Two Offaly footballers make their championship debuts in the Leinster quarter-final against Carlow on Sunday but one of them, PJ Ward, has undergone the experience on two occasions already.
Ward is named at full forward - alongside Thomas Deehan and Niall McNamee - after switching allegiance from his native Westmeath last January. Ward also played in the 2005 Connacht championship for New York against Galway - a year before his first start for Westmeath, which, ironically, was in a defeat to Offaly. The 24-year old holds a Leinster minor medal, with Westmeath, from 2000.
The other debutant is under-21 midfielder Niall Smith, whose form during the National League sees Ciarán McManus shifted to the half-forward line. James Coughlan, Nigel Grennan and Shane Sullivan are held in reserve.
The sides do battle at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, for the right to meet the winners of the Dublin-Meath replay. Defeat on Sunday or in the June 24th semi-final equals disaster on a scale Wicklow and Clare footballers can already relate to. Due to their new Division Four status, Offaly or Carlow must reach the provincial final to get into the qualifiers. Otherwise it's the Tommy Murphy Cup.
Offaly, under Pat Roe, are favoured to progress as Carlow have been hit by a series of defections and a mounting injury list. New Carlow manager John Kearns has injury doubts over David Byrne (groin), Aidan Murphy, Joe Roche and James Ryan (all ankle), Brian Kelly (back), Paul Cashin (shoulder), Mark Nolan, Christy Bolger and Brian Farrell (all hamstring).
Both teams had miserable Division Two A league campaigns but Offaly beat Carlow 3-12 to 1-8 in Tullamore in February.
In hurling, Wexford manager John Meyler welcomes back Nigel Higgins into the full-forward line, after a two-year absence, for the Leinster championship semi-final against Dublin at Nowlan Park on Saturday.
Adrian Fenlon and Colm Kehoe returned to training in recent weeks but are held in reserve. Darren Stamp is retained at full forward while full back Declan Ruth has recovered from a groin injury. Kevin Kavanagh, John O'Connor and PJ Nolan are ruled out through injury.
Richie Hogan's elevation to the Kilkenny senior panel has been ruled out for Sunday's other semi-final, against Offaly in Portlaoise. Hogan is with the under-21s but was called into the senior set-up last week. "Richie's only out of minor and what normally happens, and Brian (Cody) did this when I was in charge of the under-21s, is we bring in younger lads from time to time to help out with training, and to give them a bit of experience," said selector Martin Fogarty.
Richie Power has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, Michael Rice and Eoin McCormack are struggling to reach match fitness but John Tennyson has recovered from a hamstring problem and should start at centre back. Kilkenny manager Brian Cody is sticking to his usual routine of announcing a team on Friday night.
The Ulster Council confirmed yesterday supporters will receive free admission to Sunday's rescheduled Ulster football championship quarter-final at Casement Park. The match was due to take place at the Belfast venue last Sunday, but was called off 20 minutes before throw-in by Meath referee Cormac Reilly because of a waterlogged pitch.
OFFALY (SF v Carlow):P Kelly; G Rafferty, J Quinn, J Keane; P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery; A McNamee (capt), N Smith; N Coughlan, P Kellaghan, C McManus; T Deehan, PJ Ward, N McNamee.
WEXFORD (SH v Dublin):D Fitzhenry; M Travers, D Ruth, P Roche; R Kehoe, K Rossiter, C Kenny; D Lyng, E Quigley; M Jacob, D O'Connor, P Carley; N Higgins, D Stamp, R Jacob.
