Limerick clash likely to come too soon for Cork ace Kelly

Cork footballer Patrick Kelly feels he is unlikely to be fully fit in time for the Munster SFC quarter-final with Limerick on May 25.

Kelly, who underwent a hip operation in November, last night played his first competitive match since Cork’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Donegal in August as his club, Ballincollig, took on Bantry Blues in a Kelleher Shield game.

Ballincollig face a second league game in four nights on Friday against Aghada, and Kelly is hoping to use the two matches to help him prepare for the county SFC first-round clash with Douglas on May 6, but he does not want to look too far ahead.