It's touch and go for Baker

St Joseph's Doora Barefield will name their team to face Rathnure in the All-Ireland club hurling final in Croke Park on the day of the match, has been their custom throughout the competition.

The delay offers an extended period of recuperation for Ollie Baker, who is still severely hampered by the broken finger he picked up in the opening exchanges of last month's semi-final win against Athenry.

"Ollie tried to train with it a few nights ago and he is still lacking a lot of mobility. The finger is still up like a balloon. Being a lefthand injury, it is affecting the grip of the hurl and is hugely frustrating for him. He was supposed to have the finger in a splint for another couple of weeks but removed it to try and accelerate the recovery process," said St Joseph's trainer Louis Mulqueen.

Although he admits that the absence of the midfielder would prove an inestimable loss to the team, Mulqueen believes there are still reasons to be hopeful.

"Of course we can't afford to lose Ollie, you just couldn't quantify that. But there is still a couple of days and I for one wouldn't like to tell him he is not playing. If it is physically possible at all, he will be there. I think that's his mindset. So naturally, we want to give him until the last minute."

"There are just a few other little niggly things we need to iron out but we have had similar problems and concerns right through this run so it is nothing unprecedented," said Mulqueen.

Not that the preparatory shortcomings have cast a pall across the parish.

"The excitement and talk around here has been brilliant. I don't think that people can really believe it, that they'll be going to Croke Park to watch us on All-Ireland final day in the same year as we won our first county title in four decades. But, I mean, we have been training for a year and three months for this now, the lads have sacrificed a lot for the occasion. It's been the same for Rathnure. Should be a great day."

Meanwhile, Rathnure's Michael O'Leary has recovered from the injury he picked up against Portlaoise in the Leinster final and has been reinstated at midfield. Michael O'Higgins, who replaced the 33-year-old for the semi-final win over Ballygalget, loses out. Other than that, the team remains unchanged.

Ballina manager Noel O'Dowd has opted for an unchanged side to face Crossmaglen in the All-Ireland club football final. However, the team sheet will show one change as Kenny Golden, who is named at corner back, actually started the semi-final against Doonbeg despite being named as a substitute. The Mayo club travel to Dublin today.

Crossmaglen will announce their side on match morning but manager Joe Kernan confirmed that there are no injury worries hampering the squad.

"It's just something we have always done, naming our squad on the day of the match. There's no great secret to it. If anyone looked at our team sheets over the past couple of years, they could probably pick the side themselves," he said. Crossmaglen will journey down from Armagh on the morning of the match, lunching in Malahide before going on to Croke Park.

Kernan, who spirited the Ulster side from being a bit-part local unit to one of the most consistent club sides of the decade, has confirmed that he has spoken to the club members regarding his future.

"I have made a decision about next year, everyone concerned knows what that is and I don't want to elaborate because I want nothing to deflect from what is the most important day in the lives of these players," he said.

RATHNURE (SH v St Joseph's DooraBarefield): J Morrissey; S Somers, J Conran, D Guiney; L Somers, S Mooney (capt), R Guiney; M Redmond, M O'Leary; A Codd, M Byrne, P Codd; M Morrissey, C Byrne, B O'Leary.

BALLINA (SF v Crossmaglen): J Healy; K Golden, J Devenney, D Leydon; B Ruane, B Heffernan, S Sweeney; L McHale, D Brady; B McStay, D Cone, M McGrath; G Brady, P McGarry, K Flynn.