BALLYEA MANAGER ROBBIE Hogan is hopeful Eoghan Donnellan will be well enough to attend next Sunday\u2019s AIB Munster club hurling semi-final against Thurles Sarsfields after the player was diagnosed with two broken vertebrae following a training ground collision.<\/p>\n
Donnellan was injured on the Friday evening after the drawn Clare county final with Clonlara, and ruled out of last Sunday\u2019s subsequent replay victory, when Ballyea were crowned Banner champions for the first time.<\/p>\n
Donnellan, who plays club football for Clondegad, spent a week in hospital in Limerick before being transferred to Dublin\u2019s Mater Hospital, where he was due to be fitted with a protective head brace yesterday.<\/p>\n
But Hogan revealed that Donnellan did not have to undergo surgery, as was originally feared, and will be sent home to rest and recuperate.<\/p>\n
The player is expected to be ruled out of action for up to four months and Hogan remarked that his absence was a huge motivating factor in last Sunday\u2019s historic win.<\/p>\n
Hogan said: \u201cI was talking to him this morning. He was brought to the Mater in Dublin where they were to operate but [now] they\u2019re not operating.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll be out of action for definitely the bones of three or four months and he\u2019s in a specific head brace which restricts all kind of movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were training, playing a bit of a game and he went down low for a ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis head hit straight into one of the lads\u2019 legs and [he] suffered two fractured vertebrae.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were to put in a plate but they have decided against that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping he will be there on Sunday but we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe brace was being fitted today. In the trauma unit in Dublin, there are only eight beds there so you get in, get the work done and you\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll either be back to Limerick or home. We hope he\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hogan added: \u201cHe\u2019s in good spirits.\u00a0It was our motivation to get over the line for Eoghan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ballyea\u2019s next assignment is a daunting one, against Tipperary champions Thurles Sarsfields in next Sunday\u2019s provincial semi-final at Cusack Park, Ennis.<\/p>\n
And Hogan revealed that he has spoken to a number of Clonlara players who regret not pushing on in the Munster championship after winning their one and only county title in 2008.<\/p>\n
Hogan said: \u201cAt this stage, you have that box (county) ticked. You\u2019re not just representing your parish now, you\u2019re representing your county.<\/p>\n
\nI met with John Conlon and a few of the Clonlara players and when they won it in 2008, the big regret they had was that they had a week between games and fellas just didn\u2019t go at it.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nBut Hogan acknowledges the scale of the task that lies in store for Ballyea, adding: \u201cThey (Sarsfields) are a serious outfit, with All-Ireland winners and All-Stars.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have massive momentum and it\u2019s a huge ask but we have to back ourselves now.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of marking a name, mark a jersey. That\u2019s the way we\u2019ll approach it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bar Donnellan, Hogan has reported an otherwise clean bill of health ahead of Sunday\u2019s tie.<\/p>\n
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