Youth and inexperience will, as expected, be the main feature of the Dublin football team that plays Westmeath in the O'Byrne Cup in Mullingar on Sunday. Injuries and club commitments had deprived new manager Tommy Lyons of most of the county's leading names, yet the intention here was always to experiment with new faces.
The available established players are given their usual starting places, and that means goalkeeper Davy Byrne, defenders Martin Cahill and Peader Andrews, midfielder Darren Homan, and forwards Colin Moran and Enda Sheehy form the backbone of the team.
Elsewhere, however, there are players who will be out to impress. Manus Breathnach starred in the under-21 side last season and gets the full-back position, although a vacancy has been left in the left corner.
Barry Cahill, a cousin of Martin, also moves up the grade to get a place at wing back and Paul Casey will line out on the other wing. Ken Darcy, brother of Declan, will start alongside Homan at midfield in the absence of the injured Ciarβn Whelan.
Enda Crennan from St Jude's gets his chance at right half forward, alongside fellow newcomers John McNally and Tim Doyle. Dual player Liam ╙g ╙ hEineachain is called up at corner forward.
DUBLIN (SF v Westmeath): D Byrne; M Cahill, M Breathnach, AN Other; B Cahill, P Andrews, P Casey; K Darcy, D Homan; E Crennan, J McNally, T Doyle; C Moran, E Sheehy, L ╙g ╙ hEineachain.
