Horan expects clean bill of health

MAYO MANAGER James Horan said last night he expected all injuries to be cleared in time for Sunday week’s All-Ireland football final against Donegal. Asked at the county’s All-Ireland press night about the knocks picked up in the semi-final win over Dublin, Horan was confident that he would have a clean bill of health.

Wing-back Lee Keegan had to leave the field in the first half and was hospitalised with a dislocated finger, while the other selected wing-back Colm Boyle was unable to start due to illness, although he appeared as a replacement in the second half.

“We have a couple of guys on rehab programmes at the minute but they are progressing very well and I’d be very confident in the next couple of days that they’ll be raring to go.

“Colm Boyle was training with us last night, he was a bit sick in the semi-final but got some attention from the medical team and is back up and running now.

“Lee Keegan is still a little bit sore, but he’s back running at full-tilt and it’s just a matter of time before his finger heals completely. Lee’s on track. It was a dislocation and the bone came through the finger – it was a sore event but no bother to Lee. He hasn’t done any ball work, just straight-line running.”

Meanwhile, Donal Óg Cusack, the Cork hurling captain, believes Galway not only ruptured “Kilkenny’s system” in last Sunday’s All-Ireland final draw but now have a distinct psychological advantage ahead of the replay on September 30th.

"Galway are in Kilkenny's heads," Cusack wrote in his column on GAA.ie.

“As Kilkenny left the field on Sunday their faces had the grey look of men who have been a long time in the trenches. I watched Galway warming down and swapping words. The idea that they might be winners was hardening in their heads. They were still buzzing. This week Galway have reason to believe they have got into Kilkenny’s system like a rare virus.”

Cusack went on to highlight the drop in standards of the other Kilkenny forwards, with Richie Power coming in for particular criticism.

“Most surprising was Richie Power and how tame his performance was. Two things. I think he gives his best performances when Henry Shefflin is out of commission and he has to step up to the mark himself.

“And he looks weighed down for some reason. Maybe the baggage of a sending-off earlier this year against Eoin Cadogan, a knee injury with Carrickshock and that huge collision with Wayne McNamara in the Limerick game are taking a toll.

“Sunday seemed to provide proof that Kilkenny have gone to the well an awful lot this year. From Christmas time onwards they were hearing about what Dublin might do to them in Leinster. They prepared big time for that. They’ve had hard days ever since.

“They love their hurling but as men you just wonder do they long for this season to be over at last?”