Allianz HL Division 2B round two

Kildare v Donegal

Saturday, St Conleth’s Park, 1pm

DONEGAL are hoping to claim their second win on the trot when they take on the Lilywhites this weekend, but that’s easier said than done as Kildare are the reigning Christy Ring champions.

Mickey McCann’s side left it late against Roscommon in their first league match, but they finished strong and claimed a 1-13 to 1-11 victory.

Ronan McDermott found the net in the final few minutes of the game, and their best performer on the day, Declan Coulter, sealed their victory with the final point of the game (he scored nine points in total).

Their opponents Kildare are set to play their first new game of the year when they take on Donegal.

The Lilywhites are a strong team, and claimed the Christy Ring title last year with a 3-16 to 0-22 victory over Down.

They recently announced five new additions to the panel, including Gerry Keegan who has recovered from a cruciate injury which sidelined him for a year.

They’re also managed by former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity, who hit the headlines earlier this week when he said the new advantage rule will kill the game. Whatever about that, they’ve improved considerably under his watch, and the likes of Jack Sherdian, Brian Byrne and Paul Divilly (who’s actually the head of athletic development in the county) will take a lot of watching from a Donegal perspective.

It’s also been confirmed that David Slattery has recommitted to the Kildare hurling team as well (he was brought in last year after he departed the football set-up). All in all, it adds up to a very tough game for Donegal.

Verdict: Kildare