Former Kildare star says county should be aiming higher

Sean Kelly of Galway with Kildare's Alex Beirne and Harry O'Neill ©INPHO/Andrew Paton

Former Kildare football star Martin Lynch has questioned the current team's mindset and ambition after a disappointing season.

The Lilywhites suffered relegation from Division 2 of the Allianz League and endured championship defeats to Westmeath, Galway and Kerry. Their only championship win came against Laois in the Leinster SFC quarter-final.

At a stormy county board meeting on Tuesday night, it was revealed that Davy Burke and Damien Hendy would remain part of Brian Flanagan's backroom team in 2027, with Aidan O'Rourke and Daryl Flynn having stepped away. Brian Dowling was ratified as senior hurling manager for another three years, while Niall Cronin and Tommy Konstantin were reappointed as U20 and minor football managers respectively after delivering Leinster titles this year.

However, it was comments from Lynch - who was one of the stars of Mick O'Dwyer's team from the 1990s and early 2000s - that dominated proceedings.

The Clane clubman maintained that Kildare should be aiming to win a Leinster SFC title in 2027 rather than just getting there. "He (Brian Flanagan) needs to tell those boys they're going to win a Leinster final," Lynch is quoted as saying in the Kildare Nationalist.

As well as reaching a provincial final, Kildare chairman Mick Mullen said the other goal for next season was to achieve promotion from Division 3. However, Lynch argued that the county should be aiming to get to Division 1 as quickly as possible.