Kilmacud Crokes hopeful Paul Mannion injury is not serious after Cuala win

Kilmacud Crokes 0-14 Cuala 1-9

Kilmacud Crokes manager Robbie Brennan is hopeful Paul Mannion has not suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

Mannion, who missed his club’s All-Ireland campaign earlier this year because of a knee injury, was forced off midway through the second half of Kilmacud’s Dublin SFC quarter-final win over Cuala at Parnell Park on Saturday night.

The former Dublin forward was assisted off the field after going over on his ankle and following the game he was sporting an ice pack on his foot in a bid to reduce the swelling. However, Brennan says the optics might be worse than the reality and the Kilmacud medical staff are hopeful this latest injury setback for Mannion is not as bad as initially feared.

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“We think it is a low-grade sprain, we don’t think it seems to be as bad as perhaps it looked in the immediate aftermath,” Brennan told The Irish Times.

“The pain has eased off a little bit already, but as usual we will have to get a scan and see where he is at. Obviously, it will be a race for the semi-finals in two weeks to see whether he is right or not, but right now we are remaining hopeful he will be okay. We’ll get the scan and know more then, it’s a good sign the pain has eased a bit already.”

The reigning Dublin champions were made work for this victory against Austin O’Malley’s well-organised and cohesive Cuala outfit. Three of the best forwards in the game were on show — Mannion, Shane Walsh and Con O’Callaghan. Michael Fitzsimons picked up Walsh, and after a tight first half Crokes went in at the turnaround leading by the minimum, 0-8 to 0-7.

Niall O’Callaghan’s 46th minute goal edged Cuala 1-8 to 0-10 ahead, and it appeared to be a key moment in the game because Mannion’s injury occurred at the same time. However, Crokes responded like champions and scored the next four points — two of which came from the boot of Walsh.

Meanwhile, in the first of the quarter-finals at Parnell Park, 14-man Na Fianna held out for a 1-12 to 1-11 win over Whitehall Colmcille. Jonny Cooper was sent off on a second yellow card for dragging down Eoghan O’Donnell, who played at full forward for Whitehall, and conceding a penalty with just over ten minutes remaining. Cormac Costello converted the spot kick to level the game at 1-9 apiece, but Na Fianna pushed on to win by a single point.

The two remaining Dublin SFC quarter-finals take place at Parnell Park tomorrow (Sunday) with Ballyboden facing Ballinteer at 2.15, followed by Castleknock against Thomas Davis at 4pm.

Kilmacud Crokes: C Ferris; M Mullin, T Clancy, D O’Brien (0-1); A McGowan, R O’Carroll, C O’Shea; B Shovlin, C Dias (0-1); A Jones, P Mannion (0-4, one free), T Fox; H Kenny, D Mullin (0-2), S Walsh (0-5, three frees, one mark). Subs: S Cunningham (0-1) for Fox (39 mins); C O’Connor for Mannion (48 mins); S Horan for Jones (52 mins); R McGowan for Clancy (54 mins); C Casey for Kenny (59 mins)

Cuala: D O’Dowd; M Fitzsimons, D Sheerin, L Tracey; D O’Dowd, M Conroy, C Mullally (0-1); P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, P Duffy; C Doran, D Spillane, N James (0-2); N O’Callaghan (1-0), C O’Callaghan (0-4, one free, one 45), L Keating (0-2, one free): Subs: E Kennedy for Doran (55 mins); C Dunne for Conroy (55 mins); J Fitzsimons for Tracey (63 mins); C O’Brien for Spillane (63 mins)

Referee: Seamus Farrelly (Ballinteer)