THE SANDS of time are evident in Davy Fitzgerald’s first full cut at the Munster senior hurling championship as a manager with Tony Browne and Dan Shanahan, absolutely certainties in the Waterford hurling line-up until now, not making the starting team for Sundays potentially epic scrap with Limerick in Thurles.
Shanahan may not be long waiting to see action, though, as a question mark remains over John Mullane’s fitness, the De La Salle man has not trained for two weeks due to a hamstring strain.
Noel Connors indirectly replaces Browne at corner back with Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh named at centre back for the meeting with Limerick, who are now guided by Justin McCarthy, the man the Waterford hurlers ousted midway through last season’s championship following a defeat to Clare (a day when Shanahan was memorably replaced).
McCarthy also revealed his hand last night. Stephen Walsh and James Ryan make their first championship starts at wing back and wing forward respectively, while Séamus Hickey will start in the middle of the field.
Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney has made two changes to the Kildare line-up for tomorrow night’s Leinster football quarter-final against Wexford in Dr Cullen Park.
Defenders Michael Conway and Declan Brennan, who both started in last month’s win over Offaly, are replaced by Morgan O’Flaherty and Andrew McLoughlin. Conway is struggling with knee ligament damage while Kevin O’Neill has a shoulder problem.
Westmeath’s injury list is far more concerning with Dermot Bannon out for the season due to a cruciate knee tear, but the word from manager Tómas Ó Flatharta is more positive regarding leading marksman Dessie Dolan and Michael Ennis as both will sit on the bench against Wicklow this Sunday in Tullamore.
Dolan, however, is unlikely to feature due to a knee problem with Ennis hindered by his Achilles tendon.
This means Conor Lynam is charged with filling Dolan’s shoes at left corner forward, on his debut, with Keith Scally also making a first championship start.
WATERFORD(SHC v Limerick): C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, Noel Connors; K Moran, M Walsh, A Kearney; S O'Sullivan, S Molumphy; S Prendergast, K McGrath, J Nagle; J Mullane, E Kelly, E McGrath.
LIMERICK(SHC v Waterford): B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, M O'Riordan; S Walsh, B Geary, M Foley; D O'Grady, S Hickey; J Ryan, O Moran, N Moran; A O'Shaughnessy, J O'Brien, D Ryan.
KILDARE(SFC v Wexford): T Corley; H McGrillen, M Foley, A McLoughlin; M O'Flaherty, B Flanagan, E Bolton; D Flynn, D Earley; R Sweeney, P O'Neill, J Kavanagh; A Smith, E Callaghan, J Doyle.
WESTMEATH(SFC v Wicklow): G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane (capt); D O'Donoghue, D Heavin, W Murtagh; M Flanagan, D Duffy; K Scally, J Smyth, D Harte; F Wilson, D Glennon, C Lynam.
ANTRIM(SFC v Donegal): S McGreevy; C Brady, A McLean, D McCann; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughrey; M McCann, A Gallagher; T ONeill, K Brady, N McKeever; P Cunningham, S Burke, T McCann.
