McGeeney playing down Lilywhites’ title hopes
The Leinster side has now played an equal part in two of the championship’s standout games but, unlike in the Leinster final against Dublin, they found the pieces to complete the puzzle in O’Moore Park on Saturday night.
“If we’re all going to be truthful, there is probably only one piece of silverware people are looking for,” said the Armagh man. “This team is maybe off that a bit but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to be pushing for it.
“It’s our second quarter-final in two seasons and it’s good to show there’s a level of consistency in the team.
“That’s what we’re looking for and now we have to see if we’ve upped the ante on last year.
“But the four provincial winners are probably the four best teams in the country, right throughout the league and everything else. There are going to be no handy draws, but we’re hopeful they won’t see us as handy either.”
It is an assessment that is difficult to argue with. Yet again, Kildare looked vulnerable when faced with a side willing to run the ball down their throats and the concession of two more soft goals is suggestive of an inherent flaw.
They are not the finished article but they are a coming force and few will welcome a pairing with them in the years to come. While Dermot Earley is the key man, there is a democratic spread of responsibility throughout the panel.
Nine players registered scores in Portlaoise and yet again the lion’s share of their tally – 1-13 – was amassed from play despite the 12 wides they collated, seven from the stuttering John Doyle.
“It was workmanlike it’s fair to say,” said McGeeney. “In the first half we made a lot of mistakes. They put in silly ball and gave the ball away a lot. You have to give credit to Wicklow for their work rate and their tenacity.
“At the beginning of the second half we probably missed in the region of 1-6 or 1-7 that we would normally be scoring. But to do that and score 1-16 in the game is reassuring and it showed that we have a strong panel.”
Two weeks ago, Kildare fell away in the last 10 minutes against a Dublin side that had spent most of the afternoon operating with 14 men but it was no surprise to see them kick successfully for home this time.
Wicklow were playing their fourth game in four weeks and, yet again, Mick O’Dwyer neglected to make a single substitution. Alan Smith’s goal two minutes from time put five points between the sides and settled the argument.
It had been an engrossing evening. Blue skies and a hefty crowd set the stage for two teams that came to the table with a palpable hunger.
The game started at pace and never once went down the gears. It was gripping stuff.
The sides drew level five times in the first 54 minutes. Wicklow demonstrated their survival instincts by wiping out a six-point deficit inside nine minutes on the last of those occasions having suffered a 20-minute scoreless drought.
It was indicative of their appetite and sheer doggedness. Kildare looked the better team for long spells and yet they could easily have been bundled towards the exit door had Wicklow been a tad more clinical.
Dean Odlum and Paul Earls had four chances to find the net between the 27th and 41st minute without taking one of them and Wicklow kicked three awful wides after the break to boot.
Do the maths and the collective cost is obvious but suggestions afterwards that they should have taken their points were wide of the mark. Wicklow were always going to need goals to claim Kildare’s scalp. Lots of them.
The two goals they did score, from Sean Furlong and Tony Hannon, were crucial for their timing as much as anything else. Both ate into considerable deficits at spells when Kildare threatened to canter home but they should have had more. Gone then, but not forgotten.
Scorers for Kildare: A Smith 1-2, J Doyle 0-4 (3f), D Earley 0-3, E Callaghan 0-2, M O’Flaherty 0-1, B Flanagan 0-1, J Kavanagh 0-1, P O’Neill 0-1, R Kelly 0-1.
Scorers for Wicklow: S Furlong 1-4 (2f), T Hannon (1-0), D Odlum 0-2, D Hayden 0-1, J Stafford 0-1, P Earls 0-1.
Subs for Kildare: R Kelly for Donnelly 31, G White for Conway 35, E Callaghan for Sweeney 53, A McLoughlin for Foley 65, A Rainbow for O’Neill 70.
Subs for Wicklow: None.
Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).
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