We played the game exactly how we wanted to says Kildare manager
Brian Flanagan's Kildare side ran out 1-27 to 0-7 winners in Ballinamore GAA against Leitrim in their third round Division 3 clash
Kildare manager, Brian Flanagan, while very happy with the result on Sunday, maintaining his side's unbeaten run of three games said “We understand the situation the situation Leitrim are in, developing a young team looking to the future, hampered badly by lads stepping away along with injuries and so from our end we didn't want any complacency, any level of lads going down a gear and in fairness to the lads I felt they were absolutely on it for the first 35 minutes and we played the game exactly how we wanted to, we tackled well, we were disciplined, we competed on kick-outs and took the right options going forward and that gave us the cushion, while in the second half we definitely slacked off a little bit, maybe the game just petered out, the pace went out of it and that more or less was that.”
Kildare made four changes from the team that was announced on Friday last and the manager was more than happy with the way the new lads performed on the day.
“We wanted to build a panel from the day we started because we know with the way the game has gone and with the amount of games you have to play in the six month window that inter-county happens you have to have panel depth, you are going to pick up injuries, we probably picked up one or two, albeit at the lower end, but at the same time it will free up an opportunity for someone next week but whoever got their opportunity today they took it and that is what we want, we want lads never to be allowed to be complacent and the only way you can defend that is to have savage competition within the squad and at the minute we are getting that and the lads are taking their opportunities.”
On those injuries the manager said none are too serious, adding “with Callum Bolton and a few of them it was more Sigerson related and fatigued, we are trying to manage load, Darragh (Kirwan) was something similar, we just want to be careful but he will be fine for next week, most of the lads that came off today are ok, Ryan (Houlihan) took a bang on his quad, we will get him assessed and hopefully it is not too serious, all in all nothing long term and we are in good place going into next week but we will know more in the next 48 hours or so.”
The manager acknowledged that next few weeks are all big games “but that is what you want, games where everything is on the line and you are either good enough or you are not and next week is certainly one of those games and we can't wait for it.”