PREVIEW: Two cracking games on the card for Kildare SFC Semi's

It feels we have been down this path previously.

And not too long ago either.

The semi-finals of the Joe Mallon Motors Kildare Senior Football Championship.
And, just like 12 months ago, it is generally believed that the best four sides have, once again, reached the last four.

Last year it was Naas v Athy and Celbridge v Sarsfields.

This year there has been a major shake-up and it is Naas v Celbridge and Athy v Sarsfields.

Probably easy to say it now but really it was never going to be anything else, that despite the preliminary draw, the group draws, the preliminary quarter-final, the quarter-finals and after all of that here we are the four same teams, albeit with a slight reshuffle of the pairings.

First up come champions Naas, looking to make it five finals in a row and five wins a row as they bid to add to their dozen senior football title.

Celbridge, on the other hand are looking to make it three final appearances in a row, having qualified for their twelfth semi-final in, yes you guessed it, twelve years.

Still despite that impressive record they have only one senior title to their name, that back in 2008 when they defeated Sarsfields, after a replay, and managed at the time by the great Barney Rock of Dublin fame.

Celbridge have had some anxious times this season. Their manager, Micheál McDermott, a man who has an incredible record, both at county and club level.

The Cavan native is also involved, a s coach, with Killeavy of Armagh who won a senior league title this year before going out of the championsip just two weeks ago.

Anywhere the very likeable McDermott goes success has followed even allowing for the fact he is still waiting to bring silverware to the Hazelhatch Club.

Earlier in the season things were not all going smoothly in Celbridge with rumours of player unrest but in fairness they has come through all that and can now look forward to taking on Naas once again.

And what of Naas?

Well what can one say that has not been said already.

As stated, four-in-a-row champions Naas, who made it back-to-back league titles earlier this year 'lost' their manager a few months ago.

No shortage of controversy when they went seeking a new manager but after making national headlines they finally got the services of one Philly McMahon. him the holder of 8 All Ireland medals, 2 All Star Awards, 2 County Senior Championships with Ballymun Kickhams, a Leinster Club title, who represented Ireland International rules, all that despite winning nothing at underage county level.

Probably fair to say that McMahon is still learning the ropes at Naas, but, as he said himself after taking up the appointment, “there is an excellent management team in place at the club at the moment and they will be remaining.”

Philly brought a coach with him, a Mayo native who played football with him from under age in Dublin, James Burke, who has plenty of coaching at inter-county level both with Mayo and Cavan, so a formidable addition to the champions.

Naas lost their first championship game in five years when going under to Sarsfields in the final group game a couple of weeks ago, a game of no consequence in terms of advancement in the championship.

We have heard many conspiratory yarns since that game about not taking that one seriously etc, etc, but regardless they certainly came back strongly to dismiss Clane in the quarter final by a very healthy dozen points.

Celbridge, on the other hand, got a bit of a monkey off their back when dismissing Moorefield at the same stage, in a display that was impressive, assured and much to admire.

Naas are missing one of their big men, in every sense of that word, dual-star James Burke missed out the entire club championship season having picked up a cruciate injury in the final of the Joe McDonagh Cup in that great win over Laois.

Burke is a massive loss to both Naas hurlers and footballers, but more to the footballers and we have seen that from time to time this year when the champions struggled around the middle of the Park.

Still winning brings confidence, bags of it, and when you have so many experienced players in their ranks like Eoin Doyle, Brian Byrne, Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan, Ryan Sinkey, the Hanafin boys, to name just a handful or more, then it is easily to see just why they were installed as hot favourites to make it, not just to the final but to make it six titles in a row.

Then again Celbridge are certainly not short of big names with huge experience.

From Shane McNamara between the sticks, he showed in the quarter-final he is as agile as every, add in Fergal Conway, Mick O'Grady, Kevin Flynn, Tony Archbold, the Browne boys who have a big future, Mick Konstantin, not forgetting Kildare 2025 senior panelist Dean O'Donoghue who scored a hat-trick of goals just last week, despite operating at wing-back, they are a team packed with players of high quality.

Still when all is said and done, and while one can certainly make the case that Celbridge's poor record in semi-finals has to change sometime, hard to see it on Sunday.
Naas to advance.

The second semi-final is another game that will be eagerly looked forward to, not only by each club's own fans but by football supporters throughout the county.

Sarsfields v Athy

Never too far away Sarsfields have former Athy manager, Vinnie Walsh in their corner while Athy are managed Ross Bell and Conor Rohan.

Sarsfields went through the league campaign impressively giving a lot of young, up-and-coming players an opportunity to show what they are capable of.

And in most cases those lads showed enough to earn starting places. Players such as Conor O'Donovan, Ryan Kearney, the Loakman boys and when you add in the experience of Shea and Daragh Ryan, Callum Bolton, Ben McCormack, Karl Hartley, Tom Aspell, Tadhg Hoey while Barry Coffey's display when introduced at half-time against The Bridge, will surely guarantee him a starting spot.

Sarsfields showed what they were made of against Johnstownbridge in the quarter, a game marred by a big wind that saw The Bridge lead by a dozen points after 31 minutes but gradually hauled in with the Newbridge lads winning by four in the end.

While Athy were far from their best in defeating Caragh in their quarter-final, they still never really looked they would lose.

Yes, some of their better players did not look to be firing on all cylinders but if the sight of the Sarsfields jersey does not click them into full playing mode then noting well.

They had a change in keeper in Shane Jackman in that game while Ben Purcell started on the bench but joined in the action before half-time and while it took a softish penalty to kick start them they did hit three goals, wing forwards Colm Moran and Conor Doyle adding to Kevin Feely's penalty.

Lots of experience here also, Cathal McCarron, James McGrath, David Hyland, the Kelly lads and the up-and-coming Moran and Doyle who a lot is expected of in the coming seasons.

Athy will tear into Sarsfields from the get-go, have no doubt about that but at the end of the day one has to feel that the quality that Sarsfields have in their ranks should be enough to get them over the line.

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