Punters' pick must be guided by form

Judging by the form of both teams coming into this game, I think that Kildare have been the ones to impress the most and have probably shown the greater confidence as well. They've come through the harder side of the draw and I'd bet that will show to be more beneficial.

For a start, it means that they have played the faster matches and been given the greater tests. They've come up against certain problems on the field that they've had to sort out on the day or else in the training sessions afterwards.

They were under a bit of pressure against Louth in their first game but their half backs came up the field and got them out of that one. Then, the two games with Offaly were even bigger challenges and certainly I feel the last day was their best performance in a while.

They ended up with 0-17 which was one of their highest scores in a long time and I think a performance like that will bring them on significantly. The big problem for Dublin, in contrast, is that they haven't been pushed that hard yet after coming through the easy route to the final. I really don't think that helps a team in any way.

They haven't yet played any high-profile matches, so it's more difficult to assess their form, but they've probably being expecting to get this far all along and will have been preparing accordingly for a Leinster final. In the back of their minds they would have assumed that they were going to get past Wexford and then beat Westmeath, so they were looking at this Leinster final from a long way out.

This Kildare side won't be anything new to them, but they're a more experience side now than the meetings earlier in the decade, especially in the defence. The first nine players up to midfield never let them down and are guaranteed to deliver a reliable performance. The younger forwards the last day were also excellent and there is a bit of useful youth there that Kildare didn't have in the past.

There's also an awful lot of size in the team as well with the likes of Dermot Earley, Martin Lynch and Willie McCreery. They have a lot of options. If things aren't going well at midfield they can switch around right up to full forward. Karl O'Dwyer is also named among the substitutes as he recovers from injury and is definitely in contention to come on if there is a need.

There has been a lot of criticism this week about the lack of space in Croke Park at the moment with the size of the pitch and I heard Mick O'Dwyer say himself that it mightn't suit Kildare. But I actually think it will be ideal for their type of game, because they are very good with the hand-pass at close quarters and they support each other really well. That will often get them out of trouble and I certainly can't see the small pitch causing them a problem.

And I actually think this Kildare team is an improved version of the 1998 side which went all the way to the All-Ireland. The likes of Padraig Brennan is a major addition in that his accuracy from frees is impressive.

I also think Dermot Earley is a better player now than he was two years back and Willie McCreery seems to be playing better than ever. He's one of their main playmakers and will be a real dangerman for Dublin if he's allowed to produce the same sort of game as he did against Offaly.

It's too bad for them that they don't have Niall Buckley available, because then I would see them as almost certainties for an All-Ireland final. A player of his quality is a huge loss and, from what I saw of his ability by playing with him in Australia last year, his presence would have been a huge addition to Kildare.

Dublin have to be worried about the form of Ciaran Whelan, who has been troubled by injury in the run-up to this game. He's definitely their key player and I'd be more confident about Dublin if he had more training and games behind him at this stage. Dessie Farrell and Declan Darcy are two other players hampered by injury and, if they were at their best, would be major additions for Dublin.

I still expect that Dublin will be a more balanced side from last year. When they met us (Meath) in the Leinster final, they lost Dessie Farrell after 10 minutes and they didn't have Paul Curran, who is one of the key defence men at half back. He gives a lot of leadership going forward and it ends up that the half forward is marking him rather than the other way around.

Peadar Andrews also had a rough game that day against us and he's now moved out to the half-back line, which is probably his more natural playing position anyway.

So I would be expecting a big performance from Dublin, but I still feel that the injuries they've had coming into this will come against them and they'll have to be at their absolute best if they want to beat Kildare. I would certainly be looking forward to a good game and I think Kildare did play some great football the last day. It would certainly be in their interest to play at that pace again.

In terms of key clashes, you don't have to look much further than midfield. Whelan and McCreery both like to go forward and I'm not sure who is going to mark who, but whoever gets the better of that clash is going to have a huge influence.

Overall, with Kildare having so many big players around the middle and being so tight at the back, I think there will be very little space for the Dublin forwards. Of course, if Jason Sherlock manages to get a goal or a couple of points, then Dublin will get a big lift, because he always brings out a huge reaction from the supporters.

So, from a Kildare point of view, if they can stop Sherlock from scoring then it will certainly help keep Dublin at bay.

Kildare are not intimidated by Dublin anymore. I think Kildare have great confidence this year and, if they come together like they did against Offaly and put up a good score, then I don't think they will be beaten.

But we won't be looking at a high scoring game. Kildare scored very few goals on route to this final and it's not everyday that you're going to score 17 points, but I can't see the Dublin forwards rattling up a huge score either. Still, I think Kildare will carry on from the last day and win by a couple of points in the end.

In an interview with Ian O'Riordan