O’Connor injury to test Ballintubber

INJURED Ballintubber’s Cillian O’Connor will miss next Sunday’s Mayo SFC semi-final against Crossmolina after dislocating his shoulder last weekend. Pic: Michael Donnelly Photography

O’Connor injury to test ‘Tubber


Mike Finnerty previews the two finely-balanced Mayo SFC semi-finals

SFC Semi-Final
Ballintubber v Crossmolina
Sunday, October 7 at 1.30pm
McHale Park, Castlebar

Referee: R Gurren (Aghamore)
Odds: Ballintubber 4/7, Crossmolina 13/8, Draw: 7/1.

IF the county champions do go on to retain the Moclair Cup this season then we can safely say that they have nothing left to prove in the Mayo senior championship.
Not alone do they have to deal with the considerable challenge of Crossmolina next Sunday, but they will have to do so without the services of marquee forward Cillian O’Connor.
Last year’s ‘Young Footballer of the Year’ dislocated his shoulder last Sunday in the early stages of a senior league match against Ballina Stephenites after falling awkwardly. He was removed to Mayo General Hospital where his shoulder was put back into place.
The 20 years-old, who had scored 1-2 in the opening ten minutes of the game, will be assessed again on Thursday but is expected to be sidelined for up to twelve weeks as a result of his injury.
In O’Connor’s absence, any one of Damien McGing, Kevin McGuinness, Johnny Duffy and Daire Somerville may come into Peter Ford’s plans.
However, their remarkable run of sixteen games unbeaten in the Mayo senior club football championship, which stretches back to 2009, is sure to be put to the test by the Deel Rovers.
Michael Moyles rested the likes of Ciaran McDonald, Brian Benson, Peadar Gardiner and Joe Keane Jnr last weekend, but all four will be back in action on Sunday.
We expect Crossmolina to give Ballintubber an almighty rattle and don’t be surprised if there’s an upset. But Alan Dillon, Jason Gibbons and Danny Geraghty may just just lead the champions back to a third County Final in a row.

VERDICT Ballintubber



SFC Semi-Final
Ballagh' v Knockmore
Sunday, October 7 at 3pm
McHale Park, Castlebar

Referee: D Harrington (Tourmakeady)
Odds: Ballagh’ 8/11, Knockmore 5/4, Draw: 7/1.

CONTRARY to some rumours and plenty of speculation, Ballaghaderreen’s AFL star Pearce Hanley was not back in Ireland at the time of writing (Monday) and therefore is not expected to feature in Ballagh’s plans next Sunday. But, you can never say never. .
Hanley’s return from Australia for this repeat of last year’s quarter-final seemed all the more likely after Andy Moran’s knee injury but, according to club sources, there are no plans to parachute the former Mayo forward back in for the weekend.
Mark O’Dowd will be hoping that Barry Regan can pick up where he left off against Garrymore, scoring 1-8 in a tour de force, while Joe Dillon has slotted into the position vacated by Moran’s injury.
At the back, Philip and Keith Rogers hold down the pivotal central positions but Stephen Drake, who has been struggling with an Achilles injury for the last eight weeks, is a major doubt.
Ray Dempsey won’t have been happy after Knockmore slumped to a disappointingly comprehensive league defeat to Breaffy last Sunday, but the North Mayo lads will be a different proposition next weekend.
Declan Sweeney, Kevin McLoughlin and Aidan Kilcoyne remain their most influential players but this particular hurdle could be too big for them this time round.

VERDICT Ballaghaderreen