Dooher stays on Tyrone bench

TEAM NEWS: THE TYRONE team which reignites an engrossing rivalry with neighbours Armagh at Healy Park in Omagh tomorrow night…

TEAM NEWS:THE TYRONE team which reignites an engrossing rivalry with neighbours Armagh at Healy Park in Omagh tomorrow night shows four changes from the line-up that overcame Longford on July 9th.

Significantly, long serving captain Brian Dooher remains on the bench, having not featured in Pearse Park, while Owen Mulligan is named at number 29, having allegedly opted out of the panel in recent weeks.

It is unclear if Mulligan or Martin Penrose, numbered 30, will be included in 26-man match-day squad.

Justin McMahon, whose brother Joe remains at full back, and Enda McGinley are also named as substitutes.

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However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trust a team announced in advance of championship games. Justin McMahon, and not Martin Swift, lined out at right corner back against Longford, while Colm Cavanagh started in midfield with number 18.

The same applies to minor sensation and former AFL recruit Kyle Coney, who wore 19.

Cavanagh and Coney were named to start last night.

Coney remains as a direct replacement for Stephen O’Neill at corner forward as the former footballer of the year has been ruled out, supposedly, with a hamstring injury.

The other changes see Davy Harte make way for Seán O’Neill at right wing back and Kevin Hughes named in midfield ahead of Aidan Cassidy.

Tommy McGuigan rejoins the attack, where elder brother Brian has regained form at centre forward, as Penrose is dropped.

Meanwhile, PJ Banville will make his first start of Wexford’s football championship campaign, having been used as an impact sub to date, while David Murphy returns at centre back for their third round meeting with Limerick in Portlaoise tomorrow.

Galway hurling manager John McIntyre has named the same team that beat Cork 2-23 to 1-14 on July 9th for Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Waterford in Thurles. That means Cyril Donnellan, despite scoring four goals already this summer, remains an option from the bench.

There are 10 changes from the team that lost to Waterford at this same juncture in 2009. Joe Canning is at full forward where he has registered 2-25 in four games.

Limerick manager Donal O’Grady has named his namesake, Donal O’Grady, at midfield against Dublin in the other quarter-final, also in Thurles, this Sunday. O’Grady damaged his shoulder against Antrim.

Paul Browne comes back into the midfield alongside him while Seán Tobin is named at corner forward. Despite the footballers playing against Wexford tomorrow, dual players Mark O’Riordan and Stephen Lucey remain with the hurling panel.

TYRONE(SFC v Armagh): P McConnelll; M Swift, Joe McMahon, R McMenamin; Sean O'Neill, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; C Cavanagh, B McGuigan, P Harte; T McGuigan, M Donnelly, K Coney.

WEXFORD(SFC v Limerick): A Masterson; J Wadding, G Molloy, B Malone; A Flynn, D Murphy (capt), A Doyle; D Waters, R Quinlivan; PJ Banville, C Lyng, B Brosnan; C Morris, E Bradley, R Barry.

LIMERICK(SFC v Wexford): B Scanlon; T Stack, S Gallagher, S Lavin; J Riordan, J McCarthy, P Ranahan; S Buckley, T Lee; S Kelly, J Mullane, M Sheehan; G Collins, S O'Carroll, I Ryan.

GALWAY(SHC v Waterford): J Skehill; F Moore, S Kavanagh, D Collins; D Barry, T Óg Regan, A Cullinane; A Smith, D Burke; J Gantley, G Farraher, I Tannian; D Hayes, J Canning, A Kerins.

LIMERICK(SH v Dublin): N Quaid; D Moloney, S Hickey, T Condon; W McNamara, B Geary, G O'Mahoney; P Browne, D O'Grady; N Moran, J Ryan, D Hannon; G Mulcahy, K Downes, S Tobin.

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent