Lynch in race to be fit

Anthony Lynch faces a desperate race to be fit for Cork’s footballers next match in the All-Ireland qualifiers on July 3.

“It’s going to be touch and go for Anthony,” Cork team doctor Con Murphy told the Evening Echo today.

Lynch was reduced to a role of water carrier yesterday at Fitzgerald Stadium and he watched on from the sideline as Cork capitulated to a 0-15 to 0-7 defeat at the hands of Kerry.

The Cork star broke his collarbone playing for Naomh Aban three weeks ago and now faces a desperately tight race to be fit for their next game.

“With this kind of injury it takes six weeks to recover, so that leaves very little time to play with,” added Dr Murphy.

That will mean, at best, that Lynch will have to avoid all contact training in the build-up to that second round game.

Meanwhile, Philip Clifford is almost certain to miss out that second round qualifier, after having surgery on his knee.

On a brighter note, Colin Corkery and Brendan Jer O’Sullivan will both be available and will almost certainly come straight back into the team, after the Cork attack misfired horribly in Killarney.

Cork could now face any one of eight teams when the draw for the second round qualifiers is made on June 27.

Dublin, Derry, Offaly, Down, Fermanagh, Louth, Longford and Clare will be Cork’s possible opponents for that game.

Ciaran O’Sullivan insisted the Rebels could bounce back.

“We would not be the first team to have lost badly and then come back and do well in the qualifiers. We just have to pick ourselves up and get on with it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cork odds of winning the All-Ireland have lengthened significantly, with local bookmakers offering Billy Morgan’s side at 18/1 today.