CUMMINS STITCHED UP BY DOC.

Byline: JACKIE CAHILL

TIPPERARY 'keeper Brendan Cummins has revealed he was unable to return for the closing minutes of Sunday's Munster SHC victory over Cork after receiving seven stitches in a head wound.

Cummins dashed off the field with blood seeping a cut over his right eye after diving bravely at the feet of an in-rushing Cork attacker.

Substitute goalkeeper Darren Gleeson was called and played the last nine minutes as Cummins felt dizzy after receiving treatment.

The All-Star 'keeper is in no danger of missing the semi final clash with Clare on June 21 but after he was patched up by team medics, a decision was taken not to allow the Ballybacon-Grange clubman back onto the field.

Cummins revealed: "I thought I might be able to come back on. I asked the medics what the cut was like and they said they could fix me up. Peter Murchin was fantastic, he got the job done, stopped the bleeding and bandaged me up but when I went to sit up I became dizzy. It was no place for someone dizzy out there but I did get to see the last two or three minutes once my head settled."

Before he had to go off, Cummins had brilliantly saved Pat Horgan's 42ndminute penalty after Timmy McCarthy saw a goal controversially ruled out.

Cummins reflected: "It was a tricky one. From the outside, you would have looked at the ball in the net but I do remember hearing the whistle going.

"It's hard to know if our fellas stopped and would Timmy have scored anyway but on a day when inches were involved, that was something that went our way."

CAPTION(S):

HERO Cummins had saved a Cork penalty