GALWAY MANAGER Anthony Cunningham has made just four changes to the team that yielded Waterford their first points last weekend, for Sunday’s important trip to Nowlan Park to take on All-Ireland champions Kilkenny.
Goalkeeper James Skehill had already been ruled out with a dislocated shoulder and his place is taken by Jamie Ryan. Coincidentally, Skehill had to be taken off the field in an ambulance two years ago on the last occasion the counties met in a league match in Kilkenny.
The other changes see veteran Tony Regan return to the side at right-wing back with Niall Donohue reverting to the bench. Brian Flaherty comes in at centrefield for Cyril Donnellan, with Andy Smith switching from last week’s starting position in the middle to wing forward.
In the full forward line, Bernard Burke drops out and Iarla Tannian, who scored a decisive 2-1 in the corresponding league encounter two years ago, comes in at full forward.
Galway need to avoid defeat if they are not to be dragged into a possible relegation play-off with Dublin.
Cork, unsurprisingly make no changes for Sunday’s big match against Tipperary in Thurles. Manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy keeps faith with the side that beat Kilkenny in a thriller in Páirc Uí Chaoimh last weekend.
Luke O’Farrell and Cian McCarthy are changes to the panel, as they have both recovered from injury.
Tipperary, on the other hand, have made several changes to their starting line-up, with goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, defenders Paul Curran and Conor O’Mahony, and forward John O’Brien all starting in place of Darren Gleeson, Conor O’Brien, John Coghlan and John O’Neill.
There is a reasonable chance that the two counties, separated by just a point, could be facing each other again in next month’s league semi-finals. Cork lead the table on six points with Kilkenny – but having won the head-to-head – and Tipperary are on five.
The counties finishing in second and third place will play each other with the top team facing the winners of the Division One B final.
GALWAY (SH v Kilkenny): J Ryan; D Connolly, D Collins, G O’Halloran; T Regan, F Moore, J Coen; D Burke, B Flaherty; J Cooney, N Burke, A Smyth; D Hayes, I Tannian, B Daly. Subs: F Flannery, P Shiels, N Donohue , P Gordon, J Regan, B Burke, D Glennon, C Donnellan, A Harte, N Healy, C Cooney.
TIPPERARY (SH v Cork): B Cummins; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; T Stapleton, C OMahony, P Maher; J Woodlock, B Maher; G Ryan, N McGrath, P Bourke; J OBrien, B OMeara, S Bourke.
CORK (SH v Tipperary): D Cusack; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, B Murphy; S Ó hAilpÃn, E Cadogan, W Egan; L McLoughlin, D Sweetnam; C Lehane, P Cronin, C Naughton; J Coughlan, P O’Sullivan, P Horgan. Subs: M Coleman, C O’Sullivan, J Gardiner, D Cahalane, R Cashman, C Joyce, T Kenny, C McCarthy, N McCarthy, B Corry.
