare v Wicklow:MICK O'DWYER has made such a mockery of championship predictions by now that only a fool would write Wicklow off even at this late stage in the championship which, in the spirit of the moon landings, has seen them go when no Wicklow man has gone before.
But despite their heroic efforts against Fermanagh, Cavan and Down in recent weeks, it does appear Kildare will present too great a challenge for even the old maestro. That’s not saying Wicklow don’t have a chance, but Kildare will probably have to under-perform considerably if they are to fall at this hurdle.
Truth is Kildare should have put Dublin away in the Leinster final had they been more constructive with both their extra man and scoring chances. Manager Kieran McGeeney certainly won’t allow any complacency, and as Mikey Conway and James Kavanagh have shaken off their respective injuries, the coach has named an unchanged line-up from that narrow defeat to Dublin.
O’Dwyer has also released the same Wicklow team, and looks on course for a fourth game running without making any substitutions.
Leighton Glynn, Tony Hannon and Seánie Furling will also find it a little harder to find scores against a more organised Kildare defence, and while Tommy Walsh continues to work wonders at midfield, Kildare will probably have the edge there as well withi Dermot Earley and Daryl Flynn.
Wicklow have been improving with every game, and growing in confidence too, and O’Dwyer did famously upset Kildare in the opening game of the Leinster championship just over a year ago.
It’s just Kildare have come on a long way since then, and it’s hard to see how Wicklow can match their intense work-rate, effective tackling, and heavy artillery up front.
WICKLOW:M Travers; C Hyland, D Ó hAnnaidh, S Kelly; P McWalter, B McGrath, D Hayden; J Stafford, T Walsh; JP Dalton, T Hannon, L Glynn; D Odlum, S Furlong, P Earls.
KILDARE: T Corley; H McGrillen, M Foley, E Bolton; M OFlaherty, B Flanagan, M Conway; D Flynn, D Earley; J Kavanagh, P ONeill, R Sweeney; A Smith, K Donnelly, J Doyle.
Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).
