Allianz Hurling League Division IB Previews

There are three games in Division IB of the Allianz Hurling League this weekend. Read previews of all three games below.

Allianz Hurling League Division IB Previews

Saturday, February 21

Waterford v Laois, Fraher Field, 7pm (Live on Setanta Sports)

If last week's opening round draw with Limerick was a glimpse into the future for Waterford hurling supporters, things are looking very bright for Na Déise.

The scale of Waterford's restructuring over the off-season - with the integration of members of the 2013 All-Ireland winning side and the huge number of experienced players left off the panel - has been massive, but manager Derek McGrath must feel somewhat vindicated by the display in what was arguably their toughest spring assignment.

Paudie Prendergast rescued a draw with a late, late equaliser, but it was the mature performances of some of their newcomers that impressed the most. "We just feel that the best way of getting them up to the pace for this year and for years to come is to put them in there now and leave them to develop. They did well, but next week is a different challenge," said McGrath after the game.

Laois may have lost their opening game by 1-24 to 0-23 to neighbors Offaly, but the O'Moore men played the last 20 minutes with 14 men after Tom Delaney was red carded. Afterwards, manager Séamus Plunkett was in philosophical mood.

"Overall, for the development of the team, what we are looking for is constant improvement, and not necessarily targeting games and that type of stuff," said Plunkett. "At the end of the day, we want to stay in this Division, it is very competitive. Waterford and Limerick drew so it is a hugely competitive division and you do need to pick up points along the way."

He must have been impressed with the performances of Zane Keenan (0-10) and Cha Dwyer (0-6), and the O'Moore men will be keen to improve their performance levels again this week and to avenge last year's 2-22 to 1-15 Qualifier defeat to Waterford.

Sunday, February 22

Offaly v Wexford, O'Connor Park, Tullamore, 2pm

Both these sides began their Division IB campaigns with victories last weekend. Offaly exacted revenge for last year's opening round defeat to Laois with a morale-boosting 1-24 to 0-23 win over their neighbours in O'Moore Park while Wexford survived a powerful Antrim comeback to record a 1-24 to 2-20 win in Wexford Park.

Offaly's win over Laois was a big one for Brian Whelehan's side. Last year's defeat to Laois, a first loss to their neighbours at home in decades, came to symbolise Offaly's malaise, so exacting revenge for that was an important moment. Offaly captain Dan Currams gave an insight this week into the criticism he and his teammates have faced over the last while as a result of their on-field struggles.

"There's people in the county running the whole thing down. It's a bit of a joke, lads are doing their best and training," he said. "Fair enough, some lads don't play but we're doing our best and lads around the county need to get behind this team. There's some people and the abuse, the slander they are giving the boys, it's an absolute disgrace."

The hope for Currams and Whelehan now will be that Offaly can build on Saturday's result and secure their Division IB status much earlier than they did last year, when their poor results saw them end up in the relegation/promotion play-off against Kerry.

Wexford struggled in their opener last weekend against Antrim and needed a late winner from substitute Harry Kehoe. Given that Liam Dunne's side led by eight points at one stage in the second half, they are obviously a long way short of the form that saw them light up the championship last summer. That is understandable, given that it's just February, but Division IB is unlikely to be too forgiving this year with the likes of Waterford and Limerick vying for promotion.

Dunne has already named his team, with captain Matthew O'Hanlon returning to the full-back line alongside Liam Ryan, one of the finds of 2014. Their task will be to try and shackle Shane Dooley, who hit a remarkable 1-14 for Offaly against Laois on Saturday night. Up front, Liam Óg McGovern (1-3) and Jack Guiney (0-9) are vital for Wexford, having hit 1-12 between them, 1-7 from play, last weekend.

Long-time Leinster rivals, Wexford enjoyed a much better 2014 than Offaly - their surge under Dunne coincided with Offaly's continuing struggles. They defeated the Faithful County in last year's IB encounter, a 2-19 to 2-13 win on February 23 in O'Kennedy Park, New Ross, but Offaly don't have to look too far back for wins over Wexford - they defeated them in the league in 2013 and in the Leinster Championship in 2012.

Antrim v Limerick, Ballycastle, 2pm

Eyes firmly on promotion, Limerick will have been disappointed to have dropped a point after conceding a late equaliser from their opening assignment at home to Waterford. However, with a number of injuries to key players and up against an excellent young side, in hindsight the Shannonsiders might consider it in a different light.

Manager TJ Ryan has made four changes for the trip to Ballycastle. Shane Dowling is back from illness, while James Ryan and the Morrissey brothers, Dan and Tom, all start after coming off the bench last Saturday night.

Declan Hannon, David Breen, Kevin Downes and Seánie Tobin are out injured, while the Kilmallock trio of O'Mahony, Paudie O'Brien and Graeme Mulcahy won't be involved. Niall Moran has also announced his retirement, having played for 27 minutes on Saturday night.

"We have to go all the way up to Ballycastle, which will be a tough game - so we have to prepare for that now," Ryan told the Limerick Leader this week. "I think there are one or two more twists and turns in this league. They are all very competitive games. Everything is in our own hands - we can still control our own destiny."

Antrim manager Kevin Ryan has made three changes from the one-point defeat to Wexford last week - Simon McCrory comes into the half-back line for Tomás McCann while Eoghan Campbell and Matthew Donnelly are drafted into attack ahead of Conor McCann and Eddie McCloskey.

"I think that the present Antrim set-up is the best it has ever been since I have been part of the squad," said Antrim captain Neil McManus this week. "We are getting nearer to making a breakthrough but to do that you need to be winning your home games because it is invariably difficult on the road at this level. Sunday is the acid test for us. It's no good us getting scores and then conceding silly ones."

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Previews: Brian Murphy and Arthur Sullivan