Cooper injury not too serious

IT COULD be several more days before the exact recovery period of Colm “Gooch” Cooper’s eye injury is known, but he is expected to back playing in time for Kerry’s football championship opener against Tipperary on May 16th.

Cooper underwent minor surgery at a specialist clinic in Dublin yesterday on a torn tear duct under his right eye – having sustained the injury in Sunday’s final round league win over Monaghan in Killarney.

The early diagnosis is it shouldn’t result in any long-term visual impairment, and is in fact a fairly standard procedure.

Cooper sustained the injury in innocuous circumstances, clashing with Monaghan’s Darren Hughes just seven minutes into the game, and initially received treatment on the field. Barry John Keane was then announced as his blood substitute, but in fact Cooper didn’t return to the field.

Manager Jack O’Connor wasn’t too worried afterwards: “We didn’t want to take any chances on him,” he said. “It is not serious, but we will get it patched up.”

The Kerry County Board issued a statement yesterday confirming Cooper’s operation was a success and that he was “expected back in training with the Kerry team in a few weeks”.

Meath football, however, has received a big setback for the summer with confirmation that forward David Bray is likely to miss the rest of the season.

The Navan O’Mahony’s player suffered damage to his cruciate knee ligament during last week’s warm-weather training camp in Portugal, and is resigned to spending the summer on the sidelines.

Bray has been one of Meath’s best forwards of recent seasons, earning himself a man of the match award for his performance against Connacht champions Mayo in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final win.

And Tyrone have been dealt a blow with the news that Conor Gormley picked up an injury while playing for Carrickmore in their opening league game of the season away to Greencastle last night.

The county centre back had to be helped off with only five minutes left to play and reports suggest he has a very badly swollen knee that could well leave him a doubt for their opening game in defence of their Ulster title against Antrim next month.

Meanwhile, Wicklow football manager Mick O’Dwyer has wished Thomas Walsh well following his decision to return to playing for his native Carlow. Walsh had been the midfield partner to Rathnew’s James Stafford for three years and in that time he helped Wicklow win the Tommy Murphy Cup in 2007.

“Thomas has gone back to his club Fenagh and it is a great sign of any player when he goes back to his own club and his own people,” said O’Dwyer.

“Thomas gave wonderful commitment to Wicklow for three years and did a lot for us. He was a big man in the middle of the field for us. We are sorry to lose him, we wish him to the best of luck now that he has gone back to Carlow, but not too much luck on May 16th when the counties meet in the Leinster championship.”

Today

Munster MFC First Round – Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, 6.30pm; Limerick v Waterford, Kilmallock, 6.30pm; Kerry v Tipperary, Austin Stack Park, 7.30pm.

Saturday

All-Ireland Under-21 FC Semi-finals – Roscommon v Dublin, Kingspan Breffni Park, 7.30pm; Tipperary v Donegal, Parnell Park, 7.30pm.

Leinster MFC First Round (All 3pm) – Wicklow v Wexford, Aughrim; Carlow v Westmeath, Dr Cullen Park; Louth v Laois, Drogheda; Kildare v Dublin, Newbridge; Offaly v Longford, Tullamore; Meath v Kilkenny, Navan.

Women's Football: All-Ireland Post-Primary Senior A Final – St Leo's, Carlow v Loreto Grammar School, Omagh, Pearse Park, Longford, 3.30pm;

B Final – Mount St Michael, Claremorris

v St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, Pearse Park, Longford, 1.45pm;

C Final – Mercy Heights, Skibbereen v Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown, Croagh, Limerick, 2pm.

Sunday

(All 2.30pm unless stated)

NHL Division One – Dublin v Limerick, Parnell Park; Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium; Kilkenny v Waterford, Nowlan Park; Offaly v Tipperary, Tullamore.

NHL Division Two – Carlow v Laois, Dr Cullen Park; Down v Westmeath, Ballycran; Kildare v Clare, Newbridge; Wexford v Antrim, Wexford Park.

NHL Division Three B – Donegal v Roscommon, Letterkenny; Sligo v

Tyrone, Markievicz Park; Wicklow v Louth, Arklow.