Déise drop Brenner for young gun O’Regan

REGULAR Waterford goalkeeper Stephen Brenner has been dropped for Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final, the selectors giving the nod to the county U21 netminder, Ian O’Regan.

There’s also a place in the starting line up for the first time in the championship for another member of the U21 team, Shane O’Sullivan, whose brother Billy formerly captained the senior side.

The emerging Ballygunner star, who came on as a sub in the closing stages of the Munster final against Cork, is named at left half forward in a reshuffled attack in which Eoin McGrath is placed at right corner forward in the absence of the suspended John Mullane.

There had been speculation that Brenner could come under pressure after he gifted Cork’s opening goal in the provincial decider, and was also regarded by some as culpable for at least one of Tipperary’s goals in the semi-final.

However, some believed his experience of the big occasion would stand to him, but in the end Justin McCarthy and his fellow selectors came down on the side of O’Regan.

The youngster was first given the call up following a series of brilliant displays with his club, Mount Sion in last year’s domestic campaign.

In fact O’Regan looked set to be first choice until the selectors opted for Brenner at the start of this year’s league campaign. Now he must prove himself on the biggest stage of all.

With Declan Prendergast continuing to hold sway in the full back berth over Tom Feeney, the remainder of the defence all but picked itself.

James Murray and Eoin Murphy will flank Prendergast, with Brian Phelan, captain Ken McGrath, and Tony Browne providing the half-back line which has been hugely influential in the team’s triumphant march to the county’s seventh Munster title win.

The Dave Bennett/Michael Walsh midfield partnership has again been restored, with Seamas Prendergast now taking over leadership of the attack on the ‘40’ from Walsh.

Eoin Kelly, bang in form again, and debutante Shane O’Sullivan will flank the big Ardmore clubman, with Eoin McGrath, Dan Shanahan, and Paul Flynn completing an inside line of vast potential.

However, it won’t be any great surprise if there are positional changes in that attacking sextet when the team lines out on Sunday.

Prendergast could well be the one to move to full-forward with Shanahan being positioned either at wing or centre-forward.