Kildare's hard work beginning to show results

Despite some confusion surrounding Kildare's last appearance in the play-offs of the National Football League - some reports stating 1991 when it was in fact 1997 - the overall consensus is it's been a while. Their semi-final clash with Donegal on Sunday is also something of a novelty compared to the familiarity of the other semi-final - which features Galway against Mayo.

Coincidentally, Kildare also played Donegal in their 1991 league semi-final, winning by four points, before losing the subsequent final to Dublin. It was another six years before they qualified for the 1997 league semi-final, where they lost Cork.

Donegal have contested four further league play-offs since 1991, but like Kildare they have yet to win the title outright.

The one obvious link between the current Kildare team and that of previous play-off experience is the involvement of Davy Dalton, the team selector, and also manager John Crofton. Dalton was Kildare's All Star full in 1997 (although he didn't play in that year's league semi-final) and both himself and John Crofton were on the Kildare team that contested the 1991 final - with Dalton playing right full back, and Crofton at full back.

"Well I wouldn't make too many comparisons between this Kildare team and the team that made the semi-finals back in 1997," says Dalton. "Back in 1997 we were a lot more established, whereas this team is much younger, more of a coming team, still learning the ropes."

Sunday's 0-15 to 1-12 draw with Laois was enough to see them through, and having set the pace in Division One B since the early stages it would have harsh for Kildare to miss out. Yet they've still proved something of the surprise package. Their pre-season form, especially in the O'Byrne Cup, was not impressive, although at the time Crofton made it clear he was far more concerned about establishing a good training base.

"We have put a lot of work in over the past few months," confirms Dalton. "There was a lot of work put in last year, but then a lot of results just didn't go our way. I think the players have learnt a lot from that, and that's helped them get the extra few wins this year."

Kildare have been without injured captain Dermot Earley in recent weeks (he's due back next month), but it's the young bloods such as defenders Mark Hogarty and Emmet Bolton, midfielder Kevin O'Neill, and forwards Ken Donnelly and Padraig O'Neill who have been leading the way - along with John Doyle, naturally.

Their extended league run is also the ideal build-up to the Leinster championship clash with Meath on May 20th. In the meantime Dalton hardly disguises the fact Kildare would love to win the league title. "Well no more than Donegal we're not going up to Croke Park to lose. It is a big test for us . . . but I don't think we'll be that far off and it is great preparation going into the championship. There was definitely a bit of a buzz there last Sunday, with 14,000 in Newbridge."