Kelly happy to fill in wherever is need to help out Rangers

Kelly happy to fill in wherever is need to help out Rangers

Gary Kelly has filled in a variety of roles for Mount Leinster Rangers down through the years Photo: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

You will do anything for your club.

Mount Leinster Rangers goalkeeper, Gary Kelly, would not be the first person to say this. Some of that kind of talk can mean nothing but the former dual senior player has always practiced what he preaches.

Last season he played in goal for Rangers. This year, he lined out at centre-back for the club in an intermediate group game but since then he has taken up a position between the sticks. As it turns out it was an inspired move to place him in the last line of defence. In the semi-final he made a string of fine saves to deny Carlow Town. One save late on ensured safe passage to the final.

“The legs wouldn’t be the best at the moment,” he suggests.

If Rangers are to remain as a force at senior level, they need to have younger players coming through. Kelly is 35 years old himself but, after what he has achieved, featuring in two All-Ireland finals with the club, he has to be what younger team mates aspiring to.

When I was younger and playing with the likes of Eddie Byrne and Denis Murphy, our parents were with us. My father, Eddie Byrne and Michael Murphy were with us the whole way up along into minor.

“Being part of a successful team, we would never care if we never saw a drink. That is the way we were brought up. A drinking ban. You would do anything for the club to be honest with you.” There it is. Leading by example.

“The young lads are coming through. Some of them will be playing senior soon. Lads like Robert Stafford and Jamie Nolan. They are playing unbelievably at the moment. Other lads like Mark Dundon with his brother Joey on the senior team,” says Kelly.

“The hard work has paid off. The lads who have been involved with the seniors have been doing heavy work with them. We are doing our bit ourselves on the intermediate side.” It is 2016 since Rangers won an intermediate hurling title. It is beginning to grate on them.

“We have a lot of pressure on ourselves. Apart from 2021, we have been in every final since then. We are listening to it being said the team is not good enough to win one. There is pressure on both teams but we will give it our best shot,” says Kelly who has eight senior medals himself.

He is happy that the opposition on Saturday are fancied.

“Naomh Bríd will be favourites. They are the in-form team. They will have learned a lot since we played them in the group. They are after doing a lot of hurling. Do they have a lot of pressure on them being a first team in the club,” askes the Rangers spokesman.

Mark Dundon is an injury doubt for Rangers. After that they should select from a healthy panel.

As Kelly might suggest let the game begin.

“Both teams are in it now and hopefully both teams will put on a show,” he says.

JJ Kavanagh & Sons Intermediate Hurling Championship Final 

Naomh Bríd vs Mount Leinster Rangers 

Referee : Sean Mc Cormack 

Netwatch Cullen Park, Saturday 23 August, 6.15pm

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