THERE were mixed emotions for the Ulster squad yesterday as their inter-provincial success in London was marred by a serious injury to Armagh’s Ciaran McKeever.
In Ruislip, it was feared that McKeever had broken his leg after leaving the field in an ambulance in the first half, but Orchard boss Paddy O’Rourke confirmed that the Cullyhanna half-back had suffered ankle ligament damage instead.
“It’s not a fracture,” said O’Rourke. “It will take about 48 hours until we find out how serious it is, we’ll not know how long he will be out for until later this week.
“Of course, there is just one thing on Ciaran’s mind and that is how quickly he can get back playing,” added the Armagh boss.
While the injury certainly put a dampener on proceedings, Joe Kernan’s charges still had reason to celebrate after claiming a 29th Railway Cup title by seeing off Munster on a 0-15 to 1-8 scoreline.
Ulster: J Devine; K Lacey, Justin McMahon, G O’Kane (0-2); A Kernan, C McKeever, R Flanagan; K Hughes (0-2), E McGinley (0-1); P Finlay (0-1), B Coulter, Joe McMahon; P Bradley (0-3 1f),S O’Neill (0-1), M Murphy (0-1f).
Subs: C Gormley (0-1) for McKeever (28); R McCloskey for Lacey (ht); D Hughes (0-2) for Joe McMahon (41); D Gordon for Murphy (43);T Freeman for Hughes (52).
Munster: P Fitzgerald; T O’Gorman, J McCarthy, P Reidy;M O’Gorman, M Shields; P Ranahan; N Murphy (0-1), P O’Neill; P Kelly, D O’Connor (0-2f), P Kerrigan; G Hurney (1-0), D Goulding (0-4 1f), L O’Lionnain.
Subs: R Costigan for M O’Gorman (ht); J Ryan (0-1) for Kerrigan (ht); S Scanlon for O’Neill (56); A Walsh for O’Lionnain (59)
Referee: D Fahy (Longford).
BIRTHDAYS
Martin Peters (soccer) - Former West Ham and England player who scored his country's second goal in the 1966 World Cup final, born 1943.
Guus Hiddink (soccer) - Much-travelled Dutch manager who had two spells in caretaker charge of Chelsea, born 1946.
Alan Curbishley (soccer) - Former Charlton and West Ham manager, born 1957.
Brett Lee (cricket) - Former Australia fast bowler, born 1976.
Aaron Hughes (soccer) - former Northern Ireland defender, born 1979.
Joe Cole (soccer) - Former England midfielder, born 1981.
Jamie Roberts (rugby union) - Bath, Wales and British and Irish Lions centre, born 1986.
Sam Bradford (gridiron) - Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback, currently a free agent, picked number one in 2010 draft by St Louis Rams, born 1987.
Morgan Schneiderlin (soccer) - Everton and France midfielder, born 1989.
QUICK QUIZ
1. How many Serie B titles have Juventus won?
2. What sport did Roscoe Tanner play professionally?
3. How far apart are the goalposts in soccer?
4. How long is a furlong as used in horse racing?
5. Who are the current sponsors of the EFL Cup?
(See quiz answers below)
ON THIS DAY
1886: Thirteen-time champion jockey Fred Archer died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The 29-year-old had suffered from depression for two years following the death of his wife in childbirth.
1995: Everton striker Duncan Ferguson lost his appeal against the Scottish Football Association's 12-match ban for his on-field assault on Raith's John McStay in April, an offence for which he served a jail sentence.
1996: Steve Coppell quit as manager of Manchester City after just 33 days, citing a stress-related illness as his reason and leaving assistant Phil Neal in the caretaker role.
1996: Chelsea signed Italian star Gianfranco Zola for ?4.5million from Parma.
2004: Jason Robinson was the first black player named to captain England in a rugby union Test. The former Wigan and Great Britain rugby league winger captained the side against Canada at Twickenham.
2007: Ruud Gullit was confirmed as the new coach of Los Angeles Galaxy. The Dutchman resigned his post in August 2008 for personal reasons.
2012: Former Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba returned to White Hart Lane for the first time since his cardiac arrest there during an FA Cup tie against Tottenham in March, appearing on the pitch at half-time.
2016: Captain Alastair Cook announced that teenage opener Haseeb Hameed would make his England debut in the first Test against India.
2018: Uncapped Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson was included in the England squad for the friendly against the United States and the Nations League match against Croatia.
SPORT ON TV
Today (Friday, November 8)
SOCCER: Premier League, Norwich v Watford - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1900; FA Cup, Dulwich Hamlet v Carlisle - BBC Two 1930; Scottish Championship, Dundee v Dundee United - BT Sport 2 1915; Ligue 1, Nice v Bordeaux - BT Sport/ESPN 1945.
CRICKET: T20, New Zealand v England - Sky Sports Cricket 0430 & Sky Sports Main Event 0500.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Sale v Wasps - BT Sport 1 1900.
GOLF: European Tour, Turkish Airlines Open - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0900.
SNOOKER: Champion of Champions - ITV 4 1845.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Denver Nuggets v Philadelphia 76ers - Sky Sports Main Event 0200 (Sat).
Tomorrow (Saturday, November 9)
SOCCER: Premier League, Chelsea v Crystal Palace - BT Sport 1 1200; Leicester v Arsenal - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1700; Championship, Nottingham Forest v Derby - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football 1200; Bundesliga, Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund - BT Sport 1 1715.
CRICKET: T20, New Zealand v England - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0030 (Sun).
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Gloucester v Saracens - BT Sport 2 1430.
RUGBY LEAGUE: New Zealand v Great Britain - BBC Two 0630.
GOLF: European Tour, Turkish Airlines Open - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0900.
SNOOKER: Champion of Champions - ITV 4 1845.
DARTS: Grand Slam of Darts - Sky Sports Action 1300 & Sky Sports Main Event 1500.
BASKETBALL: San Antonio Spurs v Boston Celtics - Sky Sports Arena 2200.
HORSE RACING: Wincanton - ITV 4 1315.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. One; 2. Tennis; 3. Eight yards; 4. One eighth of a mile; 5. Carabao.
