Ó Sé accepts final fate and rues timescale

DARRAGH Ó SÉ admitted last night that his All-Ireland dream is over for this year.

The Kerry star is resigned to missing the Bank of Ireland football final against Mayo in Croke Park after breaking a bone in his right foot early in Sunday’s semi-final game against Derry. He doesn’t believe he has enough time to recover for the September 26 clash with the Connacht champions.

Confirming that his foot is not in plaster, Ó Sé pointed out that all he can do is rest and hope the healing process clicks into place. In two weeks or so he might know if he has any prospect of taking some part in the game.

But, as of yesterday, his feeling was that “it’s over” for him. “That’s sport, isn’t it,’’ he commented.

“We’re in an All-Ireland final and I have been there four or five times already. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s all about on the day and we have had our good days and bad days. We could be lucky or we could be unlucky.”

The incident in which he was injured in Sunday’s game occurred after 20 minutes when he challenged the Derry midfielder Patsy Bradley, who was in possession and moving forward. Ó Sé was stationary at the time.

“It was accidental,’’ he said. “He just banged off me and fell down. If I fell down myself I would have been all right, but his weight came down on my instep. On another day it wouldn’t have happened the way it did.

“I knew I was in trouble. I was no good to anybody as I was. Coming off was the best thing I could do,’’ he added.

Former midfield great Jack O’Shea agrees the Gaeltacht man would be a huge loss, but still believes Kerry could win without him. And, he made the interesting suggestion that the management should consider re-introducing Maurice Fitzgerald to complement the squad.

O’Shea, regarded as Kerry’s most accomplished midfielder since Mick O’Connell, agreed that Ó Sé’s loss would be all the more unfortunate because he was ‘just coming into form’.

“Kerry have a fair bit of cover. Tommy Griffin is back and playing quite well.

“I think they should bring Maurice Fitzgerald back. He’s playing great club football. It’s something the management should consider. Rather than bringing a new fellow into the panel, why not go for an experienced player they can use? I would not close the door on it. That would be my own opinion on it if I was involved.

“Either way I still think Kerry are capable of winning. The backs are playing quite solidly and the Mayo forwards will find it hard to get room against them.

“Kerry are getting better with every game and getting closer and closer to the complete performance.’’