Injuries to affect Armagh minors

Armagh's Ciaran O'Hanlon

ARMAGH minors will be without one of their key players for this weekend’s Ulster Minor Football Championship clash with Tyrone.

Niall Hollywood, who’s in his final year of minor football, has been ruled out after he broke his finger during an in house training game.

Hollywood isn’t the only player unavailable to manager Paul Doyle either. There are four players in total expected to miss out the game against the Orchard county’s bitter rivals Tyrone, the others include David McCreesh, and Conor Sloan, who was part of the St Paul’s Bessbrook All-Ireland winning schools team.

“Niall Hollywood is a blow because he is a fantastic footballer, and he was one of the starting 15. But we have good players who will be able to come in and take their places.”

This is Doyle’s first year in charge of the minors. He replaces Paul McShane who Doyle regards as the most successful minor manager the county ever had. That’s due to the All-Ireland title that he delivered in 2009.

This year, Doyle has already provided his county with a trophy, the Ulster Minor League shield, which they won after beating Donegal in the decider.

This weekend they are up against the county that delivered two of the last four All-Ireland titles, and also the team that won the 2012 Ulster Minor League title.  Yet Doyle feels no pressure.

“The county board have not put any pressure on us regarding the Championship,” he said. “We have moved in for the development squads, the same as Paul McShane. Our remit was to develop players.”

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published June 8. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent or, for only 90p, purchase the online edition by clicking here