Avoiding the Tailteann Cup a motivation in itself says Feely

Everyone is aware at this stage exactly what was as stake when Kildare lined out against Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Leinster Senior Football Championship last Sunday week; win and you advance to the semi-final but lose, due to the poor league display, it was out of the All-Ireland series and into the Tailteann Cup.

So did that put extra pressure on the players for that game?

“Definitely” admitted Kevin Feely, adding “especially with the ramifications of losing; every game is an All-Ireland final now until we get to a Leinster final as we will be in the Tailteann Cup if we don't make it to the Leinster final; so yes big pressure due to where we finished in the league and of course as our performances were nowhere near from what we are capable of, that brought added pressure, knowing that if we lost a game we would be playing in a B championship; something none of us wanted.”

Frustrating is the word Kevin uses to describe the league that saw Kildare go seven games without a win.

“Very frustrating after every defeat we went back to Hawkfield, back to the grindstone work, trying harder than ever to try and iron out what we were doing wrong and then the following game it would be something else that let us down and the cycle would just repeat itself game after game; very frustrating, not being able to understand why none of us were performing to our ability.”

A tough time and then we got a horrendous string of injuries; certainly the most frustrating league campaign that I have been a part of and glad now to have that in the back ground and an opportunity to rectify all the things that went wrong in the league .

And then the Wicklow game, a lead at half-time but a lead, Kevin explains “when playing with a near gale in Kildare's favour, even leaving aside the injuries picked up and the red card.

“We weren't happy at all with that first half, regardless of the injuries and the sending off; we had a gale force wind but didn't play the type of football that we wanted to play; missed opportunities; not happy but the approach at half-time was that this was where we were going to make a stand and really stand-up and be counted as Kildare players;.

“Playing against the wind, a man down yet we produced our best half of football this year, the way we controlled the game, for most of the half; it was just a bit mental the way the injury time went for 30 or 35 minutes of that half we put in a really strong performance.”

Feely, who is now seen further up the field, but more than willing to drop back when required, insisted rthere were elements in the Wicklow game that were not seen in the league.

“We were more measured; more patient and a certain willingness not to take the wrong options; took some good scores; hard to believe the way that match finished after all that.”

And when that penalty was awarded that must have been a real body blow?

“When they got the penalty we simply said that if we get one more chance to get the ball back up the field, that was the mindset and maybe that could be the resilience we have got from a really tough league campaign that we didn't panic and we did think we would get one more chance instead of just throwing in the towel; that was encouraging and that was the attitude that got us the vital score; after a poor shot, Jack Sargent getting that vital late point.”

The Athy man admitted that “it was nice waking up Monday morning feeling happy, a feeling we hadn't had for quiet some time, a nice feeling though.”

The Athletic Therapist feels that having had, to date, a good run of games injury-free, moving more forward and taking frees has helped his confidence while he also says that “changing our kick-outs for the last few games, going more long, is something he likes as a high fielder.”

And now Louth.

Again.

Motivation will certainly not be a problem with the prize of getting to a Leinster final but also avoiding the Tailteann Cup, so no worries in that regard, however, Kevin Feely admits that Louth will be a tough nut to crack.

“The league game was tight enough at a time when our game was quiet poor; we certainly believe we have the ability to win the game but Louth showed against Wexford what they are capable of and no doubt we will have to be at our level best to defeat them; as we try to get to a level of performance that we are happy with and that will be enough to get us through to the final.”

Playing in Croke Park with a place in the Leinster final at stake the experienced player says that “if the game was to be played at a smaller venue it would certainly lead to a greater atmosphere but Leinster semi-finals are always played in Croke Park so we did not expect anything different.”

On the Leinster Championship itself and all the talk surrounding its continuence in the same vein, Kevin admits that “while it would be great to be part of a team that finally stopped the Dublin dominance, at the same time there is very little argument left to continue the same way as it is going, as much as you want to be part of a team to win Leinster.”