Boost for Galway with Ó Curraoin on the mend

Fears Galway midfielder Fiontan Ó Curraoin sustained a serious injury in Sunday’s FBD League win over Mayo have been allayed.

Play was held up for ten minutes early in the second-half at MacHale Park when the Michéal Breathnach’s clubman suffered a neck/head injury after an accidental clash.

Medics from both counties tended to him on the bench before he was stretchered off and taken to Castlebar General Hospital.

But he was released from hospital on Sunday night and was yesterday recovering and while it’s unlikely he will play in next Saturday’s final against Roscommon, he has not been ruled out either. Neither has defender Johnny Heaney who was also stretchered off in the opening half after a collision.

The Killannin man did not require hospital treatment and he has not been ruled out on Saturday’s game when Galway will hope to end Roscommon’s bid for three FBD League titles in a row when they meet at Hyde Park.

New Galway Padraic Joyce will be hoping to pick up his first silverware since taking over from Kevin Walsh but the former Footballer of the Year said he had mixed views on the new rules.

We did not see anything about the mark. We learn different rules about it every second day. A man is supposed to be able to raise his hand but if he is tackled, he can’t get his hand up. I would not be a fan of it but it is in the rules so we have to adapt and work with it.

“But I see big trouble down the line. Come the big championship matches there will be trouble if it gets that far.”

The double All-Ireland is in favour of the new kickout rule which stipulates all of them are taken from the 20-metre line.

“There is more contest ball which is no harm.

"The way things were going corner-backs were getting 80 per cent of kick-outs so it is no harm to kick it out and let midfielders contest for the ball.