First game crucial in Louth’s three-team group

LOUTH U20 boss Wayne Kierans feels a first-round win over Carlow on Monday will go a long way to securing a Leinster quarter-final spot.

With the Louth club championships operating a threeteam group format for quite a number of years now, the former O’Connell’s and Naomh Fionnbarra manager knows how important it is to get off to a winning start.

Depending on how Monday night’s clash between Offaly and Carlow goes, a win in Drogheda on Bank Holiday Monday (2.00) might even be enough to secure a place in the last eight.

Having accounted for Carlow at minor level in 2016 and then over-seeing a first Leinster final appearance at the grade for 46 years last term, the Reds will be warm favourites to start with a win.

But they will have to plot their campaign without the services of Newtown Blues star Ross Nally, and Kierans admits that’s a big blow.

‘It isn’t ideal, Ross is a huge talent as we all know and he’s on fire at the moment. But that’s the way this competition works. I think the rule originally stated that being named in a senior matchday championship squad ruled you out, but they changed it, and thankfully that means we have Sam Murloy and Eimhin Keenan available as they didn’t feature against Carlow.’

Louth face Offaly in their second match in the only three-team group and the Faithful County will have their star man Cian Johnston available as they operate a local rule that gives the U20 squad first call on underage players that are also involved with the senior squad.

Kierans’ minors side pipped a very strong Offaly side that featured Johnston in the minor quarter-final last summer, but

for now it’s all about Carlow w and getting that all-important nt first win.

However, Kierans (right) admits that preparations haven’t been ideal.

‘We’re one of the few counties that adhered to the April 1st start date in terms of getting the squad together, so it’s been very challenging due to club commitments,’ he revealed. ‘April is a designated atn club month now and then you start to run into exams, so preparations haven’t been en ideal. We only managed to play one challenge against Wicklow and to be fair John Evans was giving out about it too.

‘We’re not making excuses before we start, but to designate April as a club month and then only allow U20 squads to train from the 1st April, it puts players in a very awkward position.

‘But we’ll get on with it. Having worked with most of these lads at minor for the last two years we know that there’s huge talent in the squad. I hhave John Kelleher and Shane Lennon in with me gain and we worked very well together last year so there’s continuity there too. ‘There isn’t much room for error in a three-team group, but it does mean that if you win your first game you have a great chance of progressing, so that’s we’re fully focussed on now.’