Football

O'Connor's Kildare revolution will be tested by Fermanagh

Fermanagh beat Kildare in Brewster Park against the odds last year, but the likes of Ryan Lyons (pictured), Eamon McHugh, Barry Mulrone and Sean Quigley are no longer on the Erne panel as they head to Newbridge. Picture by Ronan McGrade
Fermanagh beat Kildare in Brewster Park against the odds last year, but the likes of Ryan Lyons (pictured), Eamon McHugh, Barry Mulrone and Sean Quigley are no longer on the Erne panel as they head to Newbridge. Picture by Ronan McGrade Fermanagh beat Kildare in Brewster Park against the odds last year, but the likes of Ryan Lyons (pictured), Eamon McHugh, Barry Mulrone and Sean Quigley are no longer on the Erne panel as they head to Newbridge. Picture by Ronan McGrade

Allianz Football League Division Two: Kildare v Fermanagh (tomorrow, 2pm, Newbridge)

IT’S not quite clear at which point of last year’s league campaign people started to look at Fermanagh and think they were serious about promotion.

Really, it ought to have been when they scalped Kildare in Brewster Park. Having drawn with Cork and Tipperary in their first two outings, they backed it up with arguably the most watertight performance of Rory Gallagher’s reign.

It was a game that not only highlighted how effective they could be, but also how far they’d come from the chaotic defensive display they put in against Kildare towards the end of Pete McGrath’s reign.

The question now is whether their trajectory will tail off, or Ryan McMenamin can bring enough stability and continuity to the operation that they’ll keep the wheels turning.

Their style of play in the last two years was both very easy to dislike and very difficult to question. To bring themselves right to the very brink of promotion to Division One was arguably a more significant achievement than reaching the Ulster final the previous summer.

Outside Sean Quigley, they struggled for scores, and while he could be deadly when the ball was in hands, winning it became a problem and thus their struggle to score from play became even more pronounced.

What they’ve instead come to rely on is a very methodical and patient attacking approach that relies on the opposition making a mistake.

Ryan McMenamin will have Tomás Corrigan back available to him, and he will slip straight into the full-forward line in place of Quigley, who has opted out. Their scoring rates have never been dissimilar.

Lee Cullen and Barry Mulrone are significant losses. The Jones brothers will cover for Cullen alright but that means taking them out of attack, though how they replace Mulrone is not just as clear.

It is a very tough fixture list that’s been set out for them too, none tougher than tomorrow afternoon’s encounter with the side everyone expects to top the table.

Jack O’Connor’s long been linked to the job ever since his family ties bedded in (his son Cian plays for Kildare club Moorefield). There was no surprise when he was appointed to replace Cian O’Neill, whose reign was controversial in so many ways.

The returned Daniel Flynn will give Ché Cullen, who will continue to commute from Budapest despite suggestions he’d be based from home this year, his first big physical test of the year.

The Lilywhites have lost Ben McCormack, who assumed the number 14 shirt in Flynn’s absence, while promising young defender Mark Dempsey has also opted out, yet their options are deeper than last year.

Whichever way O’Connor will have Kildare playing, we might see a very different template for one week only. The players will surely have to dictate a bit of their shape and style given their experience in Brewster last year, where they scored just a single point from play and only six in total.

Fermanagh are unlikely to change what they’re doing too greatly, so Kildare will have to adapt. They should do it sufficiently to scrape a victory.