Despite their morale boosting quarter-final replay victory over Laois, it's difficult to envisage Kildare making Dublin sweat in tomorrow's Leinster SFC semi-final.

Jason Ryan and his players softened somewhat the blow of relegation to Division 3 when negotiating the O'Moore County hurdle but Dublin in Croke Park is an entirely different proposition.

Two years ago, Jim Gavin's men ran out 16-point winners at the same stage so, this time around, a single digit defeat would represent a victory of sorts for the underdogs.

Not that Kildare are approaching the penultimate hurdle in that frame of mind.

"Dublin won't respect us at all, they won't be expecting anything from us but we know if we can repeat our form against Laois we can give them a real go," stressed defender Peter Kelly.

"If we go out with any sort of an inferior attitude that will show up on the pitch; it's all about belief and I feel we have that in the group now, we now know that when we do click just what we are capable of."

Manager Ryan and his backroom team have been forced into one change with centre-back Fergal Conway unavailable due to an eye socket injury. His place goes to Eoin Doyle who featured as a substitute in the 3-18 to 1-11 victory over Laois.

Meanwhile, there is no room for former Footballer of the Year Michael Darragh Macauley on the Dublin starting 15.

Cian O'Sullivan comes in at midfield in place of the injured Denis Bastick in the only change from the team that cruised to a quarter-final victory over Longford.

The two games against Laois will stand Kildare in goodstead according to the Metropolitans manager Jim Gavin.

"I've been impressed, they'll have that advantage of us, two tough championship games regardless of who it's against or where it was played.

"To have that momentum is invaluable coming into a championship game and three of the quarters over the two games was very tight.

"I think in both games when they were under a lot of pressure, they showed a lot of experience and got a lot of bodies behind the ball.

"They dug the result out particularly for the first game. They're very fit, a very well conditioned team, and it's going to be a big challenge for us."

Verdict - Dublin.

Dublin team: Stephen Cluxton; Jonny Cooper, David Byrne, Philly McMahon; Darren Daly, John Small, Jack McCaffrey; Cian O'Sullivan, Brian Fenton; Paul Flynn, Kevin McManamon, Ciarán Kilkenny; Dean Rock, Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard Brogan.

Kildare team: Mark Donnellan; Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Mick O'Grady, Ollie Lyons; Kevin Murnaghan, Emmet Bolton, Eoin Doyle; Gary White, Paul Cribbin; Padraig O'Neill, Eoghan O'Flaherty, Cathal McNally; Eamonn Callaghan, Alan Smith, Padraig Fogarty.

Match details: Sunday; Croke Park; 4pm.

Referee: David Coldrick.

Odds: Dublin 1/33, Draw 28/1, Kildare 12/1.

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