Big boost for Cork as Alan O'Connor plays his first football game in nine months

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

GOOD news, at last, for Cork football fans as midfielder Alan O’Connor made his comeback from a serious leg injury on Sunday afternoon.

The Rebel midfielder played his first game in almost nine months as his club, St Colum’s, drew against Kilmacabea, 0-14 to 1-11, after extra time in the first round of the West Cork JAFC in Ballydehob.

Listed as a sub, O’Connor started the match and lasted the full 80 minutes, kicked 0-1 and grew stronger as this championship tie progressed.

This was his first game since last July’s All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Kildare in Thurles when O’Connor suffered a serious leg injury that included a fracture in his tibia and torn medial and lateral ligaments in his knee.

O’Connor was man of the match in last summer’s drawn Munster SFC final against Kerry in Killarney, and his comeback from a long spell on the sidelines is a timely boost for Cork ahead of the Munster championship.