Glen boss hopeful of duo ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland showdown with St Brigid’s

GLEN manager Malachy O’Rourke is hopeful both Ryan Dougan and Jack Doherty will be available for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Roscommon and Connacht champions St Brigid’s.

The duo were replaced in the Wattys’ 1-14 to 2-10 win over Kilmacud Crokes earlier this month.

Doherty picked up an ankle injury following a first -half challenge with Brian Sheehy with Dougan – who had kept tabs on Paul Mannion – was replaced with a hamstring issue in the third quarter.

Glen were well in control of the game until the loss of Dougan with Mannion kicking two points to help the reigning champions back into the game before Glen won following a dramatic finale.

Speaking at Monday night’s press evening, O’Rourke is hopeful both will be available for selection but it is a waiting game.

“We’d still be hoping the two boys would be good to go,” he said. “This week has been mainly rehab work but we are hoping as the week goes on they will be able to do a bit on the field. At this stage, certainly we’d be hoping the two of them will be able to play.”

Doherty did miss the semi-final over Naomh Conaill before returning to play an important part in Glen’s 0-13 to 0-11 win over Scotstown in the decider.

In the case of Dougan, last year’s Gaelic Life player of the year, O’Rourke confirmed that Dougan had “a bit” of hamstring trouble earlier in the year and felt a strain on it during their win over Kilmacud.

“It was one of those ones that if he would’ve sprinted flat out it would’ve done a lot more damage,” the Glen boss added.

“We were six points up at the time and felt we had done enough and had a good chance of being in the final but as it turned out we were hanging on. We just felt at the time it was better to take him off and not risk any more damage.”

Check out this week’s Gaelic Life for more coverage from the Glen camp and this week’s Gaelic Lives podcast with all the build up to Sunday’s Croke Park showdown.