Ray Dempsey has confirmed to The Mayo News that team captain Shane Nally and centre-forward Aiden O’Shea are both major doubts for the All-Ireland minor final with Tyrone on Sunday week (a story which Club Mayo Dublin first mentioned last week). O’Shea broke his thumb in the semi-final replay over Kerry but Nally did his damage – to ligaments in his ankle – playing a club minor championship match for Garrymore last week. This begs the obvious question of what the hell the county board is up to allowing club activity of this kind to take place in the run-up to an All-Ireland final.
From what Ray is saying, it seems likely that neither of the lads will be 100% on the 21st – O’Shea has a plaster cast on at the moment – and this is obviously a major concern, what with Tyrone already reporting a clean bill of health for the final. Seen in this light, it’s easier to understand why Paddy Power is only offering the Red Hand lads at 1/2 to lift the Markham Cup on Sunday week.
that makes me want to get sick. my only hope is that both injuries are an exaggeration or maybe Dempsey is trying to sell a dummy to the tyrone boys. For starters O Sheas break cant be that bad – he did play out the game. Captain would be a big loss without a doubt. if worst case scenario unfolds we can forget about it. O Shea is a key player for us.
O’Shea’s injury definitely isn’t being played up. Saw him on Saturday. He’s in a cast that goes half way up his forearm. He’ll probably have it off for the final and have his hand well strapped, but he’s not going to be anywhere near 100%
I’m not sure how bad Nally’s injury is, but from what I’ve been told he should be in better shape than O’Shea for the final
That doesn’t sound too good, especially since he’s such a key player for us. This is going to be a tough one to win, I think.
Since 1996 this will be the ninth time we have appeared on All Ireland Final Day. That is a serious record – mind we have lost the previous eight, and only against Meath in 96 did a win look anyway possible. Surely we’ll get the breaks on Sunday week…………….
It’s an amazing record alright but to repeat an old mixed metaphor from Ivan Neill (God rest him), it seems as if we’re always the bride and never the groom on All-Ireland day! As ever, we have to live in hope that this year will bring a change in luck for us.
As a breaffy man I can tell you O’Sheas injury is not one bit exaggerated, if we had him fit and ready last Saturday we may have even beaten Crossmolina.
On your point of the County Board allowing minor championship games on the run in to an All Ireland, on the Monday 2 days after the replay against Kerry Breaffy minors togged out in the west mayo semi final, Breaffy have 2 mayo minors, Aidan and Robrt Hennelly the goalie, we lost that game but had we won they were expected to play the west mayo final 4 days later on the Friday, and then tog out again a day later in a senior championship match. Now I know there are plenty of arguments over minors should play minor grade first and seniors second but that rarely is the case. I feel its the county boards responsibility to ensure these players are properly rested and in peak physical condition (by doing what they can i.e. not scheduling fking 2 championship games in 1 week) in the lead up to big games like an AI final, its going to be a heard enough task as it against Tyrone without makig it harder for ourselves.
What are his chances of making the AI final CIARAN? If he is out we can forget about it. Sorry to be so pessimisitc but he IS our key player. He wins possession easily, he can be slow to lay it off but when he does its normally finds its target. with drugs and another couple of weeks in recovery you would have to think he’ll be ok.