Big Minor and Junior Games This Weekend

Post date: Oct 26, 2012 1:38:13 PM

On Saturday, our Junior team begin knockout hurling with a quarter final meeting against Sylane in Castlegar at 2pm. The tie is a tricky one for a couple of reasons. The teams met last year in Sylane, where the home team clawed back a 9 nine deficit to earn a draw. It complicated too by the fact that players such as Kevin O'Donovan, Conor Noone, Conor Kyne, Andrew Hurney who haved featured prominently in the campaign so far, all have a big day on Monday.

In fact, the management expects to have 19 or more players available without recourse to the Minor players. There is a recognition that if the club is to have a long term future at Senior level or second/development squad needs to be playinf at a higher Junior level. Therefore the Junior campaign is arguably the most important in 2012.Monday's big day of course is the Minor B1 final against Sarsfields. The Minor team has looked strong throughout the campaign apart from the depleted squad that travelled to Ballinasloe early on.

Their progress has been assisted by fact that a large number of the players got their season underway with an U21 campaign that reached the semi-final stage and the work the U16 team put in to reach their quarter final in a tough competition. Managers Jimmy Donohoe and Niall Malone have been keeping a close eye on those campaigns as well as plotting the path to the club's first Minor final since 2003. Sarsfields will be a tough proposition as their great tradition attests but Máigh Cuilinn have strong panel, overcoming a fancied Meelick Eyrecourt side in the semi-final despite some notable absentees. Reports from the camp are that a full squad is fit and ready to seek a first Minor title since 1991.