City side St Michael’s has a number of serious injuries to key players to contend with ahead of the county semi-final replay against Barna in Moycullen (3pm ) on Sunday.
Alan Glynn, who has been in good form all season and is regularly an inspirational figure at full-back for the club, has been ruled out for a few months followed a serious injury he suffered in the drawn game.
The full-back line has also been hit by the news that corner back Eoin Tummon is also out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
Team manager John Kenny, while acknowledging the two significant blows to the team, is still hopeful his side can produce a winning performance.
“Sunday won’t be easy at all for us, and both Alan and Eoin are very big losses. We wish them well in their respective recoveries.
"Barna are a good team and we will have to be at our very best to beat them. We knew the first day that they would be very hard to shake off, and that is how it turned out and we needed a late free to get a draw.
“We need to increase our conversion rate from scoring opportunities and be more accurate in front of goals if we are going to get a win this weekend.”
On the plus side for Michael’s is that midfielder Neil Grogan returns from holidays to give the team management options around the middle of the field.
Barna are gritty and dogged, as evidenced by the amount of draws they have already had this season, and no doubt Pat Fallon will have told them that this weekend is a glorious opportunity to reach their first senior county final.
St Michael’s are favourites to advance with Mulholland’s at 4/6, with the Barna men available at 6/4 to reach the final which has been fixed for next Sunday at Tuam Stadium.
It is again expected to be a tight affair, but the injuries to both Glynn and Tummon could be significant at the finish. Unless Eddie Hoare, Greg Rogan, Frank Daly, Jamie Downes and Eamon Brannigan produce really big performances, then it could be Barna’s day.
