AFL: Kildare take on All-Ireland champions on Sunday

With both teams on just one point after two games, Sunday's Allianz Football League, Division 1, Round 3 game in Healy Park, Omagh is indeed an intriguing one and with All-Ireland champions, Tyrone, possibly without four of their stars due to suspension, while Kildare are struggling somewhat, despite drawing their opening game (at home) to Kerry.

The Sam Maguire holders hit the headlines last time out when they had no less than four players red carded, following a melee which also saw one Armagh player receiving marching orders.

The four, Michael McKiernan, Pádraig Hampsey, Peter Harte and Kieran McGeary had their initial appeals turned down and they now have the option of a second appeal, to the Central Appeals Committee and if they lose that, ultimately to the DRA, although the timeline will be very tight.

If the one match bans are upheld it will be a big blow to Tyrone, three of those players won All-Star Awards last season while Kieran McGeary was also Player of the Year.

Kildare have their own problems after that disappointing result (and display) against Donegal — a game Kildare were very much in coming up to half time but then conceded a second goal (and a point) that made their task very difficult indeed.

In fairness The Lilies came out and showed much more intent in the second half and in fact dominated for long periods but while they reduced the deficit to three points, failed to get any closer, despite having many opportunities (3 wides in two minutes certainly did nothing for their cause).

In the end Donegal broke out of the stranglehold they had been in to fire over a number of points in the final seven or eight minutes to clinch the game, 2-11 to 1-9.

Kildare lost Kevin Feely to a calf injury 20 minutes in; around the same time as Donegal lost Michael Murphy to something similar but even at that stage The Lilies were well in the game having scored a Jimmy Hyland goal, while they also should have found the net earlier, at times particularly in that opening half, looked under a lot of pressure when Donegal attacked at pace from the back, with players coming off-the-shoulder time and time again.

On Sunday The Lilies will be up against (amongst others) one of the best keepers in the game, Niall Morgan, who has perfected the art of goalkeeping, to finding his own player from his kick-out, left and right kicker, long and short and indeed is not shy in leaving his area to advance up field, no stranger to that as he is an out-field player with his club.

Tyrone also possess some highly-rated attacking defenders, players who will run with the ball (like most northern teams) while also confident enough to go for, and find, the posts.

Big, strong, robust midfielders in Donnelly and Kennedy, Kildare will need to work their socks off to keep these lads under control while up front Rian O'Neill is as good as what's around while Darragh Canavan is a real star in the making.

The Lilies have been working extremely hard on the training ground since that Donegal game, a challenge game, a couple of in-house games were well contested and while Sunday's game will be another major test, this is where you learn, and where young players in particular gain experience.

Jimmy Hyland was as busy as a bee against Donegal, scoring 1-4, have no doubt he will be targeted by the Tyrone defence; Paddy Woodgate chipped in two frees but the rest of the front men, combined, only added a point, and even at that that should have scored another goal.

It will be interesting to see how Glenn Ryan lines out his squad for Omagh.

Will Kevin Feely be sufficiently recovered form that calf injury?

Is it time to give Neil Flynn and Fergal Conway a start while Brian McLoughlin can't be too far away from a starting shirt.

Darragh Kirwan and Alex Beirne played in an in-house challenge last week which is a real bonus; if they are deemed fit they will probably be included in the match day squad but it will all depend on their fitness as the manager has repeatedly made clear.

“When the players are fit they will get their chance, but not until they are fit" the manager has said on more than one occasion.

Daniel Flynn is going through a drought at the minute, and while he did not score against Kerry he contributed a lot more that day than he did against Donegal; for some reason the ball is just not sticking but he is a class player and hopefully will click back into top gear sooner rather than later.

Aaron Masterson came on for Kevin Feely in Donegal and had a fine second half after a somewhat slow start.

Eoin Doyle has yet to make a match day panel having picked up an injury on his return.

As we said at the start of this voyage, patience is required; a new team will not emerge over night but having said that it is essential that if The Lilies are to survive in this Division they will have to start picking up a point or two sooner rather than later.

No easy games in Division 1 and no tougher place to go than Healy Park and while Tyrone, if missing those four players, would certainly be weakened, All-Ireland champions have strength in depth, no doubt, we saw in the All-Ireland final last year and we will probably see it again on Sunday.