Minors and Under 20s both in action this Saturday

IT’S a potentially make or break weekend for both the Kerry minor and Under 20 hurlers in their Leinster championship journeys.

After their victory in the first round over Carlow, Jerome O’Sullivan’s minor hurlers are better positioned in their bid to emerge from their group and poentially push on and take a place in the Leinster championship proper in a month’s time against the Tier 1 counties. After an impressive nine-point victory last time out, the Kingdom will be feeling in a good place as they head to O’Moore Park this Saturday afternoon to take on the home side.

Laois were relatively disappointing in their opening round game against Kildare – losing by eight – so the green and gold will be fancying their chances of getting the result they need to qualify for the Tier 2 preliminary quarter-finals.

Seán Maunsell’s Under 20s, meanwhile, are a bit more of a precarious position as defeat in Hawkfield on Saturday afternoon will see them dumped out of the championship.

Their two-point defeat to Carlow last Saturday afternoon leaves them teetering on the precipice. In a three-team, two game group, it’s very hard to recover from an opening round defeat. Their best hope is to win the game against the Lilywhites – and Kildare beat them in last year’s championship remember – and hope that the Lilywhites can go on and beat Carlow in the final group game the following weekend.

Then – with all teams beating each other and sitting on two points – it would come down to score difference to determine the outcome.