Comment: Lilies emerge from opening half Fraher Sleep Fest

Dan Fraher is a man not many in this neck of the woods would probably be aware of but on Saturday last Kildare traveled to Fraher Field in the picturesque town of Dungarvan, for Round 2 of the Tailteann Cup and a date with the footballers of Waterford.

Fraher was an Irish language activist and scholar and by all accounts promoted Gaelic games. He was born in 1952 and lived for 76 years. He leased the land in 1885 , bought it outright 27 years later. The stadium, with a beautiful lush playing surface, was renamed in his honour in 1995.

Not sure what the bauld Dan would have thought of what was on offer between his native county of Waterford and The Lilies of Kildare.

No doubt he, like most of The Déise would have more interest in the small ball game than the big leather equivalent, and looking at Saturday's game one could readily understand why, such was the paltry offering from both sides in the opening half.

To say it was a Sleep Fest would probably be a bit of an understatement.

Thankfully Kildare woke from the Fraher Park snooze on the resumption to show that a team rated 18 out of 31 had way too much for a side with a rating of 31.

In that opening half The Lilies showed exactly why they are in the Tailteann Cup.

Dominant, yes, but unable to convert that dominance onto the score board and led by a mere five points at the break in front of an attendance, at a guess, that hardly made four figures and the most of those came from the travelling county as the home fans, no doubt, were holding their hard-earned euros for a trip to Cusack Park the following day.

It would not have taken a rocket scientist to figure out that, despite putting up a fine display the previous Saturday against another lowly rated side in Longford, that victory did nothing for the low confidence levels of Kildare that we have seen throughout their disastrous league and Leinster Championship campaigns.

It was there for all to see (in the first half) and while the result was never in doubt the big worry remains that lack of confidence, that lack of belief and most of all that lack of finishing power.

Anyone looking at the final result would certainly just take a cursory glance and move on saying that was to be expected, which of course it was.

However, if they had witnessed the opening half their thoughts would have been a lot different.

Thankfully, on the resumption Glenn Ryan's side came to life; opened up Waterford time and time, albeit against 14 men for some 15 minutes, filling the home net on five occasions and along with fifteen points, put up a final score line that would have been expected for a side that were no less than 1/100 by the layers.

That brings Kildare's total in their two Tailteann Cup games to 8-40 and with their final group game in two weeks time against the boys from Lovely Leitrim we can expect another avalanche of goals and points.

Two things this group of games prove is that (1) the Tailteann Cup does nothing for the really weaker counties and (2) just like in hurling there should be a minimum of three grades, if not four.

It works for hurling with the Joe McDonagh Cup, the Christy Ring Cup, the Nicky Rackard Cup and the Lowry Maher Cup. Something similar in football would be a hell of a lot more beneficial for the likes of Waterford who simply go out with one aim and one aim only and that is to keep the score line as respectable as possible.

We will have to wait for a number of weeks to see the real shape of this Kildare side when they eventually will take on the stronger Tailteann Cup teams.

In the meantime all they can do is what they have been doing; working hard in training as they try to get their confidence levels up; get the belief in their own game up to where it should be and show there is a lot more in them than what we have witnessed throughout 2014.

Christy Ring Cup

In the meantime it is hats off to the hurlers of Kildare after they booked their pace in the Tier 3 All-Ireland competition with a hard earned, but deserved, victory over what has been described as a very robust London side at Ruislip last Saturday.

The Lilies were firm favourites not just to advance to the final of the Christy Ring Cup before a sliother was hit in anger but to go on and win it and move up to Tier 2, the Joe McDonagh Cup come 2025, but they still had to go out and perform knowing that every side they met on this particular journey would be against a county who knew they had to give it everything if they were to live with Brian Dowling's side.

And so after a league campaign that was in all intents and purposes mere preparation for the Christy Ring, Kildare have booked their final place and a date with Derry, a side they have already defeated, somewhat comfortably it has to be said in Hawkfield by seven points.

But come two weeks time have no doubt Derry will not be travelling to Croke Park for a look at the scenery.

Kildare learned a lot from last season and they have been slowly but surely coming to the boil week after week with this final in mind.

Brian Dowling has a fine blend of experience and young players, players that anyone keeping a close eye on would testify to the improvement over the campaign that has seen some of the younger players in particular show they have what it takes to bring another Christy Ring Cup back to Kildare before, hopefully, moving on to the more competitive Joe McDonagh Cup come 2025.

However, before that they must defeat Derry in two weeks time, a win that would bring their season to a very successful ending.

Cedral St Conleth's Park

The news on the redevelopment of Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, is very positive indeed with the stand almost competed, seating in place; irrigation system and water system all but installed and it is expected that seeding will take place within the next two weeks.

According to the experts with the irrigation and the water system in place it will take a mere 12 weeks for the pitch to be completed.

There were some minor teething problems with the roof but these have been ironed out satisfactorily and it is understood that while there is still a lot of work to be undertaken there are no major concerns — on any front.

Officials from Croke Park, along with the Kildare management committee were on site last week for an inspection, along with the Head Groundsman from Croke Park and it is understood all expressed confidence that everything is on course, fingers crossed, for the hoped for opening come late October.