Managed by Declan Cyran, Maynooth weren't just satisfied to take the provincial crown, which they did by beating Tubberclair from Westmeath by three points back in early December. They have the winning bug now and sure wouldn't a stab at the All Irel
and title be nice?
Cryan, who also manages the Kildare Vocational Schools team, thinks so anyway but first things first because Maynooth have the small matter of All Ireland semi final this Sunday.
Spa, a team based in Killarney, captured the Muster title when they had seven points to spare over Clare's Cratloe in a game played in Mallow. The East Kerry side, managed by Sean Moynihan, put in a masterful performance to claim their first ever provincial title.
They are particular strong in defence and their full back line of Brian Gleeson, Aidan Cahill and Fergus Clifford put in a superb performance in the Muster final.
Prior to that Spa comfortably accounted for Carrick Swans from Tipperary in the semi final, while they received a walkover from the Waterford champions in the first round. In the Munster semi final they prevailed by a twelve point margin and as aforementioned seven points was the winning margin in the final.
Declan Cyran knows his team have a tough 60 minutes of football ahead of them but he would expect nothing less at this stage of the competition.
"At this stage there are only four teams left in the competition so everyone is going to be good. Kerry football has a massive tradition but if you go out with the attitude that Kerry football is traditionally better than Kildare football you're defeated before you go out," insisted the Maynooth boss.
"We have a good bit of research done on them but sometimes if you concentrate on the opposition too much it can be to the detriment of your own game. Some times you can over analyze your opposition and it will take away from your own team. We have the basics done on them and after that we are thinking of our own game," said Cryan.
Aside from their Leinster semi final win over Louth side St Malachy's, Maynooth have had nothing but tough encounters right the way through. They had to grind out results against both Oldcastle from Meath and Tubberclair in the decider and this can only stand to the north Kildare outfit.
"We were never going to get any easy games in this competition and the Leinster final was tough. At this time of the year pitches are heavy and the conditions are a great leveller of standards. A goal can be a big turning point in a game and that's what happened against Oldcastle and Tubberclair. You rarely see high scoring games at this time of the year," admitted Cryan.
A winning goal would do just nicely this Sunday.
On the injury front Maynooth will be without the services of Mike Fahey, while Niall Byrne and Fergie Molloy are also ruled out with a back and leg injury respectively.
Maynooth supporters will be hoping their county man Karl Ennis can recapture his pre-Christmas form that saw him grab the winning goal in the Leinster final just seven minutes from time. The versatile player has been in inspiring form right the way through for Maynooth, while his brother Pierre has also shone and will be vital from dead ball situations.
Declan Cryan is hoping for a big county wide support on Shannonside this Sunday where his side will fly the flag for Kildare and bid to make it in to a final against either Naomh Anna from Galway or Cookstown Fr Rock's from Tyrone. Throw in at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick is at 2.30pm.
