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18th Mar 2018

Leitrim star’s return suffers another annoying delay

Emlyn Mulligan can't catch a break

Ben Kiely

Leitrim

Emlyn Mulligan was all set for his Leitrim comeback on Sunday.

Leitrim were scheduled to take on Waterford in an Allianz Football League Division 4 clash in Ardmore on Sunday. The game is set to be a special occasion for Emlyn Mulligan, who will finally make his return after a long lay-off.

Mulligan has battled knee injuries for a decade. He hurt his right knee in the late noughties, but last year, it was his left knee that got hurt. He suffered a third torn cruciate that rendered his 2017 over before it really began.

The injury was sustained in a freak training ground accident. A simple side-step did the damage that kept him sidelined for nine months.

The comeback

After their scheduled game against London was called off, Mulligan had a new return fixture in his sights. He had a long journey to make it down to the south-east. Considering how long it had been since he kicked a ball for his county, the destination was worth the effort.

Well, it would have been had it not been for Old Man Winter outstaying his welcome. The heavy snowfall on Sunday morning ruined his plans.

120 minutes into his drive to Ardmore, Mulligan received that dreaded text. The game was off. After getting up at 6 am to set off, he turned around and headed home. The real sickener was that he was told the game might be rescheduled for the same venue on Bank Holiday Monday.

Two hours there, two hours back. If the game goes ahead tomorrow, he’s looking at another five hours of travelling ahead of him.

How unlucky can you be?

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