Offaly minor hurling manager happy with direction team is moving in

UNDER no illusions about the tough obstacles that lie ahead, Offaly minor hurling manager, Brian Carroll is quietly pleased with the direction the team is moving in, the way the players are applying themselves and the incremental improvements they have made in a few months.

Fully aware that they are operating in Tier 2 of the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, the Coolderry man is firstly happy that they have achieved their primary objective: qualifying out of the group and they have done it with a round to go.

A run away 5-23 to 0-7 win over Wicklow on Saturday secured qualification and next Saturday's final group game against Westmeath in Killucan will determine who finishes first and second.

A draw will be enough for Offaly as they have a better scoring difference. They will want to top the group as Laois look certain to qualify as table toppers in the other Tier 2 group and the runners-up in Offaly's group will then play them. A preliminary quarter-final against Carlow, Kerry or Kildare may be a less difficult game but that type of thinking won't be infiltrating the Offaly dressing room and for Brian Carroll, it is very much taken on a game by game basis.

3-14 to 0-5 ahead at half time against Wicklow in Tullamore, Saturday's game showed the problems with competing in Tier 2. Offaly played well, they were up for it and took some quality scores but the game was of very limited benefit to both winners and losers and needs to be quickly forgotten about.

For Offaly, the target is obvious: To win a preliminary quarter-final and see where they stand against one of the top tier teams of Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford and Dublin in the quarter-finals.

After surviving a first round scare against Meath when they required a last gasp goal to win, they have beaten Antrim and now Wicklow to get out and Carroll remarked on Saturday:

“First objective achieved, I have just said to the lads we have qualified out of the group now but it is important we continue to build on this.”

One of Offaly's greatest hurlers after the post 2000 decline kicked in, Carroll saluted the players for the work they have done.

“These young lads have come a huge distance over a very short space of time since November. They have grown into their bodies, are continuing to improve as young hurlers and it is absolutely mighty for them as a panel of players that they are starting to learn and be comfortable with what it is to play at inter-county hurling.”

He knows Tier 2 represents a low starting point.

“We are under no illusions. We know we are in Tier 2 but for this particular group of players, the progress is on an upward trajectory.”

Carroll agreed that they flirted with disaster in that first round 2-14 to 2-11 win over Meath.

“Absolutely. To be fair to them, they stayed going over the 63/64 minutes. That is what we preach and the importance of keeping going. Keep hurling until the final whistle and if you keep trying to do the right thing, eventually it will turn for you and that is exactly what happened that day. You could say we got a bit of luck but we made our own bit of luck too. We made some very good decisions on the ball with ten minutes to go and we never lost faith, we just kept going.”

He acknowledged that winning the group is the next target.

“Westmeath have a serious side as well. They have qualified as well so whoever wins that goes through as group winners. We know the quality they have. They have three or four top class hurlers that would make any inter-county minor team and we are under no illusions about what we are heading into next weekend.”

What is achievable for this Offaly squad?

“I can't fault the application and the attitude of the players. That is first and foremost, they have absolutely done everything we asked of them. I cannot fault them and long may it continue.

“They are continuing to build. We will take it absolutely game by game. We focus now on Westmeath next Saturday and we will try and give ourselves the best opportunity to qualify on the top of the group.”