Meath face Galway without key players
Full-back Anthony Moyles is also an absentee as he is suspended after a red card dismissal while playing with county champions Blackhall Gaels.
That means Darren Fay, whose started at midfield against Westmeath and Offaly, is likely to return to his more accustomed full-back role. Boss Sean Boylan said: “I’m only one part of the management team but you’d expect that Darren will move back alright.”
Boylan may be without Dunshaughlin star Crimmins until June because of study commitments in London. Corner-forward Crimmins inspired his club to last February’s All-Ireland semi-final and was a regular under Boylan last summer.
Full-back Gary Fahy and half forward Mathew Clancy are both doubtful starters for Galway. Fahy has a back strain, while Clancy has been down with a bad flu for the past ten days.
Another player unavailable to John O’Mahony is Paul Clancy who has gone to Australia for the foreseeable future. The Galway manager will announce his team tonight after training.
Clare have been hit by injuries to three key players Denis Russell, Odran O’Dwyer and Philip Smith for their opening league game against Roscommon at Cusack Park on Sunday.
Russell, who captained Kilkee to win the Clare county championship and is due to take over the captaincy of the county team is troubled by a groin injury.
O’Dwyer, a member of the Irish Compromise Rules squad, is currently out of action because of a torn achilles tendon, while Smith sustained a knee injury in the McGrath Cup semi final victory over Tipperary. All three are likely to miss out.
Roscommon could be without goalkeeper Shane Curran and utility forward Stephen Lohan. Curran has a back injury, while Lohan is doubtful because of an eye injury.
Fresh from their McGrath cup success Limerick, who play host to Laois at the Gaelic Grounds, have serious concerns about the availability of midfield player John Galvin, who took a knock on the leg in his side’s recent victory over Tipperary.
The Waterford team to play Wicklow in the opening round of the NFL (Division 2B) at Walsh Park next Sunday features a number of changes from the side that lost to Limerick in the McGrath Cup semi-final.
Michael Crotty is named at corner back while the Stradbally duo of Ger Power and John Coffey are at centre and left half forward respectively.
Defender Pat Fitzgerald and midfielder Andy Hubbard who were both dismissed in the second half against Limerick for second yellow card offences, are again included in the starting fifteen.
Meanwhile the Limerick senior hurling and football team management will, from 2005, be in a position to select team captains. Up to now, the successful county champions in both codes nominated the man of their choice.
At last night’s County Board meeting the Mungret club proposed a change and on a show of hands it was tied. Board chairman, Pat Fitzgerald had the casting vote and voted in favour of the passing of the motion.
Patrickswell delegate Oliver Mann said that they had now removed a system that had proved to be most successful in counties such as Cork and Kilkenny.
Limerick's dual player controversy was aired over 50 minutes at last night's meeting and while emotions were divided on the issue there was an acceptance that it would be counter productive to open further negotiations with the hurling team management.
Chairman Pat Fitzgerald said it was now time to get behind both the senior hurling and senior football teams.
WATERFORD (SF v Wicklow): P. Houlihan; M. Crotty. K. O’Keeffe. T. Dunphy; N. Hennessy. E. Rockett. P. Fitzgerald; A. Hubbard. W. Kavanagh; C. Watt. G. Power. J. Coffey; N. Curran. S. Walsh. L. O’Lionain.
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