Kerry and Cork count cost of injuries

CORK AND Kerry face an anxious few days before Saturday’s replay in Páirc Uí­ Chaoimh because of injuries. Neither manager is giving up on anyone, but Kerry’s Jack O’Connor is resigned to having to field without Tommy Walsh, who left the pitch injured on Sunday.

“We’ll be getting the results of the scan tomorrow (Tuesday), but obviously he’s very doubtful with only six days to go. It’s not a serious injury but he tweaked the ankle a few days before and then aggravated it during the game.”

O’Connor is already without the other of his “twin towers” full-forward line, Kieran Donaghy, who is a long-term absentee.

“There’s not a lot you can do about it when you get injuries,” he said, “and sometimes they come in a run, but that’s why you need a strong panel.”

For their part, Cork are anxious about four of the men who lined out on Sunday in Killarney. John Miskella had to withdraw because of a knee injury, goal-scorer Pearse O’Neill strained his shoulder, Alan O’Connor aggravated a groin problem and Ray Carey is carrying an ankle knock.

“We won’t be ruling any of them out,” according to manager Conor Counihan, “and will be giving them every minute that’s available to allow them recover.”

The Munster Council have announced that Saturday’s replay has been brought forward to 5pm to facilitate live broadcasting of the match by TV3.

According to GAA commercial manager Dermot Power, the rights for matches automatically include the rights to replays and that the station had availed of that option.

The provincial council’s original date of 7pm for the replay was changed because RTÉ had already been scheduled to cover the Kildare-Wexford Leinster semi-final.

“The arrangement is,” according to Power, “that if a replay is fixed for the same time and date as an already scheduled fixture that’s being broadcast, the arrangements have to change before the replay can be shown, as the original match takes precedence. Happily in this case the Munster Council was very co-operative and both games will now be seen.”

It will affect the Ring Cup semi-final replay between Kerry and Carlow, scheduled for Tralee on Saturday afternoon, but that will hardly deter too many of the county’s supporters who had intended travelling to Cork.

Meanwhile, news of Dublin forward Mark Davoren’s injury from the weekend clash with Meath is still awaited. The player had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after a number of minutes medical attention as he lay injured. Immediate speculation concerned a possible cruciate tear, although the player had recovered some mobility after the match.

“There’s no news on it yet,” according to a team spokesperson. “He had a scan today (Monday) and we’re waiting to hear back, but there’s a chance that it’s a cartilage problem, which would obviously not be as bad as ligament damage.”

Galway’s preparations for the Connacht semi-final against Sligo have been disrupted by news Nicky Joyce has been dropped from the panel for disciplinary reasons.

The Dublin County Board have ruled out another football-hurling double-header at Croke Park on June 28th.

Dublin are to meet Wexford in the hurling on June 20th with the footballers taking on Westmeath or Wicklow on June 28th.

KILKENNY (Under-21 H v Offaly):C McGrath; P Murphy, A Kearns, C Fogarty; Lester Ryan, D Langton, J Dowling; M Kelly, M Walsh; C Fennelly, JJ Farrell, J Mulhall; M Bergin, R Hogan, Liam Ryan.

OFFALY (Under-21 H v Kilkenny):J Dempsey; B Harding, S Wynne, B Coughlan; D Markan, E Murphy, T Gilmore; C Mahon, D Mooney; J Mulrooney, D Currams, M Egan; J Gorman, B Leonard, O Kealey.