Casey hopes injury to retiring Tyrrell isn't serious

Paul Casey is keeping his fingers crossed that the knee injury sustained by Hannah Tyrrell in the closing stages of Dublin’s emphatic All-Ireland senior ladies football final victory over Meath isn’t a dreaded ACL tear.

The multi-sport star received a standing ovation as she hobbled off in what was her final appearance in a Dublin jersey.

“She seemed to have done something to the knee which hopefully it’s not a cruciate,” the Dublin joint-manager told the assembled media at Croke Park.

“She’s hobbling around there, but I’d say it could be a week or so before she’ll get to the bottom of that one. I thought she was fantastic. If she is injured it’s a shame, but I think you saw with the ovation she got coming off the pitch. It was very fitting for her, albeit she would have wanted it in different circumstances. Hopefully she’ll be all right.

“I really, really hope she enjoys this because she’s worked so hard for it. She’s given everything at the age she is and all she has achieved. I think this is a cherry on the top.”

Tyrrell saved Dublin’s bacon with a last-gasp equalising free to bring their semi-final against Galway to extra-time and Casey believes that scare stood to them.

“I think the last game, the semi-final, brought us on a lot,” the former wing back opined.

“We really had to dig deep that day and probably didn’t play the football we wanted to. But I thought they were just superb out there today. At times, their composure on the ball, the scores they got – their conversion rate must have been up around 80 per cent. It was excellent.”