WITH BRYAN Sheehan ruled out due to a knee injury, Séamus Scanlon will partner Anthony Maher in the Kerry midfield for Sunday’s hotly anticipated Munster championship semi-final against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Sheehan received treatment at the sports surgery clinic in Santry, Dublin, recently and is expected to return for the provincial decider on July 8th or the qualifiers should Kerry lose the latest instalment of this age-old rivalry.
But that is not the only change Jack O’Connor has made to the Kerry side that struggled for large tranches against Tipperary on May 27th.
Kieran Donaghy returns at full forward having been dropped by O’Connor last month, allegedly for attending the Champions League final, and is another midfield option should the latest partnership struggle against Cork’s Alan O’Connor and Pearse O’Neill.
Sheehan’s absence brings up a more pressing concern as he is Kerry’s long-range free-taker and arguably the best in the country from placed balls. Captain Colm Cooper kicks all the close-in frees with Declan O’Sullivan expected to take on Sheehan’s duties out around the 45. James O’Donoghue is an alternative option, albeit off the bench.
All told, there are seven positional changes from the quarter-final with the full-back line completely revamped as Marc Ó Sé returns from a hamstring injury to replace Shane Enright at right corner back. Daniel Bohan is also dropped with Aidan O’Mahony named at number three, while Peter Crowley survives the defensive cull at wing back.
Declan O’Sullivan moves from full forward to centre forward forcing Darran O’Sullivan’s move to the wing and Kieran O’Leary shifts in to play alongside Donaghy and Cooper. Pa Curtin is also dropped with O’Leary taking the number 15 jersey. Both young men started the unimpressive 0-16 to 0-10 defeat of Tipperary only to be pulled around the 50-minute mark with O’Donoghue arriving for O’Leary, and kicking a score, while BJ Keane replaced Curtin.
Paul Galvin is retained in the half-forward line having adopting a deep-lying playmaker brief that O’Connor abandoned after 46 minutes against Tipp, replacing him with Donaghy.
Cork manager Conor Counihan has confirmed the league champions will select from a full strength panel.
Meanwhile, the dates, venues and times for the preliminary round of the All-Ireland hurling championship have been confirmed. Wexford will play Westmeath at home on Saturday, June 23rd, with the winners facing Carlow a week later. Limerick host Laois at the Gaelic Grounds the same night, also throwing in at 7.30pm, with Antrim awaiting the victors.
Meanwhile, Galway manager Alan Mulholland has named an unchanged starting 15 for Saturday evening’s Connacht semi-final against Sligo at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.
Mulholland is keeping Michael Meehan and Pádraic Joyce, both of whom impressed when introduced in the emphatic 3-15 to 0-10 win over Roscommon, in reserve as both players continue to regain full fitness.
KERRY (SFC v Cork):B Kealy; M Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, K Young; T Ó Sé, E Brosnan, P Crowley; A Maher, S Scanlon; P Galvin, Declan O'Sullivan, Darran O'Sullivan; C Cooper, K Donaghy, K O'Leary.
GALWAY (SFC v Sligo):A Faherty; K McGrath, F Hanley, K Kelly; G Bradshaw, J Duane, G ODonnell; J Bergin, G Higgins; G Sice, D Burke, T Flynn; S Armstrong, P Conroy, M Hehir.
SLIGO:P Greene; N Ewing, J Martyn, R Donovan; C Harrison, M Quinn, P McGovern; S McManus, E Mullen; B Egan, P Hughes, A Costello; S Coen, A Marren, M Breheny.
