Armagh chiefs vow action as minor star suffers vicious attack
Nugent was attacked and knocked unconscious towards the end of the Armagh County League Division 1 clash between his club Maghery and Cullaville in Maghery last Sunday.
Maghery won 1-12 to 0-9 but the result was marred by Nugent incurring a series of horrific facial injuries which will prevent him eating solid foods for four months. Nugent suffered a broken chin, broken jaw, split lower gum, displaced of all his lower teeth and dislodged part of his lower jaw.
He underwent extensive surgery on Monday at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald near Belfast. Armagh’s disciplinary authority, the CCC, are understood to have received the report of the game from referee Kevin McNeice and will launch an immediate investigation into the incident.
“The investigation will start straight away,” revealed Armagh County Board PRO Joe Jordan last night. “It will be pursued expeditiously now that the CCC has received the referee’s report. If it’s a case the referee didn’t see the incident and it happened behind his back, the CCC will straight away start looking for other witnesses.
“We condemn as a county board an incident of this type. Kevin made a great contribution last year in the county’s fantastic All-Ireland minor success. He went out to play a game on Sunday but suffered a horrific injury and ended up in Dundonald on Monday undergoing surgery. That’s not on.”
Nugent lined out at left corner-back last September for Armagh as they lifted their first All-Ireland MFC title in 60 years, defeating Mayo 0-10 to 0-7. The 19-year-old also collected a provincial minor medal when Armagh defeated Down 1-8 to 1-5.
