Kildare wary of Derry backlash

KILDARE selector Niall Carew has warned that Derry may see Saturday’s fourth-round All-Ireland qualifier as a shot at redemption.

John Brennan has been vociferous in his criticism of the six-day turnaround that faces his team after the dejection of losing an Ulster final to Donegal on Sunday and has queried why the provincial council cannot play its showpiece a week earlier.

It is a reasonable argument given that Leinster, with 10 games to decide every year as opposed to Ulster’s eight, could complete its senior championship a week before the equivalent decider in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones.

The omens aren’t good for Derry who, because of the delay in Roscommon’s tie with the winners of Tyrone/Armagh, are the only provincial runners-up being asked this year to shake off the disappointment of defeat in such a short space of time. Last summer, both Monaghan and Sligo went out of the championship six days after losing their provincial finals to Tyrone and Roscommon respectively and Derry now face a Kildare side playing its third game in 15 days and on a roll.

“There’s a big difference to a six or seven-day turnaround when you’re winning,” said Carew yesterday, “but every week is different and Derry will be looking for a bit of redemption after losing the provincial final.

“They are just one game from an All-Ireland quarter-final. Just like us. I’m not involved with Derry and the best man to ask is probably John Brennan. Sometimes it’s hard to know and I’m sure even Derry won’t know until the ball is thrown up on Saturday.”

Kildare are well used to the demands of weekly football in high summer given their undefeated four-year record in the qualifiers under Kieran McGeeney but they have no intimate knowledge of the specific task facing their opponents this week. Two years ago, when they lost the Leinster final to Dublin, they were afforded 13 days to dust themselves down and regroup for a game against a Wicklow side that had generated momentum with wins over Fermanagh, Cavan and Down.

“Looking back at it, we took the approach that we were just a game from the quarter-finals. We’re coming off a bitter defeat to Dublin. It was hard. There is no point saying otherwise but we knew if we won the next game we would be back at the same stage as Dublin. It can be good to have that game quickly if you can get your head around it.”

Carew pointed out that the decision to play the game in Croke Park would probably serve as a tonic to Brennan’s players. Kildare are happy to be featuring at HQ and McGeeney’s right-hand man predicts a high-scoring game.

Carew pointed out the similarities between two sides who like to play the game and move the ball at pace but similar echoes rebound between the Kildare and Donegal camps given their work ethic and defensive capabilities.

On average Kildare have conceded little more than 10 points in five games this summer while Donegal have been even more parsimonious with less than nine points afforded in their successful three-game run in Ulster.

With that in mind, it is tempting to speculate Derry may suffer more of the same this weekend, especially given the continued absence of Eoin and Paddy Bradley and the mental baggage they need to dispense with before then.

“Derry were very unlucky,” said Carew who was in Clones last Sunday. “They had a penalty awarded against them that changed the game. They still have quality forwards as well, players like Mark Lynch and Conleth Gilligan, and they will take some watching.”