Earley believes Tyrone perfect test of progress

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINALS: IT SAYS a lot about the way Dermot Earley is playing these days, and perhaps the confidence of the Kildare team, that he's more worried about the nature of the pitch in Croke Park on Sunday than the nature of the opposition. With Tyrone, of course, you know exactly what you're going to get; God knows what you'll get with a new pitch laid just a couple of days previously.

“A few years ago the pitch was causing fierce trouble,” says Earley, “but they seemed to have got it right. And that’s what I find a bit strange, that they dug it up again. As a playing surface it was perfect, but you have to trust them. They seem confident that the pitch will be 100 per cent so you have to take their word for it.

“The only thing I would be worried about is what type of boots to wear. If you got a run-out you could assess whether to wear six studs or moulded, which is a huge decision for footballers to make. You don’t want to be slipping. You don’t want to get blisters either. You’ll know in the warm-up, though, and we’ll be watching Cork and Donegal beforehand. We have the benefit of that, those boys don’t. Dublin and Kerry also have the benefit of watching us.”

So to the nature of the opposition: there is a feeling Tyrone haven’t been fully tested yet and might somehow be vulnerable on Sunday, but naturally Earley is not buying that. “Sure there are no easy games at this stage,” he says.

“I suppose these are the challenges you want to put yourself up against. We have been watching Tyrone for the last six years on TV, winning All-Irelands, Ulster titles, and contesting finals. This is a chance for us to see how good we are and put ourselves up against the best. Tyrone have set the benchmark over the last couple of years in terms of fitness and running non-stop and tackling. It is good we get Tyrone, the top team, and see how far away we are, or are we there already? We will find out on Sunday.”

If Kildare needed any reminder what Tyrone are capable of, they only have to look to their manager, Kieran McGeeney, who endured many a battle with the All-Ireland champions during his previous reincarnation as Armagh captain.

“Sure he does,” said Earley, “and so does Paul Grimley (the Kildare selector). They have that knowledge, they have played so many times up there. At the same time hopefully we will go out and play our own game. You can’t get caught up in what Tyrone and all the great players they have. We have to concentrate on our own game. Hopefully we can do it.”

Beating Wicklow last Saturday was important for Kildare on two counts; it got them back to winning ways after going down narrowly to Dublin in the Leinster final, and also made amends for the defeat to Wicklow a year ago.

“I think people are realising this Wicklow side aren’t a bad side at all. It wasn’t about revenge for us. We’ve been tested now in a good few of the games, especially in the Dublin game. The positive was even after the bad start we gave them, the 1-3, we knuckled down and came back and took the lead. There were a few little mistakes and we let them in for that second goal. It could have been a different story. We can only look at all those things, try and learn from them.

“But I think we have improved since the Dublin game . . . I think we did overuse the ball in the second half. In the first half, we probably let it go. I think Dublin at half-time went out and defended, and attacked us on the counter and got their scores. It was hard to hit the ball into the forwards because there were so many Dubs in there. The overuse of the extra man didn’t help.”

The loss of Mikey Conway to a knee cruciate injury is noted with regret by the midfielder. “He has been playing really well. He has been a great playmaker and his foot-passing has been excellent. We’ll miss him but whoever steps in will be able to do the job.”

Being free from injury is the main reason Earley believes he’s playing as well as he is, possibly the best football of his career, despite recently turning 31 and making his senior debut in 1997 in the three-match Leinster championship epic against Meath.

“It is hard to say was I ever as fit. I certainly feel as strong. Staying injury free, that’s the main thing. When you do get injuries, people expect you to get back to where you were but it doesn’t work like that. I’ve had a run over the last couple of years where I haven’t had any major injuries and that’s probably paying off.”