Kildare enjoy low key approach

THE hype and expectations have deflated, somewhat. Kildare, who carried so much extra baggage in the form of unfulfilled promises earlier this decade, are enjoying the low key build up to their Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter final encounter with Lao is at Croke Park on Sunday.

It is an unusual, but pleasant enough, experience for the likes of Shay Dowling. He was an important cog in the Kildare machine when Mick O'Dwyer was in charge; and the defender remains an integral part of the set up under Dermot Earley.

Successive Leinster Final defeats at the hands of Dublin and, then, last year's shock first round dismissal by Louth have tempered the hopes of Kildare fans, however. "Their expectations certainly wouldn't be as high as in previous years," admitted Dowling.

"I suppose Micko brought a lot of hype to Kildare football, but Dermot wouldn't have as high a profile and, as such, the whole build up has been a lot quieter. And I think we would prefer it that way," he said.

Kildare gained the psychological edge over Laois when beating them in a Division One relegation play off at GAA Headquarters in March, but Dowling refutes suggestions that the match was effectively a dress rehearsal for Sunday's showdown.

I don't think that League playoff match will have any relevance to Sunday's game," said Dowling. "On the day, we were the better team and won. But that is it. All our preparations have been geared towards this match, just like Laois. That earlier meeting will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome.

As far as the Leinster championship is concerned, Dowling believes that whoever wins between. Kildare and Laois will have a great incentive to at least reach the final: "Dublin are, undoubtedly, the team to beat again this year. But whoever wins our match on Sunday will lace Meath or Carlow in the semi final, and would give us at least a fifty fifty chance in that situation. There is a realistic chance of making the final for whichever team wins this one.

Laois defender Denis Lalor, meanwhile, expects to be able to face Kildare, despite incurring a hand injury in training in mid week. One of his team mates accidentally stood on Lalor's hand in the middle of a session.

However, Lalor said the injury was only a minor one and would not keep him out of the Laois team for the match. The injury to centre half forward and captain Hugh Emerson, though, continues to cause concern in the Laois camp, although the selectors plan to give him as much time as possible to prove his fitness.

Carlow - who meet Meath in the first part of the "double header" at Croke Park on Sunday - are also awaiting fitness reports on the Hayden brothers, Joe and Colm.

. Tyrone defender Seamus McCallan is set to return to the team for the Ulster senior football championship semi final meeting with National League champions Derry on June 30th.

McCallan, who missed last Sunday's facile win over Fermanagh because of a hand injury, came through a championship match on Wednesday night with no ill effects.