New injury absentee as Offaly team named for big Leinster U-20 HC shootout

ANOTHER injury to a key player has hit the hopes of Offaly U20 hurlers as they bid to get their season motoring.

Defensive stalwart Ruari Kelly has been ruled out of Monday's Leinster U20 Hurling Chamionship quarter-final shootout with Dublin in Newbridge with a hamstring injury – the game has been switched to St Conleth's Park after damage to the pitch at Parnell Park.

The Lusmagh man was outstanding at corner back as Offaly won the Leinster and All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship in 2024 and he joins Kilcormac-Killoughey duo Ter Guinan and Daniel Hand on the list of unavailable players.

Fortunately Adam Screeney has recovered from a groin injury and is named to start again while the loss of the Offaly players is offset to a considerable degree by the absence of emerging Dublin forward David Purcell. Purcell has played senior for Dublin, is the star forward on the U20 team and his absence greatly damages their prospects of evicting the holders.

Kelly's place goes to Coolderry's Ajay Cleary, a son of former long serving Birr and Offaly player Paul Cleary. There are a couple of other changes from the team that had an easy win over Laois in their last group game. Dan Ravenhill returns to lead the attack in place of Cathal Robinson while Shamrocks man Conor Egan has won his place back at full forward ahead of Eoin Bailey-O'Brien – Egan, a dual minor last year, had started in the opening defeat to Galway.

This general squad were pipped by Tipperary in the All-Ireland minor hurling final three years ago while they have several survivors from the team that won Leinster and All-Ireland U20 hurling titles in such breathtaking style last year.

With all that going for them, Offaly are many people's favourites to retain their titles this year but haven't fully clicked yet. With every team qualifying, that was okay and they achieved their main objective of qualifying for the quarter-final rather than the preliminary quarter-final but there are no safety nets from here in.

They still have the capacity to improve very quickly and a win in Newbridge could get them going. It has been a very energy sapping year for some of their best players – Donal Shirley and Dan Ravenhill have nailed down places on the senior team while James Mahon came on as a sub and Liam Hoare and Brecon Kavanagh were unused subs against Galway.

It's a delicate balancing act and Offaly will also have to beat Kilkenny and, probably, Galway to win Leinster which is a big ask. The only game in town, however, is Dublin at the moment and any fragile display could be punished. Offaly are favourites for this one and you would expect them to perform and win but they have to go and do it now. This is arguably their most important game of the year and a win could change everything for them.

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OFFALY: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey); James O'Sullivan (Shinrone), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Donal Shirley (Tubber); Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Niall Furlong (Tullamore); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Conor Doyle (Clara); Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey). Subs – Eanna Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cathal Robinson (Kinnitty), Eoin Bailey-O'Brien (Shinrone), Sean Carey (Seir Kieran), Brian Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cillian Martin (Tullamore), Caelum Larkin (Carrig-Riverstown), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone).