Kildare are not looking at past results against Wexford, says captain Grace Clifford as they continue their preparations ahead of Sunday’s Intermediate semi-final at Parnell Park.
Clifford has been a leader for Kildare and was awarded the role of captain in 2019, been through the high’s and low’s of playing with Kildare, she is no stranger to seeing them playing at this level.
The midfielder tore her ACL during the 2015 season, playing in that year’s All Ireland Final, not knowing the extent of the damage until after the league in 2016, that saw her sit out that year’s final, returning to play at headquarters could be a possibility for her side with a win on Sunday.
For the Lilywhites, the year has been very much a success, they were crowned Division 3 League champions earlier this year, they recorded consecutive wins in Leinster and now for the first time since 2021 are back fighting for a place in the Intermediate Final.
Change did occur in the Kildare camp during the off season, Dianne O’Hora was part of the management team last year, but is now the manager this term, they have been strong since the off and Clifford says Kildare were disappointed from last year’s early exit, but have turned things around this year.
“When we began the year, I suppose looking back on last year’s All Ireland campaign we would have been fairly disappointed in not making it out of the group, we would have had I suppose bigger aspirations for ourselves, after the provincial championship last year, so we were all raring to get back and get going again and a big thing for us was the league.
Division 3 is so competitive you know and like we just knew the main motivation was to focus on that and get out of Division 3 and it certainly wasn’t easy and we didn’t make it easy either, thankfully we got out of it and we are now promoted to Division 2 for next year which is huge, to be fair like we kinda took every game as it came like, I know that’s the total cliche thing that everybody says, but hand on heart we really did this year.
We’d new management I know that Diane obviously was involved with us last year, but she was in a new role this year as manager, so with new management a couple of new players filtered in it was a big focus for us to nail down our system or game plan and what we’re about and we kind of done that throughout the league and into the provincial championship which obviously we won Leinster last year.“
From an impressive league campaign, ending with silverware and losing just a single game, they headed back to Leinster, hopeful of securing their status as champions once again, for the second year in a row, they answered the test of Wexford, which Clifford believes was a big boost for them going into the All Ireland series this year.
“We kind of wanted to obviously I suppose retain that title and once again just took that that was Sunday, Sunday, Sunday for five weeks in a row is heavy going, but I think it really stood to us like obviously Intermediate is super competitive, but the Leinster Provincial is probably one of the most competitive ones with a lot of games, a lot of Leinster teams in intermediate, so it was a big focus for us to try get out of that and get that win, which we did thankfully.
Kind of set us into a nice little momentum heading into the All Ireland series, which is where I suppose last year we felt we left ourselves down, so that first game against Leitrim was huge, it was away from home and we got out with a win which we were delighted, look a lot of things to work on that day, you know we kind of I suppose in ways exposed a lot of things that we need to get back to the training field and focus on which we did thankfully, we’d a two week break till the Louth game and come out against Louth and had a good win at home and got our home advantage for the quarter final which was a huge boost for us and now thankfully then we got Tyrone in the quarter final.“
Wins over Leitrim and Louth booked tier spot against Tyrone for a home quarter final clash at Hawkfield, unfamiliar territory for Kildare however, as Tyrone were a side they rarely faced, but Clifford recalls the prep work undertaken to prepare for the Red Hand County and also the home support that certainly helped give them a boost in a massive tie.
“I think we were really apprehensive about that because we hadn’t played Tyrone, the intermediate grade is really competitive but there’s a lot of the Leinster teams in it as I said, so you’re kind of playing and a lot of the same teams a lot of the time, so in a way it was really refreshing to be doing our homework on other opposition, Tyrone I suppose we didn’t really know what to expect too much, we haven’t played them in a couple years and we got a great support at home in Hawkfield for that quarter final and thankfully we came out on top that day and yeah, so and here we are now preparing for an All Ireland semi-final and I was just thinking I was saying to the girls as well like this time last year we’d already a month off in the summer, you know and to be still in the All Ireland series at the business end of the season, is really what it’s all about.“
Kildare are on a winning streak since the defeat to Louth during their triumphant league campaign, guiding them to be at this stage in the series, with the chance at appearing in a final well in their grasp, confidence is at a high, but while that is the case, Clifford feels that their mindset and work rate is what matters, the hunger to get ready for the next team and now get any bit complacent.
“Obviously confidence is huge and you always hear that winning is a habit and all of those things, but this year I can’t really describe the way the group has been, It’s really competitive so our training sessions are like a match, you need to see it to believe it like everybody’s gunning for a place you know so there’s no opportunity for anybody to be complacent, so it’s not even a case that we’re going into the games going oh God, hopefully we get a win here today and you’re actually more thinking about right I have to perform this is my job.
It’s very we’ve become quite process driven as a group, this is our kpi’s, this is our plan, this is our tactics, we’ve to go out and implement them and we all know that if one of us is not at the races, lucky enough to get a starting jersey, there is an array people off the bench that can come in and do that job because that’s what it’s about, it’s about your role, what you’re being asked to do a player for this team, you know it’s not about any individual.
So as much as like yes, we’re getting confidence in winning and winning is a habit, all of those things, to be honest, every time, you know every time we come out to complete a game, it’s like well what’s the next thing you know, so when we move our quarter final against Tyrone, it was like well who are we up against now, who won out of Wexford Leitrim, right you know and it’s straight back right what we do at the training ground, we’re not getting caught up in what we won, it’s always well what’s next and I think that that’s kind of really helped, I think you can focus too much on you’re on a winning streak God let’s not lose that,
You kinda go down that Rabbit hole about having a fear of losing that type of thing, it’s really been just about the group, the process, the game plan, how best I suppose we can implement that and as I said, the competition among the group is just really outrageous at the moment. our training sessions are nearly, you’re nearly prepping for them like it’s a match, you know, that kind of way.“
In the space of a year Kildare and Wexford have met on six separate occasions, this Sunday is set to be the seventh. On the head to head record between the two, Kildare have won all six ties, with the tag of favourites being thrown around, Kildare look to potentially see them be favourited ahead of Wexford on paper, but looking back at these results is something Kildare are not looking at says Clifford.
“It’s a completely new game, It’s Wexford, as I say they’re the professionals of winning a semi final, they have been in the final of the All Ireland Intermediate Championship the last two years in row and they have got there and well deserved it, for us to go in thinking that this is going to be a walk in the park or anything like that is it’s just not the mindset of the group.
We’re preparing for Wexford like we have if it was a new opposition and we’ve done that every time and we know they’re going to be another different animal on Sunday, they’re going to throw everything at it they’ve got that absolute never give up attitude, they’ve fabulous footballers, like you know, on any day do pretty much anything, you know and we know that.
So we are 100% focused on getting the job done, nowhere thinking ahead of after the game on Sunday, t’s all about Wexford and how we can best I suppose implement our game plan, our system, our football and everything in that match, so honestly not even thinking about those other results against Wexford, we know what are different animals since we last played them that was the leinster final so we know that once again they’ll nearly be a different kind of opposition for us.”
Clifford missed that 2016 final through injury and while it was disappointing to be ruled out for such an important tie in her career, she was delighted to play her part in helping the side from the side-lines in winning the All Ireland, but while she was side-lined, players stood up to fill the void and the competitive nature of their squad, Clifford believes if a player has an individual attitude they will not go far.
“From personal perspective and being a competitor, I’m highly competitive person, obviously I wanted to be a part of it, you know, be on the field with the girls and that that day in Croke Park, but I was delighted when Kildare won like you know we got that Intermediate trophy and Aisling Holton walked up the steps of the Hogan Stand, you know I couldn’t have been happier person for Kildare and for that group and look like things happen, you know and it’s not about an individual play team sports and I think if you have an individual attitude you won’t go very far in it.
So like from a personal perspective obviously I would’ve given anything to play but like it’s a team sport, there’s 30 girls training and on Sunday now Diane can make five changes, that means you’ve 10 people plus who haven’t an opportunity to come on the field, so you know it’s not just me that was injured, there was other girls there, but look, I stuck part of it with my injury, I stayed in with the group and I was water girl on today and all of that, like obviously when you’re standing there, you’re saying I’m going to get back here someday in the future and please God playing, that’s obviously, you know in the back of your head, everything happens for reason that’s kind of the way I’ve been looking at it, I wouldn’t be too caught up it in either from a personal perspective.”
Ahead of Sunday’s tie with Wexford, you can watch the full interview with Grace below:
Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.