County pass first serious test
Kildare County 1 (Reilly 61) Dundalk 0
I BET Eric Hannigan enjoyed Easter Sunday. For the first time during his Kildare County tenure he can relax just a little, even if it is for just a while.
I remember interviewing him just days after he took over at Station Road midway through last season. He knew then there was a huge expectation on his shoulders. It was a far from an ideal time to assume responsibility for a top four-bound club. But someone had to fill in for an AWOL Dermot Keely.
As games passed, pressure grew. Limerick didn't help things and missing the play-offs brought huge criticism, calls for his departure, calls for far worse. But credit where credit is due. He stuck it out through an unpleasant time, remaining in one piece, and four games into the new season the side that Eric built is the talk of the First Division.
This is a team constructed on the most solid of foundations, a team that has now conceded just one goal in six hours of league football. It doesn't have the excitement of seven-goal thrillers seen in days past but there's something far more re-assuring and equally as satisfying about a 1-0 victory.
On Saturday, Hannigan's troops were at it again. Gary Haylock looked overpaid, Steven Geoghegan nominated himself for retirement and Trevor Vaughan should have stayed on the bench.
In the opening period, County's strikeforce wasn't much better. The game was poor but Kildare were by far a superior side to a club who have spent big.
The first half chance arrived on seven minutes. Gareth Cronin's free was cushioned down by the imposing Alan Byrne but Barry O'Connor failed to trouble Chris Bennion.
Minutes later Byrne again turned provider, this time releasing Martin Reilly. The former Dundalk hero looked certain to break the deadlock, only to be denied by a sensational Paul Curran challenge.
As the half progressed the quality distinctly lowered. The home side saw their corner count stack up but nothing ever looked likely from the dead ball. Shane Harte shot wide from the edge of the box and Alan McNevin was inches away from a Reilly cross.
Dundalk's sole chance of the entire evening arrived just minutes before the break. Brendan Kelly's cross from the left found Haylock at the near post but the striker failed to find the target.
It was to be the home side's sole worry as they upped their performance from the restart. O'Connor forced a brilliant save from Bennion after his initial effort deflected off Curran and put the rebound just inches wide.
The warning signs were there and the Thoroughbreds finally hit the front on 61 minutes.
O'Connor had just missed a good opportunity following a McNevin cross when Reilly beat two defenders with a brilliant shimmy and turn of pace before unleashing an unstoppable effort to the bottom left hand corner.
A spate of Lilywhite substitutions did little to stem the flow. Even the reduction of the home side to 10 did little to improve Dundalk fortunes. They simply weren't good enough.
Robbie Griffin saw red after a late challenge on Robbie Dunne produced a second yellow. In the dying moments Vaughan headed straight at O'Leary but Kildare had already done plenty to warrant a return to top spot.
"It's extremely pleasing", said Hannigan at full time. "We were confident throughout and fully deserved the victory. The defence this year has been very solid and that's a great basis.
"Ryan O'Donnell was the early star and since he recovered from injury he can't get back in. That's how good we've been. Phillip Byrne has looked sensational as have the other three guys in there.
"At the other end as well, Martin looked dangerous out there and what a goal. I'm delighted to see him get off the mark because he's a quality player who's worked very hard since he arrived. I can assure you if he plays like that again next week he'll be adding to that total."
Hannigan took a swipe at the those who had given his charges little chance of making an impact in 2004.
"I don't mean this in an overconfident way but I think we may have been underestimated by people around the place. When you look at the pundits' predictions they all had us outside or struggling to get in the top half of the table but we knew better and we fully deserve to be top even at this very early stage.
"Next week will be another extremely tough game but we're going to Bray looking for nothing less than another three points. I've seen UCD and Bray this season and the way we are playing, we've nothing to fear from either of them.
"We are wary, everybody is beating everybody and it'll happen to us at some stage but I certainly don't expect it in the next few games."
Hannigan knows the first division is a jungle this year but for the moment he is king. It's early days but people have been quick enough to jump on the manager's back in the past. So for now he deserves due credit.
Kildare County: Danny O'Leary, Ger O'Brien, Ray Kenny, Phillip Byrne, Gareth Cronin, Alan Byrne, Shane Harte, Robbie Griffin, Martin Reilly (Shay Zeller 80), Barry O'Connor, Alan McNevin.
Dundalk: Chris Bennion, Robbie Dunne, Robbie Clarke, Paul Curran, Steve McGuinness, Gary Sliney, Ciaran Kavanagh (Paul Marney 72), Simon Kelly, Gary Haylock, Steven Geoghegan (Trevor Vaughan 72), Brendan Kelly (Ciaran Quinn 66). Referee: Paul Duddy (Donegal).
