WITH JUST one enforced change Tyrone are at virtually full strength for Sunday’s All-Ireland football quarter-final against Kildare at Croke Park.
Manager Mickey Harte has recalled former number one goalkeeper Pascal McConnell to replace the injured John Devine, who dislocated his shoulder at training last weekend, but otherwise the All-Ireland champions are unchanged from the team which eased past Antrim in the Ulster final earlier this month.
It was a disappointing setback for Devine, who looks set to miss the rest of the season, no matter how far Tyrone progress. But McConnell, who only recently returned from injury himself, in fact started last September’s All-Ireland, after Devine was forced to withdraw owing to the death of his father that same weekend.
There is a real sense of order elsewhere, with Seán Cavanagh resuming his midfield partnership with Kevin Hughes and Harte using 11 of the team that started last year’s All-Ireland final. Ryan Mellon continues to be hampered by a hamstring injury, while Niall Gormley has recovered from his hamstring problem to be named among the substitutes.
Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney has delayed naming his team until tonight, partly to give Eamonn Callaghan the chance to prove his fitness. Callaghan has been carrying a groin strain in recent weeks, but is still likely to be selected at full forward ahead of Ken Donnelly.
The question of who will replace the injured Mikey Conway has also to be answered, but Gary White is almost certain to get the nod there after his telling impact against Wicklow last weekend when he came in for Conway. Kevin O’Neill is also being considered for his first championship start of the season as a possible defensive option ahead of Mick Foley.
Donegal manager John Joe Doherty is also waiting until lunchtime today before announcing his team to play Cork in Sunday’s other All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park. But with a relatively clean bill of health, few if any changes are expected from the win over Galway last Saturday.
Limerick manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan has named the same starting team that lined out in the Munster final defeat to Cork for Saturday’s deferred round-four qualifier against Meath in Portlaoise. It means that dual stars Mark O’Riordan and Stephen Lucey will be back in action just six days after helping the Limerick hurlers edge past Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles.
TYRONE(SF v Kildare): P McConnell; PJ Quinn, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, T McGuigan, Joe McMahon; M Penrose, S O'Neill, O Mulligan.
LIMERICK(SF v Meath): S Kiely; J McCarthy, S Gallagher, M O'Riordan; S Lavin, S Lucey, P Ranahan; J O'Donovan, J Galvin; P Browne, C Joyce-Power, S Buckley; G Collins, S Kelly, I Ryan.
