GAELIC GAMES:AFTER THE All-Ireland quarter-finals, Kildare looked like the best team in the country but that was four weeks ago. A lot can change in that time and their momentum has been slowed.
Kildare and Down had both become accustomed to playing games on a weekly basis, which hardly gave them time to think about their progress, and it certainly brought the best out of them.
The break changes things. The build-up is new territory for both of them. The stakes have risen significantly and whichever team copes with this the better will progress.
Kildare’s improved mental strength has been mirroring their manager Kieran McGeeney as a player but Down bring something else again. Tradition cannot be discounted at this stage of the championship.
I’m still very impressed with their approach to the Kerry game. Down arrived in Croke Park with a swagger and a sense of confidence in themselves that only comes with pedigree. Their successes in the 1960s and 1990s has given this generation a belief that they are the Ulster aristocrats of Gaelic football back to reclaim their throne. They know that Down sides do not lose All-Ireland finals nor do they lose to Kerry.
Buoyed by their history, they attacked Kerry right out the gate and were rewarded with an early goal.
This admirable lack of nerves must be replicated tomorrow and I think it can be. Down have a team made up of successful minor and under-21 players who are keen to transfer this to a senior All-Ireland.
What makes tomorrow such a fascinating encounter is Kildare will also firmly believe they have right of passage.
McGeeney’s team have shown they can cope with surrendering a lead in the opening quarter of games before they settle and work themselves back into a commanding position. This is proof of a strong self-belief in a system but you can only get away with that for so long. It would be a dangerous gamble if it occurs again here.
McGeeney has also been through it all as a player and has retained the same impressive composure on the sideline but he will be aware that Kildare cannot afford another poor start because Down proved against Kerry that they are very difficult to catch.
What has impressed me most about Down has been the movement of their forwards. The Kerry defenders had to let their markers go due to the constant interchanging. This is all part of an inventive system that is not interested in speculative shooting.
There will be no wild attempts for the posts like those we saw from Dublin in the final minutes last week, it is all rehearsed and calculated to create an unopposed shot. With Benny Coulter on the inside and everything orchestrated by Marty Clarke’s excellent distribution, it has also led to goals.
Danny Hughes and Mark Poland have impressed me, while Ronan Murtagh will come in and usually makes a scoring impact.
Most importantly, there is a genuine and well-honed desire to not waste any ball.
In contrast, Kildare are more gung-ho once they get over the halfway line at pace. The long ball will be sprayed into the formidable full-forward line duo of Alan Smith and John Doyle.
It is more of a kicking game though, hand-passing carefully until they enter opposing territory where a player is encouraged to shoot if he has a sight of the posts.
They do have a decent spread of scorers but should James Kavanagh or Doyle have an off- day then they are in serious trouble because Down have up to four forwards that can contribute at least 0-3.
Then again, there is an undeniable trust built up between the management and players in Kildare. When Doyle was missing from all angles against Monaghan, nobody panicked, while Doyle continued to get through a Trojan amount of work out the field.
Eventually it came right.
I think the instructions in Kildare are to not be held back by fear. If the shot is on, pull the trigger. If you miss, it’s history, move on. Win the next ball.
They will play the game at a high tempo. That’s what exposed the Meath midfield and brittle defence in the second half. But it is a dangerous gamble as Down are also a very athletic team with no obvious weaknesses. They can stay with Kildare. If Kildare can’t stay with them they will be taken out.
My gut tells me Down will progress. They are coming at this All-Ireland cold. Just the way they have done in the past.
There is no doubting Kildare will have periods of dominance but my problem with them is the damage that happens to them when their intensity takes the inevitable dip.
From that point of view, Dermot Earley must play. His loss would be incalculable in this type of game. They will need a steadying and experienced hand when the flow is going against them. If his knee blows up, so might Kildare’s collective challenge.
He is more important to them than Ambrose Rogers is to Down.
The sum of the parts will decide this contest. And goals. That means Down on both counts.
Also, composure will play a huge role in what I suspect will be a tight contest to the finish, just like last week.
When Kerry attempted to ease into the semi-final via a few late raids, Down hit them for five unanswered scores. That is composure under the most intense pressure. Kildare’s progress has been more about rhythm and tempo; blowing teams apart down the home straight.
Louth and Dublin failed when it came to closing out their big games this season. It was a lack of composure because they were in unfamiliar territory. A lack of discipline too.
I think both managers and both teams realise that doing the simple things well is paramount, no thoughtless belts towards goal like Denis Bastick did for Dublin against Cork. Bastick was a sub and shouldn’t have been taking that free. It is crucial to make sure possession goes to the man who will not be rushed into making a rash decision as the game reaches its defining moment.
For Down that means getting possession to Marty Clarke.
Everyone down here in Kerry is saying Kildare will progress, because they want Kildare to progress, but my instinct says Down by a point or two. They are a coming team with a whip-smart young manager in James McCartan who, like McGeeney, has done it all as a player.
