ARMAGH have insisted midfielder Jarlath Og Burns wasn’t concussed during Sunday’s dramatic Ulster Championship semi-final draw with Cavan.
There was some confusion after the game about the exact nature of the injury that saw Burns withdrawn from the action during the early stages of extra-time.
The dynamic Silverbridge man was replaced by Charlie Vernon after suffering an accidental blow to the head following a collision with one of his own players.
Although initially a blood substitution, Armagh decided against bringing Burns back on.
Speaking afterwards, Orchard assistant boss Jim McCorry said Burns was “a wee bit fuzzy”, before later commenting that “it wasn’t the full concussion but we thought it best not to put him back in”.
For any kind of concussion suffered, the GAA’s guidelines are clear – and the protocol advises that a return to competitive action for adult players should not be made until ‘a minimum of seven days since diagnosis’.
Had there been a concussion, therefore, Burns may not have been available to start Sunday’s replay against the Breffnimen - unless Armagh chose to ignore the GAA’s guidelines.
However, McCorry has stated there was “no indication” Burns had suffered a concussion, and claimed the main concern of the medical team surrounded an eye injury sustained.
He said: “The medical team assessed Jarlath and with the injury to his eye, the swelling on his eye, we were advised not to put him back on at that stage.
“But they will also now be going through the proper protocols for full assessment of him to make sure there’s nothing further as well. The player is paramount.”
With back-to-back man-of-the-match displays, Burns has been one of the stand-out players in this year’s Ulster Championship to date.
Brilliant on his Championship bow in last month’s derby date with Down, he turned in another power-packed performance on Sunday, dominating midfield and bursting beyond the Cavan rearguard to score the game’s only goal.
It wasn’t enough to get Armagh across the line in the end as the Breffnimen battled back to force extra-time before a third Cian Mackey leveller secured a second bite at the cherry.
There won't be any last-minute reprieve for Down ace Caolan Mooney after he lost his appeal to having his red card quashed, and Mourne officials are not pursuing the matter.
The Rostrevor clubman was sent off for a high tackle on Armagh's Aidan Nugent - a decision that continues to divide opinion - in last month's pulsating Ulster Championship clash in Newry.
The good news for Down boss Paddy Tally, however, is while Mooney leaves a considerable hole at midfield, Loughinisland ace Johnny Flynn is back in the frame for Sunday's All-Ireland Qualifier against Tipperary after missing the Armagh defeat through injury.
Benny McArdle, another absentee for the Armagh clash, has returned to training and could be in line for a recall at full-back this weekend - a position the Mournemen struggled in against the Orchard County.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Council has reduced ticket prices purchased prior to match day by 20 per cent for Sunday’s Ulster semi-final replay between Armagh and Cavan (4pm) with Monaghan’s All-Ireland Qualifier with Fermanagh (1.45pm) completing an intriguing double header at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones.
Stand tickets have been reduced from £24/€28 to £20/€25 and open seating from £20/€25 to £17/€20.
Concession tickets for senior citizens and students will be available for the game through county boards and Juvenile tickets, priced at £5/€5, will be available for all areas of the ground.
Tickets will be on sale from today through clubs/counties, online at tickets.ie and in selected Centra, Supervalu and O’Neill’s Sports Stores.
