‘Win was the main thing but we have a lot to learn’
Kildare mascot Josh Reidy with manager Kieran McGeeney before the game against Kerry in the Allianz National Football league division 1 round 3 game at St Conleth's Park, Newbridge. Picture: Martin Rowe/Adrian Melia Photo
THE performance wasn’t as polished as he would have liked but nonetheless the two points were most welcome for Kildare boss Kieran McGeeney last Sunday.
It’s three wins from three now for the Lilies, who are joint top of Division 1 along with next weekend’s opponents Dublin, while for Kerry, they lie on the bottom with no wins from three.
“The win was the main thing but they have a lot to learn as well. Kerry were missing a few of their forwards and the fact that they didn’t have their shooting boots on helped us but we were similar. We just panicked a bit after we missed the penalty, our structure broke down, but that happens,” said McGeeney at full time on Sunday.
The Armagh man had to take positives from the victory despite Kildare’s lack lustre second half showing. However, there’s still plenty of improvement needed says the manager.
“I do think we put them under pressure to kick a lot of those wides but I’m disappointed we broke down after the penalty. We were grasping a wee bit and trying too hard to get the scores. They just needed to relax a wee bit and do what they were doing in the first half and it would have came. I thought we just delayed putting the ball in a wee bit in the second half. We moved well in the first but we need to be able to do that for 75 minutes,” added McGeeney.
Kerry, along with Down, are now in real trouble. Relegation to Division 2 is a real possibility for the Kingdom but McGeeney refused to write them off just yet.
“People have been saying there’s problems in Kerry for 125 years! Yet they keep coming back. I think they were missing seven players against Dublin, seven decent forwards that any squad would miss so I can’t see them being that far away,” he admitted.
Up next is a meeting with Leinster champions Dublin in Croke Park. The Dubs, along with Tyrone and Kildare, are unbeaten thus far in the Division and after their superb performance against Mayo last weekend, the meeting with the Lilies is a much anticipated one.
“It will be hard beat them (Dublin) because they are flying at the minute. Bernard (Brogan) seems to be unstoppable at the moment. Both teams have Under 21 games during the weeks and both team have been using a lot of Under 21 players too so it will be interest to see how we’ll be able to line out on Sunday,” remarked the Kildare boss.
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Weather for Naas, Ireland
Saturday 18 May 2013
Today
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