Kelly prepares for awkward trip to London

BY RONAN SCOTT

National Hurling League Division 2B

London v Derry

Sunday, Ruislip, 2pm

Derry head to London on Saturday, but it is an uncomfortable journey for many in the Oak Leaf county.

The drive to keep the GAA alive in city where Sam Maguire was a former Chariman, demands that away games be held in Ruislip.

While the ex pat Gaels will love it, Derry hurlers like Conor Kelly admit that travelling over does not help preparation for a game.

“It’s not ideal. Players don’t like to travel too far to games anway.

“When you go over there it can take it out of you. It does have an effect. You have to sort time off work.

“We had to go over to Warwickshire last year. Lads had to leave at half six in the morning for a game at half 11, It’s not ideal.”

But Kelly realises that it has to be done. They just have to get on the plane and go over there into the unknown.

“We don’t really know much about them and the way London are you can’t really compare them from year to year.”

Last weekend, Derry got the better of Down in round one. A great start against their Ulster rivals, but Kelly said that Derry are a good way off being full strength.

“We have only had the bare bones, maybe 16 or 17 men. That was the first run out. It was more about getting the result.

“We thought we were going to play in Owenbeg but ended up in Celtic Park. It’s hard to prepare for that. There was plenty to be concerned about, particularly in the second half. They pinned us back. There are a lot of things that we have to work on.”

While Kelly says they have only had the bare bones, the hurlers still have been training since November. So it is best not to over exaggerate their preparations. They are a team that has realistic ambitions of getting promotion this year.

“Everyone has been going flat out. The Sleacht Néill ones have been training. It is more about gelling the whole thing together.

“The fitness is there, we just need to get the stick work. That will come with more games.

“We have did a lot of good work already in terms of fitness and strength and conditioning.”

And Kelly said that the ambitions are there, though the don’t want to get too carried away.

“We can’t look past the next game, but if we are being realistic then we would need to be geting promotion. We were so close last year.

“We know that we are capable of hurling at the next level. We played Wicklow (who are division 2A) three times last year and we ran them close.”