O’Connor doubt for semi

Kerry star suffered ankle injury in quarter-final

ST Brendans’ star Diarmuid O’Connor has emerged as a major injury doubt ahead of this weekend’s County Senior Football Championship semi-final with East Kerry in Fitzgerald Stadium (Sunday, 1.30pm throw-in).

The Kerry panellist, who was due to be x-rayed last night after The Kerryman had gone to press, was rated as “doubtful” by Brendans boss Seamus Murphy when he spoke with us on Tuesday afternoon.

“He caught a high ball the last day and he went over on his ankle and he’s going for an x-ray this evening so look he’s doubtful at the moment,” Murphy explained.

“I think it’s some bit of a strain to the ligament. He went to physio there yesterday evening, but it was quite sore by him in Cork and he’s not training this week and we’ll just have to monitor it during the week, but at the moment it’s not looking great for him.

“Diarmuid is a great talent, he’s a developing player, he’s got a great attitude so he’s worth an awful lot to us.”

The potential absence of their star man would be a big blow for the north Kerry combination on their first return to the semi-final stage of the race for the Bishop Moynihan Cup in 27 years. Interestingly Sunday’s game will mark the combination’s first game outside of Austin Stack Park in this year’s championship.

East Kerry boss Jerry O’Sullivan, meanwhile, reports that his squad have no additional injury worries outside of their two long-term injury absentees Daniel O’Brien from Glenflesk and Spa and Kerry forward Dara Moynihan.

Ahead of the second semi-final on Sunday, defending champions, Dr Crokes, are reporting a clean bill of health and full availability for their game against South Kerry.

Dr Crokes selector, Niall O’Callaghan, is expecting his team’s toughest game of the championship so far when they play South Kerry, the most recent county champions (2015) apart from Dr Crokes.

The divisional team have one concern, that of Denis Daly, whse knee injury will be assessed on Sunday morning before a final call on his availability will be made.

Manager John Shanahan has played on several South Kerry teams that have lost to and beaten Dr Crokes in the county championship over the last decade and a half, and the Valentia says he is “quietly confident” in his team’s ability, but added that Dr Crokes are a great side and it’s up to his South Kerry players to ask themselves how badly they want to win this semi-final and then try to find the answers on the pitch.

East Kerry play St Brendans at 1.30pm followed by Dr Crokes against South Kerry at 3.15pm in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Photo by Domnick Walsh Legion’s Cian Gammell in action against St Brendans’ Paul McMahon during their County SFC Quarter-final in Austin Stack Park on Saturday.