Kelly happy with maiden voyage
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Wednesday January 27 2010
NEW Louth manager Paddy Kelly was happy with what he saw in Darver on Sunday.
' We're just using these matches at the moment to get ready for the start of the league on 20th February.
'We have a big panel. We are after playing two challenges against Fingal last Sunday week and against Meath last Wednesday night. We have a challenge here against Dundalk IT on Wednesday night (tonight).
'We are just trying to use as much of the panel as we can to get a settled team.'
Louth have had to plan without some players who are on the easy list, and others who have not yet returned to the squad.
'We have a few lads out injured and a few lads who haven't come back on the panel yet, we just left them with a bit of time, they are after playing a long year last year,' Kelly explained.
'Diarmuid Murphy, Eddie McArdle and Kevin McNally are out injured.
'We have three players from down the country (Derek Horan, Wesley Morrissey and Donagh O'Sullivan) at the moment, and we are entitled to five.
A tough assignment awaits his charges in the next round of the Kehoe Cup.
'We have Kildare next week, and they absolutely hammered Armagh, so we are up against it.
'But it's a learning curve. My target is the 20th February in the National Hurling League here against Sligo and to have a settled team, giving every lad as much chance as we can to make a name for themselves.
'My overall aim is to hopefully reach the knockout stages of the league. How we get on in the league will determine how we get on in the Nicky Rackard – and if we get positive results in the league, the target would be at least to get to the semifinal of the Nicky Rackard and take it from there.'
- Francis CARROLL
