Kildare vs Louth Preview
The Leinster Senior Football Championship is underway. Kildare will play Louth for a spot in the final against the winner of Dublin vs Offaly. It’s a fascinating game because these two teams met in the league recently. But the Championship raises the stakes and expectations. This is when the GAA season lifts off. Which one of these teams will be victorious at Croke Park in April?
It will be a big test for both sides after turbulent league campaigns. Kildare had a miserable seven-game losing run, including a defeat against Louth in March. They finally snapped their streak with a narrow victory over Wicklow in the SFC quarterfinal. Meanwhile, Louth smashed four goals past Wexford in an impressive win for the Reds. They’ll enter this game with more confidence.
League form goes out of the window in knockout football and momentum is everything. Is Louth dreaming about going all the way to the final?
Kildare vs Louth Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Kildare and Louth are two of Leinster’s football stalwarts. It’s been a tumultuous year for Kildare after a nightmare league campaign. They suffered relegation to Division 3 after a miserable run this year. But now they have a chance to put their demons to bed when it matters most.
It’s only been a month since these two teams last met. Louth had lost four of their first five games, including an unlucky defeat against Armagh. Ironically, they secured their Division 2 status by beating relegated Kildare at Cullen Park. They won the game 1-12 to 0-12. They’ll feel good about their chances of repeating their success in the Championship.
The Lilywhites had the wind behind them in the first half of their recent league game, but they couldn’t make the most of it. Both teams exchanged points early in the match before Louth sliced through the Kildare defence. Conall McKeever brilliantly passed to Ryan Burns, who scored the game’s decisive goal.
Kildare pulled points back, and the teams went into the break with honours even at 1-3 to 0-06 points. In the second half, Louth’s four unanswered scores put the game beyond Kildare. It was the Lilywhite’s seventh successive defeat. They went down fighting and it was a scrappy ending to the game. Louth were desperate to secure their divisional status, and the nerves were obvious. In the end, they did enough.
It’s difficult to read too much in this game because the stakes were very different for both teams. Louth needed to win, so they gave everything. Whereas, Kildare had nothing to play for besides pride.
One of Louth’s biggest problems in their early league games was the number of frees they conceded. They conceded seven frees against Donegal and six against Cavan. They drastically improved their discipline against Fermanagh and Kildare. Now they have one of the best defences in Leinster.
In Sam Mulroy, they also have a very effective forward. The Wee County’s star had a shaky start to the season, but he found his scoring boots. He put two goals past Wexford as he showed his class. Ger Brennan has also won plaudits since he replaced Mickey Harte as senior manager.
Ciaran Murphy will be one of Louth’s most important players. The defensive stalwart put massive shifts against Kildare and Westmeath in the Reds’ last couple of games. He’s been a key performer for the county and a crucial cog in their impressive rearguard. Paul Matthew is another valuable player. His blazing pace is a superb weapon for Louth. He is one of their most industrious attackers, and it would be a good prop bet for him to score against Kildare.
Louth is the favourite for this game because they’ve already recently beaten Kildare this season. The Lilywhites had a horrendous year, and it’s sheer luck that they’re in a Leinster semi-final.
Kildare has struggled to score goals and conceded too many in the league. Manager Glenn Ryan is under intense pressure and knows he is fighting for his job. The County Board warned him that their form wasn’t good enough. Rumour has it, they are in the market for a replacement.
Ryan’s men scraped their way into the semifinal with a narrow win over Wicklow. They deserve credit for battling hard after they went down to 14 men. The Lilywhites showed more heart than they’ve done all season. But this performance also exposes a deeper issue with the club. They could need a new bainisteoir sooner rather than later.
Its Leinster SFC Semi Final week!
Kildare v Louth in Croke Park on Sun, at 1.45pm.
Lets get out in numbers to support the players!
Advance ticket sales only on https://t.co/7nPKJrqnhb
Tickets also available in selected Centra & SuperValu stores.#cilldaraabu pic.twitter.com/FKCqUqbIQV— Kildare GAA (@KildareGAA) April 23, 2024
Celbridge midfielder Kevin O’Callaghan will be one of Kildare’s most important players. They need to win the midfield battle to have any chance against Louth’s well-organised unit. O’Callaghan spoke about the players underperforming this year but emphasised the coaching was not the problem.
Meanwhile, Louth’s form is increasingly ominous. They swatted Wexford aside in style, winning 4-10 to 0-15. Louth dominated the final 20 minutes of the game, as Wexford had no answer for their firepower. The Reds should have too much for Kildare in this Leinster semifinal.
Kildare vs Louth Predictions
Prediction: Kildare 0-10 Louth 2-12
The Leinster Senior Football Championship always delivers excitement. We expect this game to be no different because the stakes are so high. Louth are justifiably the favourites and should win this game. In Sam Mulroy, they have the best forward on the field and their defence is too strong.
It’s crucial to check previous results when betting on Gaelic football. Yes, Kildare is coming off a victory, but they had a shocking league campaign. They rode their luck to make it this far, and we predict they will suffer another defeat.
Louth has enjoyed a strong recent record against the Lilywhites in the league. They also beat Kildare in March 2023 by 2-11 to 0-12, but the championship is a different story. The last time these teams faced each other in the SFC, Kildare crushed them by 16 points.
Kildare can step up when it counts, but these teams are in very different moments now. They’ve gone backward while Louth is finding their feet under Ger Brennan. That’s why they should win this game by a narrow margin.
Our GAA prediction for this semifinal is that Louth will eke out a tight victory. It will be a close game until the last half an hour. That’s when The Wee County’s superior defensive quality will be the difference because Kildare won’t get enough points on the board.
But what if Kildare takes an unexpected lead? That’s when live betting is key. You can wait until you see how the teams are performing before making a wager. Remember, there will be poor returns if you back Kildare when they’re winning. Check out the second-half betting odds. Laying a stake on Louth to win the second half would be the advisable wager.
Next up at Croke Park!
📅 Sunday 28th April
⚽ GAA Leinster Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals
⏰ @KildareGAA v @louthgaa 1.45pm
⏰ @DubGAAOfficial v @Offaly_GAA 4.00pm
🎟️ https://t.co/MQA7BHWjWG pic.twitter.com/2bNgwxQAmg— Croke Park (@CrokePark) April 22, 2024
Kildare vs Louth Betting Tips
The form books show that Louth is the clear favourite ahead of this game. Our sports betting site agrees because The Wee County has had a better year than Kildare. They’re also riding the high of an impressive win over Wexford.
Louth are available at odds of 8/13. Betting on Louth would turn €10 into €16.15. That might not be attractive enough to some gamblers. If you fancy the underdog, you can bet on Kildare at 17/10. A successful outcome would see returns of €27. A draw seems unlikely given their recent history and a €10 stake yields €90 at 8/1.
If you’re looking to explore other markets, it’s worth considering goals. Louth are the favourites for scoring the first goal at 10/11, while Mulroy is the most likely first goalscorer. It would also be wise to check out the half with the most goals. Many of Louth’s scores come in the second half as we saw against the Model County. If they take the lead, it will also put pressure on Kildare to attack.
What about the SFC Final? It won’t shock anybody to learn that most bookmakers think Dublin will win the Leinster Championship. It’s not a foregone conclusion that Dublin will beat Offaly because anything can happen at this stage of the season. Louth are the competition’s second favourites. They are available on the sports betting site at 20/1. If they beat Kildare, as betting experts expect, these odds will close. They’re desperate to win their eighth Leinster title and first since 1957.
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