Managing injuries and Mitchell game load key for Offaly U20 hurling manager

TRYING to get injured bodies back on the field and managing the game load of senior player Charlie Mitchell represent two of the big challenges for Offaly U-20 hurling manager Leo O'Connor as they prepare for knockout hurling this week.

A 2-17 to 0-8 win over Antrim in the Louth county training grounds at Darver on Saturday secured qualification into the preliminary quarter-finals of the Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship – where they will face Kildare in Tullamore on Friday evening.

Injuries have left them without key players. Liam Hoare has been a long time absentee while Dan Ravenhill (hamstring), Donal Shirley (groin), Ruari Kelly (broken hand) and Cillian Martin (quad) have all been sidelined in recent weeks.

O'Connor will be hoping to get some of them back into action for knockout hurling while keeping Charlie Mitchell fit is another poser. Mitchell has won his place on the Offaly senior hurling team, playing well in their attack but U-20 is his grade and O'Connor and senior manager Johnny Kelly have communicated well as they try to keep him fresh.

O'Connor had hoped not to use him on Saturday but was forced to change his plans as Offaly struggled badly early on. They were clinging to a 0-5 to 0-3 lead with the wind on their backs when Mitchell was pressed into action. The Kilcormac-Killoughey man did not fire on all cylinders but still provided a real presence and got a goal as Offaly led by 2-13 to 0-7 when he was called ashore in the 47th minute.

He started in Sunday's Joe McDonagh Cup game against Kildare on Sunday and Johnny Kelly called him ashore after 53 minutes, with the win in the bag. Mitchell showed flashes of brilliance with one breathtaking flick up and point on the run drawing gasps of admiration from the small attendance in the first half.

This weekend Mitchell faces two more games in successsive days, the U-20 hurling game against Kildare on Friday and Down in the Joe McDonagh Cup on Saturday. Depending on how Offaly are going, he certainly won't be asked to play the full of either match as the managers guide him through a hectic period – the U-20s will certainly have first call on him and if the seniors can avoid using him, they probably will.

Limerick man O'Connor admitted after Saturday's win that they only used Mitchell as they were struggling.

“You see that bit of strength that Charlie brought. It’s important and certainly we whipped him off as soon as we could, he only played 20 minutes. It’s unfortunate for Charlie as well because the way the games are happening it’s very awkward for Johnny Kelly and it’s very awkward for me. Croke Park are fixing one set of fixtures and Leinster Council are fixing another. If you look at it this way, Charlie played 20 minutes of a game today, he is playing a game tomorrow, playing a preliminary quarter final next Friday night, a quarter final properly the following Wednesday night and then throw in a McDonagh cup match; it’s tough on a guy like that. But look it’s a happy situation to be in and Offaly hurling is tipping along nicely and the more experience the lads get in games like this the better.”

He ended up happy with Offaly's win over Antrim, confessing:

“We didn’t start well and in fairness to Antrim they dug in and they were very dogged. But then we started to hurl and we opened up that little bit of class that we have. We got space and we discovered that we find it easier to play against the wind. It’s one of those situations where we are improving all the time and we move on to the next game which is the most important thing.

“Today was knock out hurling for us because if they turned us over, it would’ve been three teams on four points and it would be down to scoring difference. That little bit of pressure comes on and the further you go in competitions it’s all about stepping up. We will sit down and we will talk and see where we go for next Friday night.”

He talked about their injuries.

“We have a lot of injuries. Dan has a hamstring injury, Donal Shirley has a groin injury, Liam Hoare is out long term for a while, Ruari Kelly has a broken hand, Cillian Martin has a quad injury. So we have 6 or 7 injuries there at the moment but were are going along and there is a big panel there. We have a 35 man panel and when the games are coming so thick and fast you automatically see the benefits of that. You need that for training, like we are back training Monday night and get ourselves right again.

“We will get a good bit of work into Dan, it’s been two weeks since he tore it against Westmeath so we will see what the story is and go from there.”

Tullamore's Cormac Egan and Niall Furlong came on as subs on Saturday, only coming onto the panel after Offaly exited from the Leinster U-20 Football Championship. O'Connor was asked if that was a big decision to make.

“I wouldn’t say they haven't been there from the beginning. We spoke to the lads at the start of the year and they were going to try and be dual players but it’s a heavy work load. They were always there though. It’s not like they were whipped in late, we were always in contact with them. It was just more so getting the balance right. The last twenty minutes there today we got the chance to get Cormac in. We will get Niall back hurling. It’s only this time last year Niall was playing an All-Ireland Minor Final. I think the lads have a lot to offer to our hurling team. They will benefit from that game there today and that’s the most important thing.”