Lilywhites can turn fortunes around against Laois
IF THERE is one lesson all the great pretenders out there can learn from Kildare’s traumatic defeat in their last championship game against Down last August, it is surely that in order to win big matches, you must have an element of luck on your side as well. Between scores that were and shouldn’t have been, to scores that weren’t and should’ve been, to Kalum King’s fingertip save from Robert Kelly’s last-second free kick, Kildare simply had no luck on the day. Watching his team suffer as much misfortune as any team possibly could in 70 minutes, one would have forgiven Kieran McGeeney if he were to curse the gods of fate but true to style, the Armagh man got on with his business in a dignified manner, and time has moved on too.
Having won the O’Byrne Cup in January and having begun the league campaign by beating Antrim by nine points, one would have thought that Kildare would have kicked on in recent weeks and consolidated their credentials as likely promotion candidates by mid March. That it hasn’t happened is down to a combination of two very disappointing performances against Derry and Donegal and the absence of some key players, including All Star corner back Peter Kelly, the suspended Darryl Flynn and the talismanic Dermot Earley. After some indifferent performances and the disappointment of an U21 championship exit in midweek, tomorrow’s game against neighbours and rivals Laois in Newbridge presents an ideal opportunity to get back on track.
