Injured Surgenor aims for quick return

The Broughshane man was stretchered off in Saturday’s 3-3 Carling Premiership draw with Glenavon amid fears he had broken his leg following a tackle by former team-mate Kevin Kelbie.

Thankfully, however, an X-ray revealed no fracture, although he is still likely to be out of action for around a month.

“It’s ankle ligament damage and I also have bruising and a cut on my leg – it’s still pretty tender,” Mark told Times Sport.

“I have to say I thought at the time it was gone – I remember hearing a noise which, thinking about it now, must have been his boot against my shinguard.

“The tackle hit me halfway up my shin and I must have rolled my ankle as I went down after the impact.

“There was absolutely no need for a tackle like that – I was facing my own goal in my own half so it wasn’t as if I was in a dangerous position where he had to make a last-ditch tackle to stop me scoring or something like that.

“My mum and dad were at the game and they took me to Antrim Area Hospital. The doctors told me that it would probably take between three and four weeks to heal up and strengthen but I’ll speak to Gordy (McCartney, the club’s sports therapist) before I do anything.

“Ideally I would like to be back for the two games against Linfield at the start of September but I know Gordy won’t let me take any unnecessary risks and I’ll do what he says.

“Kevin texted me over the weekend saying sorry and that he hoped I was OK and that’s it as far as I’m concerned – I’m not the sort of person to hold grudges.

“It’s frustrating for me because I was looking forward to maybe getting a chance to stake my claim for a run in midfield – ironically I was playing there because Conor Downey had got injured during the week.

“If there’s a good thing about it, it’s that it has happened early in the season and gives me plenty of time to get back – it’s a long season ahead.

“I don’t think being out for a few weeks will affect my level of fitness because we have a good pre-season in the tank – it’s just a question of making sure that the injury has fully healed and that there isn’t a weakness there,” added Mark.

Surgenor’s absence is the latest setback in a disrupted start to the season for manager Roy Walker, who has already had to deal with a raft of injuries and suspensions, with just a couple of games played.

That, however, will not prevent the manager from making personnel changes for this Saturday’s visit of Crusaders (3pm) with a couple of players, particularly defenders, likely to pay the price for blunders in Saturday’s game.

“What we’re not going to do this year when we have a squad is let poor performances go unpunished,” said Walker.

“We can’t pick a team on sentiment – I have to pick a team based on what we need for that game.”

Saturday’s match will be sponsored by Gordon FW McIlrath & Co Solicitors, while the match ball sponsor is The Kiosk newsagency.