Hurling/ Waterford's Eoin Kelly: Waterford hurler Eoin Kelly has insisted there is no lingering ill-feeling within the Déise camp following his controversial inter-club transfer from Mount Sion to Passage.

Kelly confirmed he still has a "very good" relationship with his former Mount Sion club-mates, despite the bitter dispute which led to his departure from the county champions.

"I have no problems with them - they have no problems with me," said Kelly yesterday. "We all play under the same flag for Waterford and there's no animosity there at all."

Kelly revealed that Waterford team manager Justin McCarthy provided an ear during that turbulent time in his career. As Kelly surveyed the fallout from his spat with Mount Sion, he turned to McCarthy for advice and support.

"He's an experienced head and I rang him a few times for a bit of help. He was always there, fair play to him. He has a lot of respect for me, I have a lot of respect for him and I hope it will stay that way."

The 2002 All Star recipient was taken aback when his omission from the Mount Sion team that played Toomevara in last November's Munster club hurling semi-final became national news.

Kelly went public with his frustration and his newspaper comments led ultimately to his departure from the club for whom he had hurled since he was six years of age.

"I didn't think it would go national, but it did," Kelly reflected. "But it's behind me now, there's a full year ahead and that's all we're looking forward to."

Kelly refused to be drawn on Brian Corcoran's inflammatory comments in his autobiography, when the former Cork hurler referred to what he regarded as negative elements within the Waterford camp, including infighting and division.

"I haven't read it and I don't know what was in it so I really can't comment on it," claimed Kelly.

However, he did agree that next Sunday's league opponents Cork took hurling to a new level in recent seasons with their almost fanatical approach to preparation. And the versatile hurler believes that Waterford can benefit by tapping into the Cork approach.

Asked what might finally get Waterford over the line as the search for a first All-Ireland senior crown since 1959 grows ever more desperate, Kelly replied: "A bit more professionalism - in the gym we had to start doing more weights and this year, we've been doing a bit more.

"Last year, we were beaten by a point, but beating Tipp (in the All-Ireland quarter-final) gave us a lot of confidence that we can win at Croke Park. We're a year older and I think a bit wiser and I hope we can do it up there. They (Cork) brought it to a new level - what they have done has been well publicised.

"But we just didn't get the rub of the green - last year the ball was over the bar and Donal Óg (Cusack) pulled it out. But everybody's lifted it another 10 per cent this year and we want to earn that rub of the green."

Meanwhile, Leitrim are to demand that their NFL clash with London, which was called off on Sunday because the pitch in Ruislip was waterlogged, should now take place in Leitrim.

Leitrim are due to travel to London for the first round of the Connacht championship and they are determined they will not make three trips there in the space of a few months.

Loughrea have been dealt a crushing blow as they bid for their first All-Ireland club hurling title on St Patrick's Day against Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Experienced centre back Nigel Shaughnessy will miss the game after breaking his collarbone in a challenge match at the weekend. And midfielder Brian Mahony is rated extremely doubtful after suffering a hamstring injury in the match against Clare.