Kelly ruled out of All-Ireland bid

Kildare star Peter Kelly will miss his club’s All-Ireland junior championship campaign.

The 2010 All-Star corner-back faces at least three months on the sideline because of a knee injury. Kelly had an operation on his troublesome right knee — which required surgery in 2011 after he ruptured his cruciate ligament — in early December after helping Two Mile House capture the Leinster junior club title.

His surgery was scheduled soon after the Leinster final on December 2 so that Kelly would be fit for the All-Ireland semi-final against Emyvale on January 26. However a check-up last Thursday showed further complications in the knee.

“It’s a disaster for us,” said Two Mile House manager, Jarlath Gilroy. “He’ll be out for three to four months. It’s a bone issue and it just needs time.”

Kelly rang Gilroy last Thursday to break the news. “He found it hard to talk,” Gilroy revealed. The manager told his squad after training that evening. “The players were devastated. But we’re still in the game. He could have got a black card in the first minute against Emyvale. At least now we can work around it,” said Gilroy.