INJURY FREE AL’S A NEW MAN
For the first time in two seasons Connolly’s repaired body is giving him freedom
INJURY plagued goal poacher Alan Connolly says there were ‘dark’ times when he couldn’t play for Cork.
The Blackrock man blasted a stunning hat-trick against Offaly on Sunday to keep the Rebels in the hunt for a semi-final place.
It was the full-forward’s first start of 2024 having missed all of 2023 with shoulder and hamstring problems.
His return to full fitness is a giant boost for Cork because his goal threat is clear.
Connolly sniped two goals on his league debut in 2021, coming on as a sub against Waterford.
Two games later, he made his first league start and reeled off another two goals against Westmeath.
Connolly started the 2022 league final against Kilkenny and went on to score four more goals in that summer’s Munster championship – before injury struck.
Connolly said: “I probably haven’t been fit for the past three years. I’ve been injured, always carrying something. It’s great to play with a bit of freedom. You can see, well I hope I look a bit freer anyway, kind of the mind is at ease. It’s hard carrying the injuries. Thankfully now I’m over it.
“It was my hamstring last year, after the shoulder. But everything is fine now. I have the physios to thank, Sinead Murphy and Colm
Coakley, so I’m delighted to be back.
“I’ve been in a dark place the last three years,
I’d say. My mind is at ease now, it’s great just coming to training, not worrying about your shoulder or anything, just playing with freedom.”
Connolly’s comeback means boss Pat Ryan (inset) has even more options in attack as he finetunes his Championship preparations.
Even without Connolly last year, the Rebels used 38 different players in the 2023 league – the highest level of experimentation in Division 1.
It’s a similar story this term with Ryan handing match action to 34 different players in just four games so far. That’s 10 more than Wexford and Antrim.
Ryan made nine changes to his team for the win over Offaly and acknowledged afterwards that it might look like he doesn’t know his best lineup.
But Connolly said the competition for places is great.
He said: “The panel we have it’s unbelievable. The talent, like, we could put any 15 out there and they’d get the same result.
“There are a lot of lads who didn’t even travel to Offaly who can easily do what the lads did on the pitch. The
competition at training at the moment is unbelievable and it’s great to see. There’s a good bite in training.
“We’re still kind of figuring out the team and stuff. And look, I haven’t played in eight months, so I’m trying to figure it all out myself as well. Other lads are coming back from injury as well, lads like Robbie O’flynn, so it’s really good overall in training.
“We’ve two wins now in the league, over Waterford and Offaly. We’ll look forward to the game against Wexford next weekend and hopefully get a win there. It’s a very tough place to go but we’ll give it a good crack anyway.”
Connolly shrugged: “We’re taking it week by week. We’re just trying to get the wins, trying to get the confidence up. Lads are very confident at the moment and training is going well.”
Connolly took home a piece of silverware as Man of the Match in the 27-point demolition of Offaly on Sunday.