By PAUL O’MEARA

Clane have won more Kildare SFC titles than they care to remember and their hopes for this season were rekindled when they defeated Kilcock in the quarter final.

Willie McCreery and Brian Murphy make for a physically imposing midfield combination and it becomes more physical and more imposing when Garvan Ware is thrown in there. Ware may not be deployed as a third mid-fielder this weekend from the outset but he will add his considerable experience is Clane are in any difficulty.

Minus Eddie McCormack, Clane looked weak enough for the semi final but in the game itself their forwards proved good enough. Ware had an outstanding game.

For this match Eddie McCormack will be back and Paul McCormack, who added penetration when he came on, may well start. And if he doesn’t he is to Clane what Maurice Fitzgerald is to Kerry.

The loss of John Finn is a big blow for Clane. He was a tower of strength at full back and had his best game for some time against Kilcock. He played a central part in Clane’s plan to close down the potentially potent Kilcock attack.

Moorefield are bedevilled by injury but the considerable talents of Ronan Sweeney and Kenny Duane will be available for the fixture.

They were anything but impressive against Round Towers but still came through.

Raheens kept them on their toes without ever looking like they might win but Moorefield were quite convincing in they way they came through in the closing stages - with a depleted side.

Moorefield still have a relatively young team and yet are experienced having won the county title last year and then had a successful Leinster championship campaign. Since then about a fifth of their team have been with the Kildare panel.

Team manager Mick Condon can also call on a panel which has more strength in depth than any other in the county.

Clane’s win over Kilcock was a morale boosting and they are physically very strong but Moorefield get the nod to reach the decider.

MICK Condon’s observation that Moorefield’s progress to the semi final has been solid rather than spectacular is hard to argue against, writes PAUL O’MEARA.

So far, he says, Moorefield have been playing badly and winning but he is concerned that they do not appear to be on their game. His side struggled against Round Towers and also against Raheens but when the pressure came on they lifted their collective performance.

They have still injury worries. Kevin O’Neill is working on his fitness but is still some way off competitive action; Seamus Murray, having undergone an operation, is still out of action. More recently Alan Melia damaged a hamstring and Brian McGrogan pulled ligaments in his shoulder.

“It has been been mayhem with injuries but at least Ronan Sweeney and Kenny Duane will be able to play. Patrick Murray is still out but he will be anxious to play and if his match fitness is alright I’ll play him,” he said, adding that Moorefield have picked up some young talent this season such as Frank Hanniffy along the way.

Moorefield’s preparations have been difficult because of the involvement of up to five players with the county team though the defeat by Sligo at least provided the club with some breathing space.

“People say we have a strong panel but we’re finding out what Clane did - that it takes an exceptional player to be committed to club and county. The county comes first, I know that.”

The long season makes it difficult to keep the team focused and there are different levels of fitness between the county and club players.

He feels that clubs should be given a better idea of when fixtures are going to be arranged. “I know its difficult to plan the championship while the county team are involved but a ten or twelve week delay like Kilcock had is impossible to cope with. Games should be played more regularly and it should be possible to know in advance the dates for the closing stages of the championship. It’s very difficult to plan ahead when you don’t know when you will be playing.”

Condon didn’t join in the rush to dismiss the prospects of his former club Clane.

“Clane are never beaten in the championship. They have no interest in the league but they are different prospect in the championship.

“I felt they were very strong against Kilcock especially their full back line and they stifled Ger McNally and Cathal Sheridan. They looked very hungry because Kilcock are not that bad.”

He added that Joe Coonan has been playing well at centre back and both Willie McCreery and Brian Murphy have been working hard at midfield but the loss of John Finn will be a big blow particularly because he has been playing so well.

“Their forwards were better than I thought they would be and scored ten points from play.”

He feels Moorefield need to play their own game by moving the ball quickly rather than being drawn into a physical contest and, if so, he feels they can reach the final.

Brian McGrogan looking forward to Sunday.

Patrick Murray (doubtful).

Martin Murray, Moorefield