Old rivals Kildare and Clare meet in search of All-Ireland glory

The time has come and a season’s hard graft for the Kildare ladies comes to a crescendo as they face old foes Clare in the All-Ireland Intermediate Final. It is a repeat of the Division 3 final earlier this year, where Kildare edged past Clare in extra-time 2-11 to 2-10 thanks to a brilliant Róisín Byrne free-kick winner.

Clare, who faced The Lilies in the 2016 Intermediate final, will likely be more open than the teams Kildare have faced in previos weeks, and with good reason as they possess much more of the firepower necessary to fight toe-to-toe.

But what have they been up to since the League final? The answer is scoring and doing so, heavily. Clare have hit an average points total of just over 19 points in their last three games. Hitting 2-14 in their semi-final with Antrim, 3-14 against Westmeath in the quarters and 2-9 in their final group game against Tyrone, which was a draw.

It’s fantastic scoring and re-enforces the notion that Clare have what is needed to take Diane O’Hora’s Lilywhites head on. Kildare are averaging just 12 points from their last three games, an undoubted deviation from their usual output this year and something that has reduced game on game. 

Concerns might arise that the increased focus on defence since the chaotic Leitrim tie has reduced that attacking flair that we have long associated with this team. However, to think that I feel would be to oversimplify the equation.

Kildare’s reduction in scoring is partnered with a stunning defensive record that has seen them concede just 0-10 in their last three games. Six points fewer than Clare are conceding on average in each game.

For all their scoring prowess, Clare are leaking plenty at the other end in doing so. As mentioned, The Banner County have conceded an average of 16 points per game in their last three and, it has to be said, against sides with far less potent forwards than Kildare. Clare will attempt to be less gung-ho in Croker but will they be able to do so after so many weeks of chaos at both ends?

I think both sides are going to see deviation in the statistics that were noted above in this final. I feel Clare have too much scoring power to be reduced to just 0-3 but with that said, I don’t think they will get up to their prior tallies against this Kildare defence. The opportunities they have been afforded in recent weeks will likely not be present or as frequent this time around and how they react to that will be crucial.

The average of just 12 points won’t worry anyone in that Kildare dressing room, they have got the job done to get to this point. A leaky defence is much more of a drastic concern than an attack that maybe hasn’t shot the lights out in recent weeks. But it is an attack that still contains the likes of Róisín Byrne, Neasa Dooley and many others who have the necessary scoring talent.

Kildare will attempt to play how they always have this year and if they can transition the ball how they want to, they can make this feel like a long 60 minutes for their opponents. On a nice August afternoon, Kildare might just stretch and pull that Clare defence all over the hallowed turf at HQ. Things rarely go 100% to plan in finals but if Kildare can find that dangerous rhythm early to settle their nerves, I think they could hit Clare hard.

The Kildare ladies have been the shining light for Lilywhite senior sides this year and such is the brilliance of the team, the best way to praise their stellar 2023 so far is to analyse them ahead of their final game.

Defence

A towering presence between the sticks, super shot-stopper Mary Hulgraine sits behind what was revealed on media day that she calls ‘The Great Wall of China’. The Kildare back six have come in for tons of praise this year and have earned all of it. 

Both lines of The Lilies defence are exemplified by their central piece, Laoise Lenehan is titanic at full-back and, as well as being superb at contesting possession, is more often than not winning the ball by being proactive and brave. The full-back line all get out in front of their respective markers and win the ball before it’s even in a forward’s hands. Lauren Burke and Aoife Clifford are led by their vice-captain and both have, at multiple points this year, shown their serious quality either side of her.

The wing-back line and their centre-back are no different, the task is slightly different but the execution is similar. It’s all about those turnovers and the one setting the tempo here is Ruth Sargent. Mind-bogglingly, the Eadestown defender was a county minor last year, a fact you would never know from seeing her operate in this team. Sargent is a turnover machine and her involvement doesn’t stop there as she possesses all the ability to carry Kildare up the pitch with the ball.

Two players that have shone in the previously analysed three games have been Lara Gilbert and Lauren Murtagh, Sargent’s wing-women have been in incredible form in recent weeks and are the first bodies to the ball if Kildare end up being turned over.

Midfield

The pairing of captain Grace Clifford and Aoife Rattigan in midfield has been present throughout Kildare’s 2023 campaign, and for good reason. There is almost little to say about the pair that have marshalled the middle third so excellently this year.

Adding to their general midfield dominance, Cappagh’s Rattigan has the shooting range to rival any player and often pops up with a point or two that seem to always be an absolute cracker. 

Clifford is captain, leader, legend in this Kildare team and she leads by example in the middle. Her brilliant range of passing will be huge in this game and she is, as much as any of these players, someone for the big occasion, so don’t rule out a scoring contribution for the Eadestown player in Croke Park.

Attack

We’ll start with the wing-forwards as they occupy a unique role in this Kildare system, getting relentlessly up and down the field. Approximately 70% of the earth is covered by water with the other 30% covered by Trina Duggan and Claire Sullivan. To call them just wing-forwards is to undersell their respective engines and they would be more aptly referred to as playing ‘right' and ‘left’ to demonstrate the enormous amount of ground they cover in every phase of play on each side.

Next up is the inverted corner-forwards of Ellen Dowling and Lara Curran, who possess plenty of scoring power of their own, but so often cut inside onto their stronger foot and carve out opportunities for Kildare’s big scorers.

Those big scorers are Róisín Byrne and Neasa Dooley. Byrne is the star that has returned from horrific knee injuries this year to be a central figure in this Kildare journey that has seen them collect two trophies already in 2023. Byrne has fit seamlessly back into her role as chief scorer, kicking 0-10 and the winner in that league final with Clare and a Leinster final where she hit Wexford for 1-7.

Dooley is a goal machine and you could get all the information you needed about her as a player from that crucial goal against Wexford last time out. A tough and ugly grind of a game that was lit up by her endeavour as she turned the ball over and ended by a sublime finish. A betting man would have a flutter on her to hit the net again on the big day.

Added to all that, contributions from the bench will be crucial on the final day in Croke Park. Kildare will have the impact of Gráinne Kenneally (who may yet start), Mia Doherty, and Sarah Munnelly, just to name a few that will likely be seen at some stage of this enormous game.

Kildare face Clare in Croke Park on August 13 in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship final. Throw-in is scheduled for 1:45pm as The Lilies look to win the big one and complete a famous treble-winning season.