CARLOW manager Bobby, Miller believes his team are ill a Catch 22 situation as they prepare to take on Meath in the Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter final at Croke Park on Sunday.
On the one hand, no other team in Leinster has experienced as much championship fare this season as Carlow, who have two matches under their belt. On the other hand, his team missed out on valuable stamina training in the months of March and April because of their early championship engagements.
"When Meath were still undergoing stamina work on the beach and dunes out at Laytown, we were already working with the ball," said Miller. "It remains to be seen if two championship matches can compensate for missing out on that sort of work.
Still, it was great to win two matches, and the mood in the camp is exceptionally good," he added. "Training and preparations, generally, have gone well and hopefully we can play up to our potential."
There are some doubts over the fitness of Hughie Brennan, Joe Murphy and Colm Hayden, although manager Miller expects all three to be available to take on Meath, whose only major concern surrounds the fitness of defender Cormac Murphy who sustained an ankle ligament injury two weeks ago.
Murphy, who can play at either corner back or wing back, has been receiving intensive treatment since picking up the injury in a challenge match, but it is felt that the match may come marginally too soon for him.
Laois who take on Kildare in the other part of the double header at Croke Park have fitness worries of their own.
Forward Hugh Emerson is struggling with a knee injury, although be continues to receive treatment. Kildare, meanwhile, were scheduled to carry out a fitness test on defender Ken Doyle, who has a hamstring strain, at training last night. Anthony Rainbow, who has returned from peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, is a ready made replacement, however.
Galway captain Jarlath Fallon suffered a recurrence of a thumb injury in their Connacht championship win over Sligo last Sunday but manager Bosco McDermott is confident the versatile Tuam Stars man will be able to lead the team against Leitrim at St Jarlath's Park on Sunday. The match has been made all ticket by the Connacht Council.
Ciaran McGovern, a long term casualty with an ankle injury, is the only injury worry for Leitrim, who are seeking to make amends for their defeat by the Tribesmen in last year's campaign.
Ant rim, meanwhile, undertook a "football retreat" to a hideaway in Fermanagh last weekend by way of finalising preparations for their Ulster senior football championship encounter with last year's provincial finalists Cavan (who have slapped a media ban on their squad) at Casement Park on Sunday. There are no major injury worries in either camp.
. Keith Barr's fate will not be decided by the Leinster Council until they receive referee Noel Cooney's report on the Dublin defender's dismissal during Sunday's win over Westmeath.
If Barr is handed the minimum two weeks suspension, the Erin's Isle man will be available to assist the All Ireland champions in their provincial semi final with Louth on June 30th. A one month ban would rule him out of the game.
