TYRONE minor star Ryan O’Neill, devastated last weekend when diagnosed with a broken leg, has had an amazing reprieve.
Doctors have told the teenager his leg is not broken after all, and he will be back in action for his club on Friday evening.
Re-examination of an X-ray has shown that the shin bone, which was deemed fractured on Sunday evening, is not in fact damaged.
It emerged that an old fracture to the bone, sustained last year, had shown up on the X-ray and may have been mistaken for a recent injury.
It was not until Ryan attended the fracture clinic at the South Tyrone Hospital on Tuesday morning that it was discovered no fracture had occurred.
A hospital spokesman confirmed that a previous fracture had come up on the X-ray and a plaster was applied as a precaution.
“Until the consultant was available to see the patient, this was done as a precautionary measure, rather than have a wrong diagnosis,” said the spokesman.
“It’s great news for Ryan, it’s great news for our club and it’s great news for the Tyrone minors,” said Clonoe O’Rahillys GFC secretary Garret Taggart.
THE manager of Rosconnor Gaels has threatened court action against the Down county board over their decision to ban them from hurling competitions for entering a mixed team.
Eddie McGrath yesterday branded the county’s policy as “an absolute disgrace” following the latest exclusion which occurred during a nine-a-side hurling blitz in Newry on Saturday.
The 27-strong squad, which includes four girls, reached the final of the competition before being told by Down officials they were not eligible to play.
Having beaten Portaferry, Newry Shamrocks and Ballycran seconds on the way to the final, Tipperary-born McGrath said it was only fair his side should have been allowed to progress.
He added: “When we arrived togged out for the final against Ballycran firsts, we were told we couldn’t take part because of the girls, so Shamrocks took our place instead.
“I had kids crying on the pitch on Saturday because they couldn’t understand what was going on.”
Fermanagh senior football manager Pat King has been reappointed for another year.
The Lisnaksea man will be heading into his third year at the helm of the Ernesiders.
One of the brightest prospects in Ulster rugby, Mark Meenan, will be playing for Leicester Tigers this season. The 18-year-old, who was man of the match for Inst in the Ulster Schools Cup against Methody on St Patrick’s Day, will attend school in Oakham, Rutland for three years while staying in lodgings with the mother of former England captain, Martin Johnston.
Allen Park professional Stephen Hamill carded a six birdie 68 to win the £7,000 Healy Chemicals-backed pro-am tournament at Lisburn yesterday writes Tony McGee.
He finished one shot clear of Michael Allen who has moved to Leopardstown Golf Centre.
DUNGANNON professional Patrick Wallace continued his unbeaten start to the new season when he won his second round qualifying game in the £370,000 Regal Welsh Open in Plymouth yesterday.
Wallace, who has already made the fifth round of both the Grand Prix and the European Ranking Event, beat Mark Miller 5-2, knocking in breaks of 112 and 80 in the process.
He now plays Wayne Brown this morning for a place in the fifth round of the event.
He was joined in the third round by Dubliner Colm Gilchreest, who was impressive in his 5-1 defeat of Michael Holt.
