5 players who impressed in Kildare's opening game of the season

Kildare got their 2016 O'Byrne Cup campaign underway on Sunday afternoon with a comfortable 14-point victory over DIT in St Conleth's Park. New manager Cian O'Neill will have taken plenty of positives from a victory that saw the Lilywhites rack up 24 points in a fine team performance, while there were a number of individuals who also caught the eye.

The Two Mile House club-man was given the no.3 jersey in Cian O'Neill's first game in charge and certainly gave a performance to suggest that he may be their for an extended period this season. His partner in the full-back line yesterday -Ciarán Fitzpatrick- played there last year but Kelly's performance yesterday outlined his capabilities for the role.

He had arguably the toughest task of any player on the pitch, marking his former county team-mate Tomás O'Connor. Kelly wasn't found wanting in the air against the Clane giant, competing well and restricting the amount of clean ball he fielded. The fact that O'Connor left Newbridge without scoring means Kelly can be content with a job well done in his first outing. Hugh Mc Grillen's return will provide competition for the full-back berth, though that provides O'Neill with the type of headache that won't have him reaching for the paracetamol.

Daniel Flynn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jLL1IYEye8

Flynn started Sunday's game in midfield alongside David Whyte and the duo pretty much bossed the middle sector and helped gain a foothold in the game for the home side. Whether or not midfield is Flynn's best position is open to debate, and he will undoubtedly face tougher propositions in the months to come, but the Johnstownbridge man showed a physically dominant edge and his ability to take a score with ease too.

The former AFL star bagged three points and almost split the crossbar in half with a cracking left-footed strike in the first half. Considering that nowadays midfielders tend to be more mobile, strong running athletes, Flynn fits the mould of the typical modern day centre-field incumbent . The standard of foot passing he provides from the middle sector is also a major incentive to give him the nod there on a permanent basis.

Eoghan O'Flaherty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyC8_Nob_tk

One of Kildare's best performers throughout 2015, the Carbury playmaker picked up where he left off with a display that oozed class from the very first minute. While Adam Tyrell caught the eye in the first half, it was O'Flaherty who pulled the strings and helped to shut the game out when DIT threatened at the beginning of the second period.

A six point haul, which included two points from play and a superb '45 effort, showcased his shooting skills but it was the ease in which he spread the ball about the field that really caught the eye. Kildare have plenty of options for the half-forward line, but the thoughts of O'Flaherty and perhaps Niall Kelly operating in tandem there is something that should excite Kildare fans.

Adam Tyrell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aAPvmeAaQ4

The free scoring wing-forward said in a post-match interview that the collective team performance had a lot to do with the fitness levels that O'Neill's training has brought the side to, but the Moorefield attackers performance was based around purely footballing skills rather than athleticism, and that is said in the most complementary way possible.

His nine point tally had various types of scores mixed into it, with one free from the right wing particularly eye-catching. His performance level tailed off ever so slightly in the second half, but he still managed to raise a further three white flags with scores from play.

He told this reporter after the game that he just wants to continue scoring against Louth and Offaly in the coming week to make sure he makes the cut for the league. Players aren't judged on performances in January, but a replication of these types of displays will ensure he stays firmly in O'Neill's plans.

Fionn Dowling

While Seamus Hanafin and James Eaton were consistently lively in the full-forward line, it was Dowling's display in the centre that will have given the Kildare selectors food for thought. The trend of having a big full-forward has come back into Gaelic football in recent years and Dowling certainly presents a rounded option at the edge of the square.

The Suncroft sharpshooter held his position as the focal point of the attack very well, and while he only scored one point on the day, his ability to bring team-mates into play is one of the most important parts of his role. If O'Neill does decide to go with the traditional 'big man' in full-forward he will be looking at either Dowling or St Laurence's Padraig Fogarty to occupy that station. Dowling has held his hand up for further selection now.