CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 NEWS:KERRY HAVE made three changes in personnel for Saturday's Munster football championship replay against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with Bryan Sheehan coming in for captain Darren O'Sullivan who has been ruled out and is not included in the panel named.
Killian Young comes into the defence – at left wing back – as an indirect replacement for Micheál Quirke who drops to the substitutes. Darragh Ó Sé starts in a new-look midfield where he will be partnered by Tommy Griffin who moves from centre back. Quirke and Tadhg Kennelly started at centrefield last Sunday.
Kennelly has been relocated to the forwards with Donncha Walsh losing his place.
Tommy Walsh, who had to leave the field in Sunday’s drawn game with an ankle injury, is named at full forward.
Cork, meanwhile, have named the same team, though injuries may force last-minute changes.
Redmond Barry makes a welcome return to the Wexford football team for Saturday’s Leinster quarter-final against Kildare in Carlow. Barry was married earlier this year and then took off on a three-month voyage around the world, and his return offsets the loss of former All Star forward Matty Forde who has a back injury.
Aindreas Doyle is the sole championship debutant, named at left wing back, while Ciarán Lyng joins Shane Cullen and PJ Banville in the full-forward line.
Laois manager Seán Dempsey introduces two newcomers for their Leinster football quarter-final against Louth in Parnell Park on Sunday. Rory Stapleton makes his first championship start at left corner back, while dual player Ger Reddin is named at centre back in the continued absence of Tom Kelly, who is still on the comeback from a cruciate ligament injury.
Donie Kingston (19) underlines his senior status with a starting place at left corner forward, alongside Michael John Tierney and Ross Munnelly, and with Kevin Meaney named at midfield alongside Pádraig Clancy, Brendan Quigley moves to wing forward. Joe Higgins has returned from injury, but must be content with a place on the bench.
Donegal have announced an impressive team as they host Antrim in Sunday’s Ulster football quarter-final at Ballybofey. Manager John Joe Doherty has gone for experience and restored Barry Dunnion and Michael McGuire to the half-back line, alongside Kevin Cassidy, while Brendan Boyle returns to midfield having been hampered for most of last year with a back injury. There is an accomplished full-back line of Eamon McGee, Neil McGee and Karl Lacey, while Ciarán Bonner, Michael Hegarty and Conal Dunne also return to the attack, with Rory Kavanagh captaining the side.
In hurling, Waterford and Limerick have injury concerns ahead of their Munster semi-final in Thurles on Sunday. The big worry for Waterford is John Mullane, who hasn’t trained for the past two weeks because of a hamstring injury, but manager Davy Fitzgerald is also waiting on Richie Foley (hamstring), Gary Hurney (knee) and Shane Walsh (shoulder).
Limerick are monitoring the progress of Séamus Hickey, who has a shoulder injury, while centre forward Mike O’Brien is almost certain to miss out having recently broken two bones in his hand. However, dual stars Stephen Lucey and Mark O’Riordan are available for selection.
Monaghan forward Tommy Freeman is facing an eight-week lay-off after the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee upheld the proposed suspension following an incident in the Ulster football quarter-final against Derry on May 24th. Freeman was reported by match referee for “attempting to strike with the head” and is thus ruled out of all championship action until July 18th.
KERRY(SF v Cork): D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O’Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé, A O’Mahony, K Young; D Ó Sé, T Griffin; P Galvin, Declan O’Sullivan, T Kennelly; C Cooper, T Walsh, B Sheehan.
CORK (SF v Kerry): A Quirke; K O’Connor, M Shields, A Lynch; J Miskella, G Canty, G Spillane; A O’Connor, N Murphy; P Kelly, P O’Neill, P Kerrigan; D Goulding, J Masters, D O’Connor.
WEXFORD (SF v Kildare): A Masterson; B Malone, P Wallace, G Molloy; C Morris, D Murphy, A Doyle; B Doyle, E Bradley; A Morrissey, R Barry, C Byrne; C. Lyng, S Cullen, PJ Banville.
LAOIS (SF v Louth): M Nolan; C Ryan, M Timmons, R Stapleton; D Rooney, G Reddin, J O’Loughlin; P Clancy, K Meaney; B Quigley, B McCormack, P O’Leary; MJ Tierney, R Munnelly, D Kingston.
DONEGAL (SF v Antrim): P Durcan; E McGee, N McGee, K Lacey; B Dunnion, K Cassidy, M McGuire; N Gallagher, B Boyle; C Bonner, M Hegarty, R Kavanagh; C McFadden, M Murphy, C Dunne.
