It's all on the day insists Athy legend David Hyland ahead of Kildare SFC Final

David Hyland has enjoyed a great season, being ever present on Brian Flanagan's Kildare that gained promotion to Division 2 of the Allianz Football League along with winning the Tailteann Cup.

Now the Athy stalwart is set to lead out his side on Sunday's Joe Mallon Motors SFC final, in what will be his third county final.
David, at just 17, lined out with the number 2 shirt on his back in the 2011 decider when they defeated Carbury, while in 2020 he was at centre back in the side that defeated Moorefield by a couple of points.

Speaking to David last week he said while it was great to win his first one, he probably was a bit young to fully appreciate its significance, something he certainly did in 2020.

David, and Kevin Feely, played no league football with Athy, due to the Tailteann Cup, as did any of the Naas lads, Athy finishing in mid-table.

Suggesting that reaching the final is like icing on the cake for himself, and Kevin (Feely) David agrees adding “providing we win the final that is.”

Athy have a new management this year, all in-house David quickly adds with joint managers Conor Ronan and Ross Bell, along with James Eaton, who managed Barrowhouse last year, “a brilliant coach” while Paddy Dunne, is an excellent tactician and has a great knowledge of the game.

All the lads were involved back in 2011 and as David Hyland said after the game, “you could see what reaching the final meant to those lads, every bit as much as what it means to the players.”

David added that after training last Wednesday, around 10pm, those lads were heading for a cup of coffee continuing their planning for the final, “that is part of the unseen work those lads put it but vital to the cause.”

Recalling the 2025 championship, David said they defeated Eadestown in the prelim; then defeated Clogherinkoe; Celbridge “gave us a right licking in Newbridge, they had the bit between their teeth having lost to Johnstownbridge in the previous round.”

It was a game Athy were very wasteful, hitting six wides on the trot at the start of the second half but even outside of that, David admits, “we did not bring the energy needed on the day.”

When suggested that they also struggled to get the better of Caragh, the midfielder says, in his opinion, “Caragh are a good side, a very good side; defensively we kept them to ten points, so that was more than decent but I think that Caragh are dark horses and I believe they don't look out of place in the top eight teams in Kildare.

“You look back to Crossmolina in the semi-final of the All-Ireland Intermediate Club last season and Crossmolina are now in the senior semi-final in Mayo this year, so that is certainly good form.”

”We really knuckled down” after that win, focused on a few things in particular, and put in an excellent display against Sarsfields, and while they got back level we shouldn't have left ourselves in that position after the way we played earlier in the game but as usual semi-finals are all about winning, all about getting over the line and thankfully we managed that.”

The county man said he felt the impetus they got off the bench was immense, along with some of the young lads on the team, adding in the experience that the more senior lads have and it all adds up.
David admits that the win over Sarsfields “will bring a new confidence and belief to the team."

However, he adds, “we have no qualms as to the task that lies ahead, Naas have been the standard bearers for the last five years or so, probably knocking on the door or Leinster, we just want to make sure we look after our own house, get there healthy and fit as possible, bring as much energy as possible and we will see how far that gets us.”

All down to on the day?

“It certainly is, the same as the semi-final against Sarsfields, that was on the day and hopefully the same will be the case, on the day, come Sunday” adds David.

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