Clonmel’s Kennedy torn between codes
The youngster is on scholarship with UCC, who are affiliated with Airtricity League side’s U19 side. However their meeting with Waterford City in the second round of the Enda McGuill Cup on Sunday clashes with Clonmel’s battle with Dr Crokes. Coleman, whose father John won an All-Ireland SHC medal with Tipperary, told his team-mates about his predicament at a team meeting last weekend.
“We understand that he is in that position at the moment but no decision has been made,” said club secretary Derek Williams.
“He is talking to UCC about it to see if he can get off but at the moment he is in a position where he has to pick.
“It’s unfortunate and everyone in the club understands that if it comes to a choice between the two that we will lose out. We fully understand that.
“He’s talking to the college about it and we’ll know more in the morning. He’d be a huge loss because he is so good.”
The loss of Kennedy, who scored a goal in Tipperary’s victorious All-Ireland MFC final in 2011 and was man of match in the county final win over Thomas MacDonaghs kicking 1-2, would severely limit an already weakened forward line. The club’s usual centre forward Niall Kelly is missing through suspension from the county semi-final.
Meanwhile, Dr Crokes expect to have a full squad to choose this weekend.
Major doubts surrounded the fitness of midfielder Ambrose O’Donovan and full-back Michael Moloney (ankle), but chairman and co-manager Vince Casey hopes they will make it.
“I was not too hopeful on Monday that he [Moloney] would make the Clonmel game,” he said. “But it has responded well to treatment and there is no break, so I would be quite hopeful right now that he will be able to play.
“Ambrose O’Donovan is going to have the cast on his broken finger taken off today [Wednesday] and he is going to see a doctor so I expect that Ambrose will be available for selection as well.”
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