Meath’s Eamon Wallace out for the season

Meath's Eamon Wallace has become the latest player to be struck down by cruciate ligament injury. He did the damage in the county's Leinster under-21 quarter-final replay against Lough and scans yesterday confirmed the worst fears of the player and his manager Mick O'Dowd.

An excellent athlete, Wallace’s speed on the ball was a major weapon in the county’s encouraging championship showing last year, which featured a battling Leinster final display against eventual All-Ireland winners Dublin and a similarly competitive defeat by All-Ireland semi-finalists Tyrone.

Wallace will miss the rest of the year and is the third high-profile attacker in the last month to have his season ended by this injury. Kerry All Star Colm Cooper and Dublin's up-and-coming half forward Ciarán Kilkenny have already suffered the same fate.