Eoin Doyle relishing Armagh test with momentum at the start of the league vital

After suffering relegation from Division 1 in 2018, the Kildare Senior Footballers go into a new year in Division 2 and they will be hoping they can repeat the trick of two years ago in securing promotion.

The League begins at home with the return of a familiar face as Kieran McGeeney brings his Armagh side to Newbridge.

The last time the sides met the orchard county came out on top in a Croke Park qualifier and while they pose a considerable threat Kildare are eager to concentrate on their own game.

“We are training well and we feel we are in a good space and are looking forward to the Armagh game and seeing where we really are because that’s where we will find that out for this time of the year”, captain Eoin Doyle admitted.

“Armagh will face up just fine to us but I won’t be worrying too much about them as they will absolutely come down with intent to win”.

“They have a lot of very good footballers who we will have to be wary of but we have to focus on ourselves and what we want to do and there is an added spice with the management connection but that cant interfere with what we are trying to do and no doubt it won’t with them either”.

Kildare may have lost every game during their short stint in Division 1 but they were on the wrong side of a couple of one point defeats with particular close affairs against Tyrone and Monaghan.

It’s something Doyle and the team themselves are tying to rectify with a good start also very high on the agenda.

“We had a lot of close defeats in Division 1 last year but the top table is very cut-throat and that led us to relegation unfortunately but although we played ok in some of those games it’s not going to impact on how we play this year or it doesn’t mean we are going to get as close to other teams in this division unless we go out and put ourselves in a position to do that and make sure that we drive on during those second half plays to make sure we are on the right side of the results”.

“Momentum is very important and we are under no illusions about that and experience has definitely taught me that and we will be aiming to do that”.

“It’s important that us as players take the chances that we create and finish the job on that particular day because if you don’t you can find yourself on the wrong side of that momentum and that is something we were conscious of last year but it’s something we know we have to get right”.

The Kildare fanbase seemed to be get back in vogue with the team on the back of the “Newbridge or Nowhere” campaign and the subsequent defeat of Mayo last year and its something the captain would love to see continue for the coming year.

“We just need to stick together, Kildare supporters have followed us through thick and thin and we as players need to give them reasons to get behind us and continue their support but as long as I’ve ben here they have been fantastic but definitely last year for the Mayo game there was more of a connection made between the two and we’d encourage everyone to keep that going”, he said.