Sport

Cian O'Neill's Kildare hope to end league on high against Clare

Dual star Podge Collins could feature for the Clare footballers against Kildare on Saturday
Dual star Podge Collins could feature for the Clare footballers against Kildare on Saturday Dual star Podge Collins could feature for the Clare footballers against Kildare on Saturday

Allianz National Football League Division Three final: Clare v Kildare (Saturday, Croke Park, 6pm, live on TG4)

AFTER plummeting straight from Division One to the third-tier of the National Football League in consecutive seasons, Kildare are clawing their way back up the ladder.

A shock home defeat to Sligo apart, the Lilywhites stormed through the league to seal promotion back up to Division Two straight away and will aim to put the cap on an impressive campaign in Saturday night’s divisional decider against Clare.

The days of playing Division One football and being considered possible All-Ireland dark horses under former boss Kieran McGeeney may seem like a distant memory, but Cian O’Neill appears to have Kildare going in the right direction.

The Newbridge native has plenty of top-level experience, having worked alongside Eamonn Fitzmaurice when Kerry lifted Sam Maguire in 2014, as well as stints with the Mayo footballers and the Tipperary hurlers.

The Lilywhites go into Saturday night’s game as 1/6 favourites with the bookmakers, though there was only five points between them when Clare travelled to St Conleith’s Park for a thrilling encounter just three weeks ago.

With their Leinster Championship quarter-final against Division Four Wexford still a month away, any competitive action in the meantime is welcome and O’Neill has made four changes to the team that defeated the Banner last time out.

The Kildare boss has called up U21 stars Ryan Houlihan, at wing half-back, and corner-forward Neil Flynn, with goalkeeper Mark Donnellan and right half-forward Adam Tyrrell also getting the nod. The men to miss out are Tom Corley, Hugh McGrillen, Padraig O'Neill and Fionn Dowling.

The Lilywhites remain without Daniel Flynn after he suffered a hamstring injury against Tipperary last month, but have been boosted by the return to the panel of the experienced Morgan O'Flaherty.

The Carbury clubman has rejoined his brother Eoghan in the squad after taking a year out from the inter-county scene. O'Neill has also called up Shane McNamara and the U21 trio of Ben McCormack, Con Kavanagh and Chris Healy.

Clare, meanwhile, will have to do without ace marksman David Tubridy for Saturday night’s game. The Doonbeg forward was shown a straight red card deep in injury-time after an altercation with Ciarán Fitzpatrick when the two counties last met.

There is some good news for Banner boss Colm Collins though, as he will be able to call on his son Podge at Croke Park. The dual-star featured for the county’s hurlers in last Sunday's National Hurling League Division One semi-final win over Kilkenny and Davy Fitzgerald has agreed to him playing with the footballers following discussions with football backroom member David O'Brien.

Considering they have sealed back-to-back promotions and will ply their trade in Division Two next year, Collins is understandably upbeat about Clare’s improving footballing fortunes.

He said: “Good improvements are being made, but we’ve a lot more to do. Most football teams want to get out of their division, so to achieve that is good, but we know that we need to continue to work hard.

“Tremendous work has been put in, not just by us, but by previous set-ups. They were unlucky at various stages when things just didn’t work out for them at different times.

“I can put everything down to a fantastic group of players and a tremendous backroom team that are involved. They are all so professional, that is why we are improving.”

TEAM NEWS


Clare: TBC


Kildare: M Donnellan; P Kelly, D Hyland, O Lyons; R Houlihan, F Conway, C Fitzpatrick; P Cribbin, T Moolick; A Tyrell, N Kelly, E O'Flaherty; A Smith, K Feely, N Flynn