Fitzgerald boost as Corofin face difficult hurdle

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

STALWART defender Kieran Fitzgerald has recovered from a recurring hamstring injury, giving Corofin a lift as they prepare for a mighty battle with St Gall’s of Antrim in the AIB All-Ireland Club Championship semi-final showdown at Parnell Park, Dublin on Sunday (2.30pm).

The inter-county star, who was absent for the Galway champion’s Connacht semi-final and final wins over Glencar Manorhamilton and Charlestown, is reportedly ‘flying it’ in training, and his return will boost Corofin who are attempting to make it to the St Patrick’s Day final for the first time since winning the All-Ireland in 1998.

“Having Kieran (Fitzgerald) back is a big boost for us,” Corofin manager Gerry Keane told Tribune Sport this week. Keane is expected to announce his starting 15 after training late Thursday night although he could possibly delay it until Saturday to assess the availability of two of his regular defenders.

Corner-back Gary Delaney is described as having a “fifty/fifty” chance of recovering from a calf strain and his absence would be a big blow while Gary Sice’s ankle injury is expected to be healed. Corofin will certainly have to plan without the services of inter-county defender, Michael Comer, who is a long term absentee with cruciate ligament problems.

Fitzgerald will add steel and experience to an already tight defence, which is backboned by ‘keeper David Morris, Tony Goggins, Gary Sice and Damien Burke, who has also recovered from Gilmore’s groin. Aidan Donnellan and Greg Higgins will renew their partnership at centre-field while captain Kieran Comer, Joe Canney, Ronan Steede and Alan Burke can provide the firepower up front.

The match was scheduled to be played in Mullingar but was subsequently switched to Parnell Park – a field that is about 15 feet narrower and 15 feet longer than Tuam Stadium, which is similar in size to Mullingar – but Keane has no complaints.

“Our preference would have been Mullingar or Longford but I suppose in terms of geography, Parnell Park is probably right. We were up in Parnell Park last Sunday week and had a kick about; we have no complaints about the venue or the pitch,” he said.

The long lay-off – they haven’t played a competitive match since the Connacht final in November – is another factor thrown into Sunday’s mix, but again, Keane won’t be using it as an excuse.

“We have improved a lot since the start of the championship when we lost to Michéal Breathnachs and went to extra time with Carraroe. I hope we are peaking at the right time but we haven’t played competitive football since November so you just don’t know how the team will respond.

“The cold weather at Christmas was very frustrating because we just couldn’t get out on a pitch but it’s the same for both teams. We had (a quarter-final) in London January last year but to be honest I thought that was more of a hindrance. It has been a long lay-off but we feel we’ve done a lot of good things and prepared well.”

St Gall’s are serious contenders this year and have been installed as slight favourites with the bookies to reach the final against the winner of the other semi-final between Clare’s Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Portlaoise, which takes place in Limerick on Sunday.

For more, read page 52 of this week’s Galway City Tribune.