Preview: Kildare to edge rivals Meath

by Setantasports.com staff , 30 July 2010

This meeting of neighbours will be a case of nearest, but not dearest. (Meath v Kildare, Croke Park, Sunday 4pm)


There is little love lost when these sides meet, although it will be interesting to see how Meath react to playing against the backdrop of their grand larceny against luckless Louth in the provincial final. They will have to push it to the back of their minds, although harbouring a guilt complex is not something traditionally associated with the Royals by unkind observers.

Kildare didn't have an illegal goal to save them when they crashed out of Leinster to the Wee county early in the summer, but they've enjoyed a renaissance in the qualifiers to the point where they now look poised to take this game.

Meath's back-line has been suspect all campaign and although they hammered Dublin, the scoreline has a freakish element to it when viewed in the emerging context of the summer as a whole.

Meath went on to really struggle against Louth at midfield and it's clear that when the Royals' ace attackers are starved of ball and the defence comes under pressure, an opponent can make inroads. Even Dublin, playing in an almighty funk at the time, had their moments against Meath even if they're largely forgotten now.

Kildare have built very well and come through some very gritty encounters against Derry and Monaghan. These were character-building results and overall they look to have the organisation and physical toughness required to get on top of Meath, but unlike Louth, have the mental capacity to make it stick in the final minutes of what should be a close encounter.

Meath: B Murphy; C O'Connor, K Reilly, E Harrington; A Moyles, G O'Brien, C King; N Crawford (captain), B Meade; S Kenny, J Sheridan, G Reilly; C Ward, S O'Rourke, S Bray

Kildare: S McCormack; P Kelly, H McGrillen, A MacLochlainn; M O'Flaherty, E Bolton, B Flanagan; D Flynn, D Earley; J Kavanagh, P O'Neill, E O'Flaherty; J Doyle, A Smith, E Callaghan.

Watch GAA games live on PPV
Allianz FL Division One
Pos
Team P W D L +/- PTS
1.
Cork
2
1
1
0
13
3
2.
Armagh
2
1
1
0
4
3
3.
Mayo
1
1
0
0
6
2
4.
Kerry
2
1
0
1
2
2
5.
Laois
2
1
0
1
-3
2
6.
Down
2
1
0
1
-12
2
7.
Donegal
2
0
0
2
-4
0
8.
Dublin
1
0
0
1
-6
0
Allianz FL Division Two
Pos
Team P W D L +/- PTS
1.
Meath
2
2
0
0
18
4
2.
Tyrone
2
2
0
0
17
4
3.
Galway
2
1
2
0
4
3
4.
Louth
2
1
2
0
3
3
5.
Monaghan
2
1
0
1
-1
2
6.
Kildare
2
0
0
2
-10
0
7.
Westmeath
2
0
0
2
-15
0
8.
Derry
2
0
0
2
-16
0
Allianz FL Division Three
Pos
Team P W D L +/- PTS
1.
Longford
2
2
0
0
16
4
2.
Roscommon
2
2
0
0
6
4
3.
Antrim
2
2
0
0
4
4
4.
Sligo
2
1
0
1
5
2
5.
Wexford
2
1
0
1
-1
2
6.
Tipperary
2
0
0
2
-6
0
7.
Cavan
2
0
0
2
-8
0
8.
Offaly
2
0
0
2
-16
0
Allianz FL Division Four
Pos
Team P W D L +/- PTS
1.
Limerick
2
2
0
0
9
4
2.
Wicklow
1
1
0
0
30
2
3.
Waterford
2
1
0
1
11
2
4.
Clare
2
1
0
1
5
2
5.
Fermanagh
1
1
0
0
3
2
6.
Leitrim
2
1
0
1
-1
2
7.
Carlow
1
0
0
1
-2
0
8.
London
1
0
0
1
-6
0
9.
Kilkenny
2
0
0
2
-49
0
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