Rebel stars may miss run-in

AIDAN Walsh and Ciarán Sheehan’s involvement with the Cork senior footballers for the remainder of their Division One league campaign will be dependent on the county’s progress in the Munster U21FC.

The pair are definitely ruled out of the equation for next Sunday’s trip to Pearse Stadium to face Galway due to the Cork U21s provincial semi-final tie against Tipperary tomorrow week, March 23.

If Cork triumph in that game, they would then face a final date on April 6 which would be sandwiched by the county seniors’ concluding two league clashes against Mayo on April 3 and Armagh on April 10.

Cork boss Conor Counihan admitted his side’s preparations for the meeting with Tomás Ó’Flatharta’s Galway team are compromised by the start of the divisional section of the county SFC this week with eight of the starting 15 that faced Down last Saturday night involved.

Ray Carey, Paudie Kissane and Colm O’Neill lined out for Avondhu last night while Denis O’Sullivan and Alan O’Connor were in action for Carbery. Tomorrow night, Noel O’Leary, Daniel Goulding and Fintan Goold will be involved with Muskerry.

“It’s certainly an issue for us,” said Counihan. “It’s difficult when you’ve games within a week of each other and then when you’ve the club involvement thrown in as well. But if we get over next week, we’ve a two-week break and that’s why the trip to Galway is so important.”

Attacker Donncha O’Connor will try to shake off an ankle injury picked up in training before the Galway game. The experienced quartet of Graham Canty, Alan Quirke, John Miskella and Anthony Lynch will be sidelined for this weekend’s game but they are targeting the Mayo tie as a potential comeback date.

Meanwhile, Down boss James McCartan is hopeful that All Star forward Benny Coulter will be available for next Saturday night’s crunch league tie against Monaghan in Newry. Coulter has missed the last two games against Armagh and Cork with a hamstring injury.

He was named amongst the substitutes for last Saturday’s tie against Cork but did not see action during Down’s 3-17 to 0-15 defeat. McCartan also revealed that goalkeeper Brendan McVeigh is unlikely to figure in the remainder of the Mourne men’s league campaign. “It’ll be another month at least for Brendan, but hopefully for next week, we’ll have Benny available as he has an extra week to be ready.

“We really need another win to remain in the division. I think we’ve a really tough run-in having to go away to Kerry and Dublin.”