Jim McGuinness questions new injury rule as Donegal sweat on ...

27 days ago

Donegal Live

Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton is in a fitness race for the Ulster SFC semi-final after being forced off with an injury during Saturday evening's quarter-final win over Derry.

Patton left the action in the 56th minute having had treatment during the first half of Donegal's 4-11 to 0-17 win at Celtic Park.

The Letterkenny man was inhibited by a leg injury when treated in the 23rd minute and was later replaced by Gavin Mulreany for the last 14 minutes.

“We'll have to look at it,” was as much as Jim McGuinness, the Donegal manager, could elaborate in the moments immediately after a rousing win by his team on Foyleside.

Donegal were down to 14 players – and without a goalkeeper - when Patton had to briefly leave the pitch when treated in the first half.

Players who have to be treated must go off and can only return from the halway line when called by the refere. Patton initially looked to re-enter from behind his goal, but had to go around to come back in on the sideline.

McGuinness said: “I don't agree that if the goalkeeper gets an injury and it's genuine that he has to come off the pitch. I can't get my head around that.

“I understand why the rule is put in place, but when you're on the receiving end of it you'll always have a comment . . . In soccer, you can be flagged back on, but we had to wait for the ball to go out of play.”

Caolan McColgan seems unlikely to be in contention to feature in the semi-final, but McGuinness offered the hope that Eoghan Ban Gallagher 'is not far away'.

Team captain Patrick McBrearty returned here as a second-half substitute to hand Donegal a major boost, but the quick turnaround time gives little wriggle room in terms of those still treatment table.

McGuinness said: “They'll be sore after that into the middle of next week.

“The problem here is that we have an eight-day turnaround and we have to go again and get straight into it.

“It does feel good to be able to take a breather, to go and watch the other game, sit in the stand and know that you're through.

“It'll be full-on for another week and it's very difficult to do your job in a week. It's almost impossible to do your job in a week. It's a bandage over a dam situation because there is so much to take into account and so much to pull together.”

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