Collins set to miss out

Digest: Galway skipper David Collins looks set to miss the National Hurling League campaign through injury.

The 23-year-old suffered a serious ankle ligament injury in the Railway Cup final in October and is responding slowly to treatment.

"He's not back at the jogging stage yet, so it looks like it will take longer," said Galway Hurling Board secretary John Fahey. Collins was named Galway captain last year when Ger Loughnane took over.

Galway will open their campaign against Clare in Pearse Stadium next Sunday.

Bennis rues injuries

Limerick manager Richie Bennis has received another injury blow with the news forward Conor Fitzgerald looks set to miss the National Hurling League campaign.

Fitzgerald sustained a serious shoulder injury playing for Adare in last October's Limerick hurling championship semi-final and underwent surgery last week to ensure there is no recurrence during the summer. The highly-rated attacker has had a pin inserted in his shoulder and Bennis doesn't expect him to return to training until April. Bennis said: "Conor's injury would have healed but the problem is that it could have happened again and he was operated on last week."

Bennis has other injury problems to contend with ahead of next Sunday's league opener at home to Laois. Forward Niall Moran may not return until the third match of the campaign, against Clare on March 9th, after recent groin surgery while centre back Brian Geary faces a race against time to be fit for the championship after rupturing cruciate knee ligaments last year.

Brian Begley has suffered a recurrence of an old injury and Bennis admitted the forward will miss at least the opening two rounds of the league. He said: "Brian's doing a bit of very light training but he can't do much more. Geary is a severe loss. He was very good last year and we were hoping for more improvement this season."

Meanwhile, Bennis has targeted qualification from Division One B as Limerick do not open their championship campaign until June 22nd. He added: "Getting to the play-offs would be worth anything because there is an awfully big gap between league and championship."

GPA support campaign

The Gaelic Players Association have welcomed the Show Racism the Red Card Interactive Education resource pack, which was launched yesterday. The campaign is aimed at schools and sports clubs to help address racism and promote integration in Irish society. The resource pack, which includes detailed information and a DVD, is sponsored by the FAI and the Office of the Minister for Integration and supported by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), Basketball Ireland, Professional Footballers Association of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council.

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said: "The GPA is fully committed to the 'Show Racism the Red Card' message. No player, supporter or participant in sport should feel excluded from a game because of racism."

St Mary's progress

St Mary's, Edenderry, qualified for the quarter-finals of the Leinster Colleges senior football A championship thanks to a deserved 1-7 to 0-5 win over St Joseph's, Rochfortbridge, under lights at Kinnegad last night. An opportunist goal from point-blank range by St Mary's full forward Seanie Moore in the eighth minute gave the winners a lead and, aided by a slight wind, the Edenderry side led 1-3 to 0-2 at half-time.

St Joseph's lacked the firepower to haul back the deficit while St Mary's had much slicker forwards, Paul Cribbin taking his chances with the minimum of fuss. The winners next face St Declan's, Cabra.

ST MARY'S: C McCormack; D Holton, L Holt, C O'Donoghue; Jake Kavanagh, Josh Kavanagh, D Kelly; W Holton, M Young; S Guing, E O'Donoghue (0-2), P Cribbin (0-3); S Hurley (0-1, free), S Moore (1-0), S Cullen (0-1). Sub: A.Sullivan for Guing.

ST JOSEPH'S: M Gorman; E Rigney, R Leavy, J Gonoud; P Masterson, A Browne, S Brogan; D Kilcoyne, C Flynn; P Lewis (0-3, frees), C Boyle, D Riggs; J Cully, W Fox, M Conroy (0-1). Subs: C Kiernan for Browne, E Gorman (0-1)for Kiernan, S Cooney for Conroy.

Referee: J Bannon(Longford).