CAVAN minor manager Danny Brady says his team can't concentrate solely on Kildare dangerman Jimmy Hyland in Saturday’s All-Ireland MFC quarter-final at Páirc Tailteann.
The Lilywhites corner-forward has been in devastating form in this year’s Championship.
Hyland kicked 0-6 in their one-point win over Laois in the Leinster quarter-final – including the dramatic winning score - and followed up that sublime display with 1-3 against Dublin in the last four.
In the provincial decider against Longford, he kicked eight points - 0-7 from play - and was the standout performer once again for Brendan Hackett’s side.
“He's a very good footballer,” said Brady.
“Anytime the ball went through him the last day [against Longford], there seemed to be scores coming straight off it.
“He's one man we have to look out for but we know that can work against you.
“Against Derry [in the Ulster final], we thought if we had Conor Glass bottled up that we’d be well on our way to victory but young Shane McGuigan and Tiernan Flanagan piped up on the day.
“You can't put all your emphasis on one player. It’ll have to be a team effort to get over the line.”
Having watched the Lilies in the Leinster decider, ‘the Gunnar’ knows the Breffnimen will need their best players to step up to the plate. Too many things went wrong against the Oakleafers and they can’t afford another second-rate display.
“This Kildare team, from speaking to people around Leinster, they are very highly thought of,” said Brady.
“We went to see them in the final against Longford and they were very impressive. A very physically imposing team and some of the forwards inside are very talented. If we don't block off that supply and the ball coming in, we are going to have our hands full.
“But more importantly, we have to perform on the day this time. If we do that, we will give them a good game. If we perform to our potential, I'm sure we'll be walking off the field a bit happier on Saturday.
“The lads were very disappointed after the Derry game. We found it very hard to get them going again and we were surprised by that.
“I think it was their level of performance that hurt them most but thankfully this week, they had the spring in their step again.
“They didn't play anywhere near their best and still got to within three points of Derry.
“It was just one of those days where the big players didn't perform. It was a lesson to us that we are going to have to perform if we are going to do anything else in this Championship.”
