Sport

Bergin expected to return to training soon

Galway footballers - fresh from their Connacht final success at the weekend - have received another boost with the news that …

Tue Jul 12 2005 - 01:00

Galway footballers - fresh from their Connacht final success at the weekend - have received another boost with the news that Joe Bergin is expected to be fit for the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Last week it seemed Bergin's career might be in jeopardy after suffering a knee injury which was feared to be a cruciate ligament problem. The towering midfielder missed the Connacht semi-final win over Leitrim, and then broke down in training last Sunday week.

"It looked very serious for a time. There was a fear that it was a cruciate," said Galway boss Peter Ford. "Joe expects to be back training next week and we will take things from there. But it looks a lot brighter than a week ago."

Meanwhile, Limerick County Board secretary James Hartigan believes in lucky omens. "Our hurlers are playing Kilkenny in the All-Ireland qualifiers on July 31st - it is 31 years since we last met them in the championship and though the Cats will be overwhelming favourites, I have a hunch that the bad luck which has haunted us over the years just has to change.

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"Take this season alone," Hartigan added. "We should have beaten Tipperary in both our Munster championship matches, but lost, and it was the same story against Galway last Saturday.

"We had eight wides from frees at the weekend, three each from Pat Kirby and TJ Ryan, and two long-range efforts from Peter Lawlor. It just cannot go on forever and who knows, everything might slot into place at Croke Park."

The Dublin County Board have confirmed that no tickets for this Sunday's Leinster football final between Dublin and Laois will go on general sale.

Finally, Tipperary include three of their senior side - Francis Devanney, Conor O'Mahoney and Darragh Egan - in their team to play Limerick in the Munster under-21 hurling semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow evening.

Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship Semi-finals - Tomorrow: Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 7.30 p.m. Clare v Cork, Semple Stadium, 7.30pm.

TIPPERARY (U-21 v Limerick): P McCormack; J O'Dwyer, C O'Mahoney, B Hanley; C O'Brien, N Teehan, T Collins; S McGrath, W Cully; R O'Dwyer, F Devanney, D Egan; T Scroope, T Fitzgerald, P Shortt.