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Attride on the road to recovery

Carlow v Laois - Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final

Carlow v Laois - Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final

By John Harrington

Laois manager John Sugrue says team captain Stephen Attride is making a good recovery from the double skull fracture he suffered against Carlow in last Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final.

Attride suffered his injuries in an accidental collision with Carlow's Ciaran Moran when he dived in to win a loose ball, and Sugrue believes he was a victim of his own bravery.

“There’s a serious level of focus in that man and a serious desire to push the team forward and push Laois forward," said the Laois manager.

“He was totally focused on that moment in play and went in very, very bravely, which I’m not sure other fellas to a great degree would have the same level of, but he really, really drove in hard for that and unfortunately came out the wrong side of.

“Stephen is out of hospital since Monday evening. He had a few scans and stuff like that and his soft tissue injury addressed. A lot of stiches, heavy concussion, two fractures in his skull.

“But he’s well outside of that to a great degree. He’s stiff and sore and has headaches but time is a great healer and we just have to give him time.”

Laois centre-back, Colm Begley, says Attride is determined to make a positive contribution in any way he can to the team's Leinster Final preparations despite being ruled out of action for the foreseeable future.

"It just kind of shows the character of the lad the way he is, he's kind of more concerned about getting back to help lads on the sideline and being there for training," said Begley.

"A huge loss for us a team and devastated for him personally because the act of selflessness was one of the bravest things I've seen on a football field. We actually thought we were in trouble there, they'd outnumbered us through but the instinctive thing to throw himself on the ball.

"You can see as well on social media, the response he's got as regards other players that have played with him before, who have watched him play, he's very much respected as a GAA player and look I wish him a speedy recovery but he'll be there for us on the sideline and leading as a captain even off the pitch."