Some good news for Tipp as Barrett avoids cruciate

THERE was a positive end to a forgettable few days for the Tipperary hurlers last night with confirmation that All-Star corner back Cathal Barrett has avoided cruciate knee ligament damage.

Barrett, 23, went down in agony and clutching his left knee after contesting an aerial ball with Cork substitute Luke O’Farrell in the 62nd minute.

He was replaced by Alan Flynn soon after but while a stretcher had been called for, Barrett was able to walk gingerly off the pitch.

His left leg was immediately placed in a protective brace and while Tipp feared the worst, the outlook is far better than had been expected. The Holy cross-Bally cahill club man was scanned yesterday and while a cruciate injury has been ruled out, he’s still facing up to six weeks out.

Barrett’s a doubt for Tipperary’s opening qualifier game on the first weekend in July but, providing the Premier County safely vault that hurdle, he should be fully fit for the remainder of the season.

Tipp manager Michael Ryan should be picking from almost a full deck for the team’s next outing. Donagh Maher, Michael Cahill and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher all missed the Cork game with hamstring problems but are on course to recover in time for the first qualifier game next month.

That game might come too soon for Barrett but he’ll be thankful that his knee injury isn’t a season-ending one.

Meanwhile, former Tipp star James Woodlock is “one-hundred per cent” convinced the Premier County can bounce back from Sunday’s shock defeat to Cork

Woodlock said: “What’s our focus – back-to-back All-Irelands and can that be done? Onehundred per cent yes. I made it that we had four goal chances in the first half and if we’d taken even two of them, it would have been a different story.”