McGeeney sticks with winning formula

Kildare are set to field an unchanged starting line-up for Sunday's Leinster SFC semi-final against Dublin at Croke Park (throw-in 4pm).

Manager Kieran McGeeney has given his backing to the fifteen players who started the Lilywhites' recent quarter-final win over Meath.

That means Eamonn Callaghan and James Kavanagh have held onto their places in attack, with Padraig O'Neill and Ronan Sweeney kept in reserve.

Team captain John Doyle, more noted as a forward, is set to continue his spell in midfield. He is fit to play after shaking off a hamstring problem.

Regular centre-fielder Daryl Flynn, who has recovered from an ankle injury, will have to make do with a place on the bench.

The hard-running Doyle roamed around midfield in the victories over Wicklow and despite his advancing years, remains 'the fittest and probably the most committed player on the team' according to his currently injured team-mate Dermot Earley.

Earley, himself a former All-Star midfielder, said: "When most fellas are rolling out of bed, Johnny's up at 7am out kicking. That's the commitment that he has, how much he wants to play with Kildare and win for Kildare.

"He plays midfield for his club. I've marked him many the times in Sarsfields-Allenwood games and I've come out the wrong side of it, so I wasn't surprised at all (by his success in a midfield role)."

Sunday's showdown will be the counties' first Championship meeting since the 2009 Leinster final which the Dubs won by 2-15 to 0-18, aided by Bernard Brogan's haul of seven points.

Kildare's most recent Championship win over Dublin was a 2-11 to 0-12 triumph in the 2000 Leinster final replay - they have only clashed twice since then.

Two quick-fire goals in the second half from Earley and Tadhg Fennin did the trick 11 years ago for the Lilywhites, who had Doyle (0-2) at centre-forward that day.

KILDARE (SFC v Dublin): Shane Connolly; Andriú MacLochlainn, Michael Foley, Hugh McGrillen; Gary White, Brian Flanagan, Emmet Bolton; John Doyle (capt), Hugh Lynch; Morgan O'Flaherty, Eoghan O'Flaherty, Eamonn Callaghan; Alan Smith, Tomás O’Connor, James Kavanagh.