O’Connor’s final agony as shoulder injury almost certain to rule out top scorer

Cillian O’Connor is all but certain to miss Mayo’s All-Ireland final on September 22 after being forced off with an injury to his already suspect right shoulder yesterday.

The two-time Young Footballer of the Year, who has scored back-to-back hat-tricks in this year’s championship, was sent to the Mater Hospital after an innocuous aerial challenge with Conor Gormley in the 11th minute.

O’Connor, 21, had been expected to undergo surgery on the shoulder after it flared up again in a club game following May’s Connacht quarter-final win over Galway. He first dislocated the shoulder playing for Ballintubber the week after last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Donegal.