Kildare well-equipped to meet Offaly challenge

Kildare should have more than enough firepower to see them through this test to set up a likely semi-final showdown against Dublin.

The hope is Offaly can remain competitive for a lot longer than this time last year, when the same two teams also faced off in the quarter-final, played in Portlaoise. After 15 minutes Offaly started drifting off the pace and never recovered, losing out by 13 points, and relying on goalkeeper Alan Mulhall to really save their blushes.

There are signs Offaly will present a sterner test this time. New manager Emmet McDonnell has certainly restored some player stability, the typically hard-fought promotion from Division Four a reflection of that, even if they narrowly lost out in the final to Limerick.

McDonnell has made no secret of the need to improve Offaly’s fitness, and indeed holds up the work-rate of Kildare as the aspiration. McDonnell has worked with several of the Kildare players as a teacher at St Mary’s in Edenderry, so knows exactly just how hard they work.

For Kieran McGeeney the challenge here is a little different: the need for some fresh energy has prompted him to include five championship debutants (goalkeeper Mark Donnellan, midfielder Daniel Flynn and forwards Paul Cribbin, Niall Kelly and Paddy Brophy), all of whom have graduated from the under-21 team that didn’t quite live up to expectations earlier this year.

McDonnell is certainly getting the very best out of Offaly captain Niall McNamee. Eoin Carroll, Daithi Brady and Johnny Brickland will all make first championship appearances, while David Hanlon makes his first championship start.Critical to the end result will be Offaly’s ability to settle Croke Park as though they played the Division Four final there, this marks their first Leinster championship match in GAA HQ in six years.