GAELIC GAMES TEAM NEWS:ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry make just one enforced change to the team to face Cork in Sunday's Munster football semi-final in Killarney. Paul Galvin has lost his fitness battle with an ankle injury and starts on the bench.
Into the team comes his successor as Kerry captain, Darran O’Sullivan who last year led the county to All-Ireland success against this weekend’s opponents. Full forward Kieran Donaghy, about whom there were also concerns, has recovered from a groin strain picked up in practice.
Goalkeeper Brendan Kealy will make his debut in this fixture having come through the first round victory over Tipperary.
Cork’s first selection for the championship sees manager Conor Counihan make three changes to the team that won the NFL Division One title against Mayo. The experienced trio of Alan Quirke, Graham Canty and Pearse O’Neill return in place of Paddy O’Shea in goal, Eoin Cotter at corner back and Fintan Goold at right-wing forward.
Canty is selected at full back despite the success of placing him in the half backs last season and despite Jamie O’Sullivan’s being picked in the corner after playing very well on the edge of the square against Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea.
O’Neill comes in at wing forward in a team that features just two championship debutants, O’Sullivan and Kanturk’s Aidan Walsh at centrefield.
In Ulster Armagh manager Paddy O’Rourke makes one change to the side that defeated Derry for the quarter-final against Monaghan. Vincent Martin, who came in for the injured James Lavery during that match, holds his place at corner back.
Lavery’s place at centrefield is taken by Kieran Toner’s switch from defence. Monaghan will name their team this evening.
Kildare’s All Star centrefielder Dermot Earley has missed out on a starting place in the team to face Louth on Sunday. A knee injury has not cleared up and Darryl Flynn and David Whyte will form the centrefield partnership.
Earley has, however, been named on the bench and is expected to make an appearance.
Wicklow manager Mick O’Dwyer makes three changes for this weekend’s match with Westmeath. Ciarán Hyland comes back and takes the place of Patrick McWalter, who sustained a serious knee injury in the win over Carlow. JP Dalton is also back, replacing Don Jackman at centrefield and Paddy Dalton comes in at corner forward for Dean Odlum, who is injured.
Waterford football manager John Owens has made one change for this weekend’s other Munster semi-final, against Limerick, who defeated the county in April’s Division Four final. Patrick Hurney drops out with Robert Ahearne coming into the full forward line.
Elsewhere David Kelly has been passed fit for Sligo’s Connacht SFC quarter-final against Mayo tomorrow. Manager Kevin Walsh names two newcomers, Keelan Cawley and Colm McGee, for the Markievicz Park fixture.
Alan Costello, who played under-21 and senior championship with Mayo in the middle of the last decade, will face his county after being named at centre forward. Beside him will be Eamonn O’Hara, who played his first championship match for the county 16 years ago.
KERRY(SFC v Cork): B Kealy; M Ó Sé, T Griffin, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, M McCarthy, K Young; S Scanlon, M Quirke; Darren O'Sullivan, Declan O'Sullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper, K Donaghy, B Sheehan.
CORK(SFC V Kerry): A Quirke; R Carey, G Canty, J O'Sullivan; N O'Leary, M Shields, P Kissane; A O'Connor, A Walsh; P O'Neill, D O'Connor, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, P Kerrigan.
ARMAGH(SFC v Monaghan); P Hearty; A Mallon, B Donaghy, V Martin; P Duffy, C McKeever, F Moriarty; C Vernon, K Toner; M Mackin, A Kernan, G Swift; B Mallon, S McDonnell, R Henderson.
KILDARE(SFC v Louth): S McCormack; H McGrillen, G White, E Bolton; M O'Flaherty, B Flanagan, K Cribbin; D Flynn, D White; J Kavanagh, J Doyle, R Sweeney; A Smith, P O'Neill, E Callaghan.
WATERFORD(SFC v Limerick): T Wall; M O'Gorman, T O'Gorman, K Connery; T Grey (capt.), S Briggs, E Walsh; M Ahearne, T Prendergast; B Wall, C McGrath, W Hennessy; L Ó Lionáin, R Ahearne, G Hurney.
WESTMEATH(SFC v Wicklow): G Connaughton; F Boyle, D O'Donoghue, J Gaffey; M Ennis (capt.), K Martin, D Harte; D Duffy, P Bannon; J Smyth, C Lynam, A Gaughan; P Greville, M Flanagan, D Glennon.
WICKLOW:M Travers; S Kelly, D Ó hAnnaidh, A Byrne; C Hyland, B McGrath, D Hayden; J Stafford, JP Dalton; L Glynn, T Hannon, M Mernagh; P Dalton, S Furlong, P Earls.
SLIGO(SFC v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison (captain), N McGuire, R Donovan; K Cawley, B Phillips, J Davey; T Taylor, S Gilmartin; M Breheny, A Costello, E O'Hara; C McGee, K Sweeney, D Kelly.
LAOIS(SHC v Dublin): E Reilly; JA Delaney, D Maher, C Healy; B Campion (capt.), M Whelan, M McEvoy; C Dunne, J Walsh; J Fitzpatrick, Z Keenan, W Hyland; T Fitzgerald, N Foyle, J Brophy.
WATERFORD(JFC v Limerick): D Mulhearne; J Moore, M Supple, M Crotty; T Houlihan, D Hickey, M Prendergast; S Dempsey, P Lynch; C Guiry, C Power, JJ Hutchinson; J Wall (capt.), E Hogan, J Veale.
