KILKENNY STAR ADRIAN Mullen has suffered another injury setback in damaging his hamstring and was forced to sit out today’s All-Ireland club final.

The key forward had to watch on as Ballyhale Shamrocks regained the All-Ireland senior crown with a victory over Dunloy.

An All-Star for his 2022 exploits and the Young Hurler of the Year in 2019, Mullen previously was forced out for a lengthy period in February 2020 when he tore his cruciate in a league game for Kilkenny against Clare.

Aside from missing today’s game, his injury issue is a concern for new manager Derek Lyng as Mullen has emerged as a key figure for the Cats forward line in recent years.

The time frame of his unavailability is still unclear.

“Hamstring, we played a challenge game against DCU there and unfortunately he pulled up,” revealed Ballyhale boss Pat Hoban after today’s game.

“Adrian has had no injuries, to be fair he’s in remarkable shape but it just happened on that day. Like with hamstrings you think it’s going to come good and the medical opinion was no, it’s too risky.

“We could have put him on, we could have chanced it but sometimes you’ve got to think of the bigger picture and please God Adrian will play a major part with Kilkenny later in the year.”

Ballyhale Shamrocks players celebrate after the game with the trophy. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Hoban hailed the Ballyhale players for bouncing back from the setback of last year’s loss to Ballygunner.

“I was here in February as a supporter and as a Kilkenny man, anybody could feel, to lose a game like that is very harsh. It was something that they felt we gotta get back, we’re good enough to be All-Ireland champions but we have to get there. To put themselves back top of the pile which is an unbelievable achievement. for these guys to actually do it just shows the character and their ability. An incredible group of players.”

The poor condition of the Croke Park pitch was a major talking point as the game unfolded.

“This is our fourth game in-a-row here so we’re very, very lucky but it’s definitely the worst condition we’ve seen it in. I know nothing about keeping pitches but for an All-Ireland final, if that was the pitch you wouldn’t train on it. That’s being honest.

“the lads said even to fall on it, it’s hard as a rock – but there’s no grass on it so it’s disappointing. It is unfortunately in poor nick for our premier pitch.”

A few members of the Ballyhale Shamrocks side are now planning to travel, Hoban confirmed Brian Cody is heading to Australia next week, but the manager is confident that the club’s premier hurling side will continue to evolve.

“Look, there’s a cycle. I wasn’t involved but I’m close enough to the set up to know, a few years back Mick Fennelly retired, Henry retired, Cha Fitz retired and everyone said, ‘That’s the end of that team’. You saw today, two 18-year-olds on that pitch today, stood up, no bother at all.

“Ballyhale have an amazing ability to regenerate. Coming up on the bus, this is true now, people were talking about who’s the minors, who’s coming through, what have they, what’s the couple of next lads coming through, that’s the way they think.”

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