MUNSTER SENIOR football champions Cork introduce two championship newcomers for the trip to Dungarvan on Sunday to play Waterford.
Manager Conor Counihan starts Ray Carey at corner back and Paul O’Flynn at right wing forward. Both played regularly during the league campaign, which culminated in the Division Two title after a win over Monaghan.
Paul Kerrigan also makes his first senior championship start, but he was part of last year’s panel and appeared as a replacement during the summer. Paddy Kelly, Michael Cussen, Kevin O’Sullivan and Dairmuid Duggan were not considered because of injury. Waterford will not name until this evening.
Tom Cribbin’s first selection as Offaly manager sees five championship debutants named in the side to take on Kildare at Portlaoise on Sunday. Stephen Lonergan, Richie Dalton, Conor Carroll, Ken Casey and William Mulhall.
Veteran Ciarán McManus will start on the bench, the first time he has been missing from a summer fixture since, coincidentally, the county’s win over Kildare in the qualifiers five years ago.
The team includes Alan Mulhall in goal. His only previous championship appearance for Offaly came when he was introduced as a substitute forward against Westmeath last year. Wing back Matthew Mitchell is recalled for his first championship appearance since coming on as a replacement in the qualifier defeat by Roscommon in July, 2003. PJ Ward was not considered as he is serving an eight-week suspension.
Hugh McGrillen will make his championship debut for Kildare in the same match. He is one of two debutant corner backs, although Declan Brennan made an appearance as a replacement last year.
Kieran McGeeney’s team will be missing Kevin O’Neill (dislocated shoulder), so Mick Foley starts at full back. Darryl Flynn returns from suspension to partner Dermot Earley at midfield.
Meanwhile, NFL Division Three winners Tipperary will have three newcomers for the visit of Limerick to Thurles. Corner back Conor Morrissey, wing back Brian Fox and right corner forward James Tierney all come in, as John Evans’s team attempt a first championship victory in six years.
CORK (SFC v Waterford): A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, A Lynch; G Spillane, G Canty, J Miskella; A O’Connor, N Murphy; P O’Flynn, P O’Neill, P Kerrigan; D Goulding, J Masters, D O’Connor.
KILDARE (SFC v Offaly): T Corley; H McGrillen, M Foley, D Brennan; E Bolton, B Flanagan, M Conway; D Flynn, D Earley; R Sweeney, P O’Neill, J Kavanagh; J Doy, A Smith, E Callaghan.
OFFALY: A Mulhall; S Lonergan, C Evans, B Darby; M Mitchell, R Dalton, K Slattery; N Smith, C Carroll; S Ryan, N McNamee, K Casey; T Deehan, J Reynolds, W Mulhall. Subs: P Kelly, A McNamee, C McManus, D Hales, D Egan, G Rafferty, J Coughlan, J Quinn, N Coughlan, N Darby, P McConway, R Guinan, S Sullivan.
TIPPERARY (SFC v Limerick): P Fitzgerald; C Morrissey, B Costigan, P Codd; C Aylward, H Coughlan, B Fox; G Harrington, B Jones; S Carey, P Austen, B Mulvihill; J Tierney, B Coen, B Grogan.
GALWAY (SFC v London): A Faherty; N Coyne, F Hanley, D Burke; G Bradshaw, D Blake, G Sice; P Conroy, G O’Donnell; S Armstrong, P Joyce, D Dunleavy; N Joyce, M Meehan, C Bane.
DERRY (SH v Kerry): A McGill; R McCloskey, C Quinn, S McNicholl; P O’Kane, S McCullagh, M Craig; K Hinphey, O McCloskey; C Murphy, D Leahy, B Dodds; A Kelly P McCloskey, R Convery.
