Clarke, Coulter factor can give Down edge

GAELIC GAMES/Kildare v Down:IT WOULD be unfair to say of either of tomorrow's GAA AllIreland football semi-finalists that they have arisen without trace, but when they opened their NFL Division Two schedule against each other this year, few would have foreseen the protagonists as two of the last three counties left in the 2010 championship.

Kildare have, however, been steady quarter-finalists in the past two seasons, losing creditably to Tyrone and Cork. Down would have required a greater leap of imagination, as they haven’t made much impact in Ulster – beyond scaring Tyrone in two of that county’s All-Ireland-winning years – and have had a pathological aversion to the qualifiers.

They do, however, have some successful underage teams coming through and in James McCartan a manager whose appointment at the start of the season raised hopes of a return to the type of prosperity he had known as a player.

Like any good manager, his timing has been good. Injuries haven’t distracted the panel as damagingly as in recent years and the decision of Martin Clarke to turn his back on the AFL presented Down with a top-class player, ideal to complement Benny Coulter in attack, kick dead balls and provide a central processing unit for the rest of the attack.

Paradoxically for such a specialist forward in his day, McCartan’s first task had to be the strengthening of a sometimes chaotic defence, a project that progressed well through the league and has held up well during the championship, conceding an average of 13, including a rigidly consistent run of three 1-10s and one 0-10 in the All-Ireland run to date, a total that has so far been comfortably within the forwards’ range.

Kildare’s form has been even more impressive in that it has included a couple of big wins on the road in Ulster, but the main source of their heavy favouritism is the recent annihilation of Meath, which, in the scope of its comeback and scale, overshadowed Down’s coup in handing Kerry the county’s first quarter-final defeat.

The Kildare management are a bit jumpy about the serial poor starts to matches, but one respected coach consulted about potential remedies told them not to change anything in case it affected the quality of their swingeing final quarters.

In a way, it creates pressure on their opponents as, if Down don’t start well – as they emphatically did against Kerry – they may feel they’re behind on early indicators.

Injury stalks both centrefields with Dermot Earley and Ambrose Rogers having picked up cruciate ligament injuries. Earley is named, but considered as likely to play as (1919 Kildare captain) Larry Stanley. Hugh Lynch deputised most effectively in the quarter-final, but Down will present higher-tempo opposition and more intense work-rate than Meath.

McCartan has opted not to disturb Dan Gordon, whose transfer to full back worked so well the last day, instead bringing in Peter Fitzpatrick as a straight swap.

Down’s win over Kerry wasn’t free of qualifications in that area either given the fallen champions’ difficulties in the sector all year, but, of the two players, Earley is the bigger loss simply because of his established level of performance over a sustained period and his natural leadership role on the team.

The biggest challenge for Down is the threat of the Kildare forwards, who form the physically biggest attack they have had to cope with. They also have athleticism and some proven finishers in James Kavanagh, Alan Smith and, of course, John Doyle.

But there isn’t any inevitability about the contest despite the juggernaut progress of Kildare. It can be forgotten in the aftermath of the Meath match, which McGeeney’s team won 2-17 to 0-9 from the 15th minute on, that the match was still open with 13 minutes to go.

Down won’t wilt in the closing stages if the match is on the line. They showed great composure and stamina in pulling away from Kerry even after the champions had revived.

They also maintained pressure until the end and the six-point winning margin included the concession of a last-second penalty goal, which made it Kerry’s most comprehensive defeat in nine years.

There was also a fluidity to the game plan that shook the champions. It wasn’t all exhibition stuff either, with supplementary assistance from covering forwards moving back.

The levels of commitment and energy will probably need to be higher against a Kildare side which deploys a 2-2-2 formation in attack to supplement the defence and whose backs break quickly.

There is little precedent to guide predictions. Down won the league match convincingly, but most of Kildare’s first-choice attack weren’t playing and two of the team were sent off in the second half.

With little to choose between the sides’ overall performance capability, the quality and menace of Clarke and Coulter makes the Ulster county’s case that little bit more persuasive.