New York v Leitrim: LEITRIM HAVE have more reason than most to be wary of this fixture, as on their previous visit five years ago they were taken to extra-time before winning by a short head, 0-14 to 0-12.
Neither team will name their side until tonight and if it's no great surprise that New York have only three survivors from that outing, including James Mitchell who was sent off that day, Leitrim have a similarly small representation with John McKeon, Michael McGuinness and Declan Reynolds still part of the panel. Captain Gary McCloskey was playing in 2003, but didn't go to the US.
It's been a rough year for Dessie Dolan's team, who were left standing second-last in Division Three when the NFL music stopped last month. Relegation to the bottom flight is a bitter disappointment for a side that have been competitive in nearly all of their league and championship outings in recent times.
Dolan has a couple of injury concerns over first-choice players James Glancy and Michael Duignan.
Full forward Glancy has been out for three months since breaking a leg in the NFL fixture against Sligo whereas Glancy sustained a fractured cheekbone in the win over Down last month. The latter is the more likely to get a run.
The home side have had a busy challenge season and two months ago lost out to visiting opposition from the Army and Kerry champions, divisional side Feale Rangers. Intermediate All-Ireland club finalists Fingal Ravens also visited and were narrowly beaten.
Likely to be lining out for New York at full forward is Dan Doona, who played in a minor All-Ireland semi-final alongside Kerry's back-to-back All-Ireland winning captain Declan O'Sullivan in a team managed by current senior coach Pat O'Shea.
The development work done at Gaelic Park has by all accounts greatly improved the pitch. This will be a positive for the visitors who have enough ball-players to take advantage of the enhanced conditions and progress to a provincial semi-final against either Galway or Roscommon.
