GALWAY should have a fully-fit squad for the All-Ireland final against Armagh after manager Padraic Joyce confirmed that skipper and midfielder Sean Kelly back in training and expected to return to his starting line-up.
Moycullen clubman Kelly missed last Sunday’s semi-final against Donegal with injury but Joyce is confident that he will play his part in his county’s second Sam Maguire decider in three seasons.
“Sean is training away,” said Joyce.
“He trained on Tuesday night. Look, he probably wasn’t full ready the last day so we are hoping to get another two weeks into him and we will check him out. Hopefully, he will be available for some sort of time anyway.”
Key forwards Shane Walsh and Damien Comer were taken off against Donegal but Joyce is also confident they fill be fit to start against Kieran McGeeney’s Orchardmen.
“The boys are fine,” he said.
“The boys that came off… The nature of Shane’s injury is that he could not stay any longer on the pitch and we took him off and give him a bit of rest.
“He needs to put a bit of work in now for a bit of rehab for the next two weeks and if we get as much out of him again (62 minutes) in two weeks’ time, we will be happy enough.
“Damien is the same.”
Meanwhile, Joyce said he was happy with the appointment of Tyrone referee Sean Hurson for the final. Hurson took charge of the 2022 Sam Maguire decider between Galway and Kerry and Joyce said afterwards that two of his decisions changed the course of a final that was finely balanced at 16 points apiece before Kerry pulled away.
First Hurson elected not to award a free to Damien Comer and then he penalised Galway defender John Daly who appeared to be breaking through a tackle from Killian Spillane. David Clifford converted the free and Kerry went on to win by four points.
However, Joyce said Hurson did not cost his county the game two years ago and said the Galbally clubman – who took charge of the Armagh-Galway group game in Sligo this year – was a “top referee”.
“I wouldn’t say surprised (Hurson was appointed),” he said.
“I always say you can control everything bar the weather and the referee. I haven’t seen a free given since that for that type of a challenge.
“I don’t know, I don’t think it cost us the game two years ago. I’ve said that before. I think it just changed the momentum for us in that particular game.
“Look, we have had Sean referee matches for us, I think this is his third or fourth game this year. He is a top, top referee. I can see why he got the final.”
One player who will miss out for Galway is Cian Hernon and Joyce said he was “heartbroken” for the promising Bearna youngster.
“He just went over on his wrist here in one of the last plays, he got shouldered on the ball and I think his hand was trapped under the ball and he did quite a bit of damage to his hand,” he said.
“It is tough on him because he had been away all year on Erasmus from January to May.
“He came back in really good shape, he is a great young fella, I would have great time for him and it is tough for him and his family that he is missing out.”
