The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Waiting game for Gooch
Cooper set for Friday scan to assess collar bone injury
COLM Cooper will have to play the waiting game to see if he will be fit for Kerry’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final in just over three weeks after sustaining a collar bone injury in last Sunday’s Munster Final.
Cooper was substituted in the 21st minute after sustaining was seems to have been a dislocated collar bone, but the full extent of the injury – and the recovery time – won’t be known until the player has a scan on Friday.
County Committee chairman Patrick O’Sullivan told The Kerryman
on Tuesday that Cooper – who played his 84th Championship game on Sunday – will go for a scan on the injury on Friday, after which the full diagnosis will be known.
Mr O’Sullivan said Cooper was put in a sling on Sunday as a precautionary measure, but the swelling needs to subside before a full assessment of the injury can be carried out.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice was cautiously upbeat on Sunday afternoon that the injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared.
“He got a bang on his shoulder, but the medical gang there were a bit more hopeful afterwards. They didn’t think it was bad as first thought. So he’ll get it assessed this week and hopefully it won’t be too bad,” the manager said in his post-match press conference.
Conflicting reports on Monday suggested Cooper would definitely miss the All-Ireland quarter-final on the August bank holiday weekend, but it’s clear now that the player and the management will adopt a wait and see approach until Friday’s scan and then determine Cooper’s rehabilitation time.
The panel convened last night (Tuesday) for a recovery session, and to start preparations for the team’s return to Croke Park, their first game there since April’s League Final loss to Dublin.
Peter Crowley, who missed Sunday’s 10-point win over Tipperary after suffering a broken nose the previous weekend in a training game, is expected to be back to full health in a week or so. Crowley was named to start last Sunday but was withdrawn just before throw-in because of breathing complications from the injury.
Johnny Buckley played a full game with Dr Crokes last Saturday as his rehabilitation from injury recovers, but management have confirmed that he will resume full training this week.
Kerry’s All-Ireland quarter-final opponents won’t be known for another two weeks until the Round 4A Qualifiers are played.
Kerry will meet one of the teams from the ‘A’ side of the Qualifiers or the beaten Connacht finalists, meaning they are guaranteed to meet one of Sligo, the winner of Derry v Meath, the winner of Clare v Laois, the winner of Cavan v Carlow and the loser of Roscommon v Galway.
Kerry will avoid Mayo, Cork, Monaghan and the beaten Ulster finalists, Tyrone or Donegal, in the quarter-final as they are on the ‘B’ side of the draw.
Meanwhile, four county SFC and four county SHC matches go ahead this weekend. On Saturday Dingle play Milltown/Castlemaine and Austin Stacks play West Kerry, while on Sunday St Kierans face Rathmore and Legion take on O’Rahillys in the SFC.
In the hurling Ballyheigue meet Ballyduff and Causeway play St Brendan’s on Saturday while on Sunday Lixnaw and Crotta O’Neill’s meet ahead of Abbeydorney taking on Kilmoyley.
COUNTY SFC ROUND 3
Dingle v Milltown/Castlemaine
Saturday, July 9 Austin Stack Park 5pm WHEN Dingle take to the field in Stack Park this Saturday evening one thought above all others will be swirling around their heads – namely that they really shouldn’t be there at all.
By now Dingle should be in a county quarter-final. With sixteen minutes remaining in their second round tie against Mid Kerry they held a thirteen point lead. No question they should have won the match.
That they didn’t is both a massive disappointment and a wake-up call. If Dingle are the team we believe them to be – or at least have the potential to be – they should be capable of taking that defeat on the chin, taking the lessons on board and getting back on track against Milltown / Castlemaine.
It is fair to say there’s no shame in losing to Mid Kerry. Squandering a thirteen point lead is a different matter, however. For all Dingle’s undoubted talent, that suggests a brittleness. The type of brittleness that a team such as Milltown / Castlemaine could exploit.
Milltown / Castlemaine won’t and don’t fear Dingle – they took them to a replay in the first round last year – and, while Dingle would seem to have the edge when it comes to out and out class and skill, Milltown won’t be turning up just to make up the numbers.
Even so it’s hard to look at Milltown’s record in this competition to date and imagine they’ll have what it takes to see off Dingle. In the first round they coughed up five goals and eleven points to a Legion side still without the services of James O’Donoghue.
Dingle will have Paul Geaney at full tilt. They’ll have Mikey Geaney at full tilt and young Conor Geaney has the cut of a man out to make a name for himself.
Much will depend on Marcus Mangan’s ability to dictate matters from centre-back. Given Dingle’s array of talents that might prove beyond even a player of his ability.
Dingle really should be able to make up for the disappointment of their second round defeat.
Verdict: Dingle