Mathew Costello relishing the leadership role following victory over Kildare

"The three middle games of the league can be a massive momentum builder if you can get the result. Sometimes you don't need to play pretty, you just need to come out on the right side of the result. Luckily we have done that for the last two weeks and we are looking forward to the next one.

"We had high expectations for ourselves from the start. first of all we wanted to win our games at home. We are two out of three at home, but we shifted a heavy defeat away from home. I suppose five points after the first two displays isn't a bad return, but we still want more.

"We felt it was a point dropped against Fermanagh. First time out we wanted to get off to a good start, especially at home. We know how crucial the home games are.

"We had a lot of lads away with Sigerson, I was tied up with that myself, at that time we were a little bit off where we should have been, whereas now we are playing a little bit more the style of football we want to play.

"Today was pretty much a derby, the same as last week, so really form coming into the game didn't mean a whole lot. We knew it would be a tough game. There was a little bit more pressure because the crowd can get on to you if you are not playing well which at times we weren't.

"Kildare did get a bit of momentum, but thankfully we stopped it and turned it around. Maybe because we are on a bit of an upward trajectory we finished the game a little bit better than they did. They didn't feel too far off it, but thankfully we came out the right side of it.

"We were disappointed at half-time. we felt we were playing the better football, especially in the first 20 minutes. We got a good start, but then sat on our heels and had a lot more unforced errors, I was definitely criminal of that a couple of times.

"That happens, but we came in at half-time and re-set. There wasn't much panic. we knew if we played football we would get the scores. It took longer than we hoped in the second-half, but eventually it came.

"There was a definite shift of momentum with 10 or 15 minutes to go. Maybe it came off the back of their missed chances, but I also think we started to turn it around ourselves. We calmed things down, when we got forward we got lads free and thankfully put the ball over the bar.

"At the moment the way teams sit off us, it suits me better to be further out the pitch, but sometimes it suits better to be inside. I love that as well, I love trying to win ball, but there is a lot of bodies there at the moment and until the game opens up you don't really get that chance. I like to switch it up, so whatever is helping the team and whatever feels more important on the day that's what I like to do.

"I don't really think about it (the goal against Louth). You'd forget how the move even started, I just got on the ball. It was probably further out than I even though it was.

"It was tough to put it behind me. There were messages coming in right up to yesterday about it. It is actually a challenge to forget about it and get yourself right for the next game. It takes a lot of concentration to get ready for these games, so you need to put those things behind you fairly quickly. Luckily I did that and all that matters is that the team played well, we did a lot better in the second-half and that goal ended up getting us the two points.

"These games are tough to win, especially when they are dogfights like that against counties that surround you. We are two from two in these derbies, we want to make it three from three next week and give ourselves a good shout going into the last two games to finish as high up the league as we can.

"We have got ourselves back into contention now and we just want to get out heads down and stay focused.

"The leadership role can be tough, it has its demands. There's a lot goes with it during the week. You could find yourself talking to lads who are new to the panel, while you also have to make sure you are right yourself for the game.

"I really do relish it (the leadership role), I love it. It keeps me more engaged in the game, it is enjoyable because we have a top group of lads there.

"The younger lads have taken to the group and they have added a lot. They have made it easier for us 'older lads', I don't think I'm in that bracket yet.

"The younger lads really are top guys, they have brought a massive lift to our team and hopefully it is onwards from here.

"We still have two more games to play until we have to play Donegal. If we can get the maximum out of those two games then it could come down to that last day to try to break into the top two places.

"Armagh still have three games to go and they could drop points. We have to just focus on ourselves. Get ourselves an opportunity to break into the top two and if that happens we'll be happy.