Kelly keen to build some momentum

it in terms of looking at players and giving lads some game time, but we also built great momentum, particularly with that win over Kildare in Hawkfield in miserable conditions. It was a great stepping stone going into the league,’ he said.

‘It is tough on the players and it suits counties with big, strong squads. In our case certain guys will have to play three games in a week, but it’s great for getting boots on fellas in a competitive environment.’

Kelly expects to run the rule over some of the new additions to his squad at some stage on Sunday, but he should be able to field a strong starting XV.

Andy McDonnell, Sam Mulroy (both UCD), Darragh Lafferty (DCU) and Ryan Burns (Carlow IT) will play with their college teams in the competition, despite new rules stipulating that county teams operating in Divisions 3 and 4 get first call on players. Players on GAA scholarships must give preference to their college side.

James Stewart may also miss the trip to Mullingar due to exams, while Ruairi Moore, Patrick Reilly and Eoin O’Connor have only recently returned to full training after recovering from knocks.

While he is more concerned with his own affairs, Kelly is expecting to meet a Westmeath side in peak condition.

‘They’ve been to two Leinster finals back-to-back and they are placing a big emphasis on the league this year after slipping into Division 4. No more than us they’ll want to hit the ground running now and I understand they don’t have players involved with colleges. Mullingar is a tough place to go at the best of times.

‘But that’s what you want. It’s about putting your best foot forward in a good, competitive environment.’

While he concedes the O’Byrne Cup is useful, Kelly makes no apologies for keeping one eye on the league opener with Laois on February 4th, but he is not looking beyond that.

‘We have set goals within the group, but there’s no point in me saying we want to avoid relegation because I’d be accused of being negative. If I say we’re targeting promotion people would say I’m losing the run of myself. We know ourselves what we want to achieve, but the reality is that we can’t set any targets until we play Laois - we can only take it get one game at a time after that.’

Narrow enough defeats against Division 2 sides Meath and Derry last summer will give supporters hope that Louth can be competitive in Division 3, but Kelly doesn’t see it that way.

‘I’m not into moral victories. It does the players a dis-service. We had an excuse against Derry in that it was a six-day turnaround, but against Meath we left something behind and that’s the way the players have to look at it and try to progress.’

Kelly has added some experience to his squad for the 2017 campaign, but he insists everyone will have to fight for their place in the squad, let alone the starting team.

‘It’s looking like a really competitive and very tight to get into the 26 for the league, but that’s what you need.

‘We have guys coming back in like Ronan (Carroll), Andy (McDonnell), Derek Crilly and Paraic Smith, but they’ll have to work for their place like everybody else.

‘It was a really strong work ethic that got us out of places like Waterford in dreadful conditions last year and it will be no different this season,’ he added.