Galway forced to leave vacancies

Injury problems have forced Galway to leave two vacant spots in their team to face Clare in the All-Ireland hurling quarter-final replay at Croke Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

Regular full back Brain Feeney and left corner forward Eugene Cloonan have both been given another couple of days to prove their fitness. Feeney was taken off after just eight minutes of the drawn game suffering from a hamstring injury although his replacement that day, Michael Healy, was also taken off injured seven minutes into the second half. Healy was diagnosed with a broken bone in his upper arm and will miss the rest of the season.

It will be a race against time for Feeney to regain fitness before Monday although manager Mattie Murphy has a number of options to bring is as a replacement. Peter Huban of Kinvara, who finished the game in the full back position, is the obvious alternative while it is also possible for Liam Hodgins to move from the corner into the number three position and put either Huban or Padraig Kelly, who was also named among the substitutes, into the corner.

The decision to play Cloonan, meanwhile, will depend on how well he recovers from the concussion suffered during the first half of last Sunday's game. It was clear that the Athenry man was lacking in focus towards the end of the first period, despite scoring two points in the opening half hour. His replacement at half-time, Rory Gantley, proved highly useful in Galway holding on for the draw, as he put over four important frees before the end. Clonnan is unlikely to start unless he is given full medical clearance and that could give Gantley the first championship start of his career.

There were also reports last night that both left corner back Vinnie Maher and half forward Alan Kerins had tonsillitis although it is expected that both will be fit to line out.

Admission to Monday's replay (3.30 p.m.) will be a non-ticket affair and instead, payment by cash will be taken at the stiles. Stand prices are £12.00 and the terrace £8.00. The All-Ireland Intermediate hurling semi-final between Kildare and Roscommon will precede the game (throw-in 2.0 p.m.).

Galway (SH v Clare): D Howe; L Hodgins, AN Other, V Maher; N Shaughnessy, C Moore, P Hardiman; J Cooney, F Flynn; O Canning, J Rabbitte, A Kerins; K Broderick, O Fahy, AN Other. Subs: M Crimmins, P Huban, P Kelly, P Walsh, J Campbell, R Gantley, D O'Brien, M Donoghue. Roscommon (IH v Kildare): A Tully; T Healy, P Connolly, M Mulry; J Mulvey, M Healy, P Finneran; M Cunniffe, C Kelly; L Murray, A Kelly (c) B Boyle; D Lohan, E Gormley, S Sweeney. Subs: D Connell, P Regan, N Cunniffe, P Mannion, A Coyne, J Mannion, T Reddington, M Connaughton, P Kenny, M Tarpey.