Preview: It's win or bust as Kildare face Sligo in Championship opener

Ben McCormack of Kildare during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi Final match between Dublin and Kildare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

placeholder image — Ben McCormack of Kildare during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi Final match between Dublin and Kildare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

It is a fresh format and a fresh encounter as Kildare take on Sligo in the new-look All-Ireland series. Markievicz Park will play host on May 21 as both sides look to get off to a crucial fast start in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Sligo are fresh off promotion from Division 4 and one of the easier runs to a Connacht final in recent memory as they beat

London and New York en-route to facing Galway. Galway had that game well in-hand and while Kildare might not be on the level of The Tribesman, they need the same outcome.

In a roundabout way of saying it, Kildare need a win and should get one. It does not need to be pretty, but it needs to be a win if Kildare are to leave any meaningful mark on a Group C that contains Davy Burke's Roscommon and the Leinster Champions.

Sligo, having not encountered Roscommon in the provincials, will see Kildare as their best chance at a win in this group and therefore at progression out of it.

Kildare will be thinking the same, and should be. The Dublin loss, valiant an effort as it may have been, was as the results decrees, a loss. On the surface at least, some encouragement can be taken forward from the game but little more than that in my eyes.

There will be a marked difference this time around also as Kildare’s defensive structure to stop the Dubs won’t be operating against Sligo.

It is much harder to dominate the ball and break teams down than the top teams make it look. The sides who dominate the ball often have the playing staff to break through the lines and pick incisive passes. Even still, a well-drilled back-line can cause scoring issues.

My guess for this game is that Sligo will afford Kildare possession and try to make it difficult for the visiting men in white.

Kildare have fallen into this trap and slumped to losses by being too passive and not having enough pace in their play.

Regardless of system, speed kills and moving the ball quickly will afford those Kildare players in key areas more space than sluggish sideways passes.

I believe Kildare have the squad to do the necessary damage on the scoreboard, but that task is an effort from one to 15.

Kildare need to be sharp and ready to go at Sligo come 2:30pm in Markievicz Park, and some early scores could dampen the home side’s spirits. That being said, if it's not all going their way, cool heads must prevail. It’s a long 70 minutes and getting too wrapped up in the fortunes of the early exchanges could be fatal.

Niall Murphy is one of Sligo’s chief scoring threats and keeping him quiet on the break will be key. If Murphy is given more space than he needs, he could give Kildare a serious headache.

Dismissive as I was of the Dublin game earlier, there were positives to take. The handling errors that have baffled so many Kildare supporters this year were reduced drastically.

Kildare have run Dublin close before and that is probably why I don’t put much stock in the game, but if that defeat is enough to give this group some confidence then it could be worth far more than even the most optimistic Lilywhite could imagine.

The discipline that was found last time out in Croke Park both in and out of possession has to be present again come Sunday.

Just two Dublin scores were from free-kicks and that speaks to Kildare’s assurance when defending. Breaking down a team is a frustrating endeavour and maintaining that composure against Sligo will be important. If things aren’t quite hitting their stride straight away with scores, Kildare must not lose their cool going the opposite direction.

Six of Kildare’s 12 points against Dublin were set-pieces and while that accuracy is no doubt crucial to the success of any side, there is sure to be more chances from open play against Sligo.

Points from play would be a welcomed addition this time around as our talented forward line definitely have more points in them.

Kildare are a better team than they have shown everyone in 2023, they looked shot earlier this year. Every misplaced pass, poor decision and error seemed to weigh heavy on their shoulders. They made everything look laboured and difficult, the signs of a team struggling with self-belief.

After a very brief flirt with relegation and the prospect of a Tailteann Cup campaign, Kildare must now show that they are well worth their place in the Sam Maguire.

Talk of “a year in the Tailteann might help them” should light a fire under this group who have rarely shown their true qualities this year. There is another level in almost every member of that squad and if they don’t show it they will never get the credit they deserve.

It is an enormous fixture and could define Kildare’s year come the end of it.

Cill Dara Abú!

Starting XV below for Sunday below;

1 Mark Donnellan Maynooth

2 Mick O'Grady Celbridge

3 Shea Ryan Sarsfields

4 Eoin Doyle Naas

5 David Hyland Athy

6 Kevin Flynn Celbridge

7 Jack Sargent Eadestown

8 Kevin O'Callaghan Celbridge

9 Aaron Masterson Moorefield