Fox appointed as coach to Offaly minor hurlers

Former Laois senior manager Damien Fox has been appointed as coach to next year's Offaly minor hurling team. The Tullamore man will link up with manager Joe Cleary from Shinrone after their appointments were ratified at the county board meeting earlier this week. It is expected that three selectors will be confirmed in the coming days. The new management team takes over from Johnny Pilkington, Ronnie Byrne, Roy Mannion and Noel Russell, who endured a disappointing 2009 season, when the Faithful County suffered a surprise Leinster championship exit at the hands of Westmeath. Fox is currently the manager of Westmeath club side Castletown-Geoghegan and his charges face Lough Lene Gaels in this Sunday's Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship semi-final against Lough Lene Gaels.