GAA:Cork manager Billy Morgan has entrusted under-21 forward Daniel Goulding with the task of replacing the injured James Masters in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Meath.
Goulding landed the winning point, from a free, in extra-time of the under-21 All-Ireland final against Laois last May. He registered 1-6 that day, 0-5 of which came from placed balls. Despite not featuring for Cork in recent championship matches, arguably because he is considered too similar a player to Masters, he will carry the burden of free-taking although Donnacha O'Connor will take short-range frees from the left.
Meanwhile, Meath manager Colm Coyle has been given a major boost ahead of Sunday's semi-final with the county board opting to give him another two years at the helm. Before now Meath managers were appointed on an annual basis. That was changed at a board meeting on Monday night with the unexpected run to the closing stages of the championship being the catalyst for amending the rule.
Last autumn Coyle, a three-time All-Ireland winner, replaced Eamonn Barry who had taken over from Seán Boylan.
Meath senior hurling manager John Andrews has also been given two-year extensions.
The loss of Masters due to a broken jaw sustained in Cork's quarter-final victory over Sligo on August 4th is substantial as he leads the championship scoring charts with 3-27.
After leaving hospital this week Masters revealed he did not require a metal plate in his jaw but would be sidelined for at least a month leaving him in a race against time to recover for the All-Ireland final, should Cork progress.
Other players in contention for the number 13 slot vacated by the Nemo Rangers sharpshooter were Kevin O'Sullivan of Ilen Rovers, who replaced Masters against Sligo, John Hayes, Conor McCarthy and another under-21 graduate Fintan Goold. All are viable attacking alternatives from the substitutes' bench.
Apart from Goulding's selection, Cork are unchanged from the team that beat Sligo. Graham Canty leads the team from full back, while Noel O'Leary, Ger Spillane and Anthony Lynch make up a formidable half-back line.
Meath are expected to announce a team tomorrow and, according to selector Dudley Farrell, the concerns over Darren Fay's knee injury are grossly exaggerated. Reports this week put Fay on the extremely doubtful list with Kevin Reilly in line to move back to the square's edge - a position he filled during the 2005 and 2006 seasons when Fay opted out of intercounty action.
"Sure, it's just a scrape. The reason we took him off the last day was due to a slight hamstring strain. It was more a precaution than anything else. Darren will play on Sunday."
The other injury concern for Meath is captain Anthony Moyles who has a troublesome hamstring. "He pulled it last Thursday," continued Farrell. "Well, actually it was more of a twinge than a pull. We'll sit him out tonight and see how he goes on Thursday."
Séamus Kenny has returned from a shoulder injury sustained in the third-round qualifier against Galway on July 21st and is expected to come straight back into the left side of defence in place of Conor McGuinness or Chris O'Connor. Eoin Harrington, who also sustained shoulder damage that day, has not been responding to treatment.
This is Cork's third successive All-Ireland semi-final, while Meath haven't reached this stage since they inflicted a record defeat on Kerry in 2001.
CORK(SF v Meath): A Quirke; M Shields, G Canty, K O'Connor; N O'Leary, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Kavanagh, N Murphy; J Miskella, P O'Neill, K McMahon; D Goulding, M Cussen, D O'Connor.
KERRY(MF v Galway): T Mac an tSaoir; D O'Sullivan (capt), B Shanahan, B Russell; I Somers, B O'Leary, P Costelloe; J Buckley, W Gutherie; J Doolan, C O'Shea, JB Spillane; T O'Sullivan, B John Walsh, Eoin Kennedy.
