Clare taking no chances

CLARE, pipped at the post by Limerick last weekend, are taking nothing for granted in their Allianz National Hurling League bid for survival against out-of-the-reckoning Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow night.

Although both the Lohan brothers Brian and Frank are ruled out because of injury the Clare selectors last night named an almost full championship side for their crucial visit to Leeside.

In fact nine of their first team players, who missed the defeat by Limerick, have been recalled for this make-or-break game for the Banner.

Brian Quinn and Ger O’Grady take over the respective corner back positions, with Conor Plunkett now named at full back. Brian O’Connell comes in at right half back with Gerry Quinn taking over the left half back berth.

Ollie Baker and Diarmuid McMahon form a new midfield partnership with Colin Lynch at centre forward, Tony Griffen on the left wing and Niall Gilligan and David Forde in the respective corners.

No changes in personnel from the side that began last Sunday’s Pairc Uí Rinn thriller against Cork, but the Waterford team announced last night to take on Tipp in next Sunday’s crunch National Hurling League tie at Semple Stadium involves a maze of positional alterations.

Despite his man of the match display at right half back last Sunday Brian Phelan is now named at left full back with Tom Feeney and Declan Prendergast also swopping places in the inside line.

James Murray has been placed in Phelan’s right half berth with Ken McGrath and Tony Browne in the number six and seven slots. The two Mount Sion players were also given these positions in the team announced in advance of the Cork game, but they filled reverse roles once the ball was thrown in.

Andy Moloney and Dave Bennett are named in a new midfield partnership, but again one can only ponder the likelihood of the duo starting in the sector against Tipp’s formidable Eddie Enright and Paul Kelly.

Up front Seamas Prendergast is named as leader of the attack on the forty flanked by Eoin Kelly and Michael Walsh. Nearer goal Dan Shanahan, who was substituted at half time in last Sunday’s game, is chosen at full forward with John Mullane and Paul Flynn in the right and left corners respectively.

Wexford have sensationally dropped full back Darragh Ryan for their last league game with Dublin at Wexford Park on Sunday. Rated one of the best defenders in the game, Ryan together with four other members of the side that crashed to Kilkenny last weekend, team captain Michael O’Leary, Rory Stafford, MJ Furlong and Michael Jacob have received the axe.

Dave O’Connor moves from centre forward to take over Ryan’s full back position. John O’Connor comes in at left half back and takes over the captaincy. Rory McCarthy is named at right half back with Tomas Mahon and Adrian Fenlon forming a new midfield paretnership.

Donal Berry is the Yellow Bellies new centre forward with veteran Larry Murphy making his comeback from injury at full forward.

Laois have left two vacancies on the team to play Offaly on Sunday, and also made three changes from the side which defeated Antrim in their previous outing.

Ronan Conway, Cathal Brophy and Enda Meagher have replaced Joe Fitzpatrick, Michael McEvoy and James Walsh. Offaly need to win by a big margin to avoid the drop down to a lower division for next year.

Dublin manager Humphrey Kelleher has been forced to make a couple of changes for the trip to Wexford Park on Sunday. A broken hand picked up in the win over Offaly, has ruled David Curtin out and he is replaced by Aidan Glennon.

Maghnus Breathnach is in at full back in place of the injured Darragh Spain. Positional switches see Ronan Fallon move to centre forward to centre back; Conal Keaney goes to midfield from the number six position, and Stephen Hiney to full forward from midfield.

Despite the fact that they report no injury problems Antrim will not select their team to play Kilkenny at Nowlan Park on Sunday until their training session tonight is complete.

Meanwhile Pascal McConnell comes back into the Tyrone team for Sunday’s National Football League semi-final replay against Galway at Pearse Park, Salthill.

He replaces John Devine in goal for the rematch which will decide who face Kerry in the decider.

Conor Gormley starts at full back, having impressed when switched from the corner to successfully shadow Padraig Joyce at Omagh last week.

And up front, Owen Mulligan, who started in the half forward line last week, reverts to full forward in a direct swap with Enda McGinley.

CLARE (SH v Cork): G. O'Connell; B. Quinn, C. Plunkett, G. O'Grady; B. O'Connell, S. McMahon, G. Quinn; O. Baker, D. McMahon; J. O'Connor, C. Lynch, T. Griffen; N. Gilligan, A. Markham, D. Forde.

WATERFORD (SH v Tipperary): S. Brenner; T. Feeney, D. Prendergast, B. Phelan; J. Murray, K. McGrath, T. Brown; A. Moloney, D. Bennett; E. Kelly, S. Prendergast, M. Walsh; J. Mullane, D. Shanahan, P. Flynn.

WEXFORD (SH v Dublin); D. Fitzhenry; C. Kehoe, D. O'Connor, M. Travers; R. McCarthy, D. Ruth, J. O'Connor; T. Mahon, A. Fenlon; B. Lambert, D. Berry, P. Carley; M. Jordan, L. Murphy, R. Jacob.

DUBLIN (SH v Wexford): G. Maguire; S. Perkins, M. Breathnach, S. Daly; A. De Paor, R., Fallon, K. Ryan; C. Keaney, C. Meehan; T. Moore, L. Ryan, A. Glennon; M. Carton, S. Hiney, D. Donnelly.

LAOIS (SH v Offaly): K. Galvin; C. Cuddy, P. Cuddy, AN Other; R. Conroy, P. Cuddy, D. Rooney; D. Cuddy, E. Meagher; R. Jones, J. Young, AN Other; C. Brophy, L. Tynan, D. Culleton.

KERRY (SH v Westmeath): T. O’Flynn; A. Healy, A. Boyle, B. Blackwell; J. McCarthy, C. Flaherty, C. Harris; D. Young, P. O’Connell; S. Brick, A. Cronin, J. Egan; E. Tuohy, I. McCarthy, JM Dooley.

TYRONE ( SF v Galway): P McConnell, R McMenamin, C Gormley, AN Other, B Donnelly, G Devlin, P Jordan, K Hughes, S Cavanagh, B Dooher, B McGuigan, E McGinley, M Harte, O Mulligan, C McCullagh.