Doyle plays down suggestions he’s being targeted

JOHN DOYLE has played down suggestions he is being targeted by opposing teams desperate to stymie the influence of Kildare’s star player.

Kieran McGeeney complained after last week’s defeat of Derry that Doyle was singled out for rough treatment in championship fixtures against Laois, Meath and the Ulster side. But Doyle refused to get involved in the issue.

“You don’t like to get into too much detail, giving out. That’s part of it,” he said.

“You go out to mark a man and it’s a personal battle. It’s you or him and you have to respect that. I want to get the better of my man and he wants to get the better of me.

“Whatever way you go about that is different when you are marking different people. Look it, it’s part of the game. I am in there to do my job and do that to the best of my ability.”

Recognised as one of the country’s best forwards, he has been stationed in midfield in recent weeks by McGeeney who is operating without the considerable presence of the injured Dermot Earley and Hugh Lynch.

Doyle suffered in the physical stakes against Derry and was moved further upfield to hover around the centre-half forward position with Rob Kelly retreating to the engine room and there are many who would like to see him remain there.

“You are out on the field. Positions don’t really mean a huge amount. It’s about winning the ball and what you do with it when you get it. Whether that’s a corner-back or a corner-forward it’s trying to get on the ball and make things happen.

“It doesn’t matter either way really. You are out there and you are trying to get back and defend and get forward and support your inside guys as well.”

Kildare’s inside guys did pretty well against the Ulster runners-up. James Kavanagh bagged four points from play, Tomás O’Connor another two as did Kelly before he moved to midfield.

“If you get 19 points every day you will be there or thereabouts. There certainly is room for improvement and in fairness to the lads inside, James Kavanagh and Tomás O’Connor, when the ball went inside they won it and got the vital scores. When you have them working hard like that it is definitely a bonus.”

Every starting forward found the target from play with nine players contributing to the scoreboard in one way or another.

While Doyle’s primacy up front may have been diluted, his importance to the county down the years was highlighted when he broke a handful of records.

Not only did he break Anthony Rainbow’s mark for most championship games with the Lilywhites, he also made 50 consecutive fixtures with a score and became the first man to claim more than 100 points in the qualifiers.

“You don’t think too much about it,” he claimed. “The boys, [Daryl] Flynner and Mickey Conway, were giving me plenty of stick about another 14-yard free to tap over and some lads after getting half-killed.

“It’s probably something when you are finished playing that will probably mean a bit more.”

Donegal are all that matter now.