O’Sullivan in new defensive role for Cork

FORMER Allstar full back Diarmuid O’Sullivan returns to the Cork team for next Sunday’s Allianz National Hurling clash with Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis, but in the unfamiliar position of right half back.

Six members of the squad - John Gardiner, Mark Prendergast, the Ó hAilpin brothers, Sean Óg and Setanta, Brian Murphy and Mickey O’Connell - were not considered for selection.

The four Na Piarsaigh players are due to play with their club in the opening round of the TSB county senior football championship against O’Donovan Rossa’s, Skibbereen on Saturday night, while Murphy and O’Connell will be engaged with their respective clubs Bride Rovers and Midleton in hurling championship games.

Joining O’Sullivan on the comeback trail will be Timmy McCarthy, Seanie McGrath and Ben O’Connor. McCarty has been out of action of late because of injury, while McGrath and O’Connor were introduced as substitutes during the course of the exemplary win over Tipperary in the last game.

In all there are seven changes from the side that conquered the arch-rivals in Thurles.

Mick Fitzgerald of St. Catherine’s is introduced at left corner back in place of Prendergast. O’Sullivan comes in at right half back, with Tom Kenny switching to left half back and taking over from Gardiner. Timmy McCarthy and Jason Barrett form a new midfield partnership with Alan Cummins and O’Connell out of the frame.

McGrath is a direct replacement for Neil Ronan at right half forward, while Ben O’Connor is preferred on this occasion to his twin brother Jerry at left half forward.

Injuries, sickness, and suspension rule out five established first team regulars from the Waterford team to play Limerick.

Eoin McGrath is expected to be out of action for at least another fortnight after picking up an ankle injury. Fergal Hartley is confined to bed with a severe bout of flu and joining him on the sickness list is full forward Seamus Prendergast who has been struck low with shingles.

Ken McGrath and John Mullane are both out of bounds following one and three-month suspensions imposed on them recently.

Sunday’s team marks the return in defence of Tom Feeney and Brian Flannery in their customary full back line berths having been surprisingly dropped against Clare.

Brian Greene moves from right full to left half back and in another defensive reshuffle Declan Prendergast is handed the pivotal role in place of the absent Hartley.

Tony Browne and Peter Queally renew a midfield partnership and the feature of a reshuffled attack in which Ken McGrath and Mullane are the notable absentees is the return of Allstar Eoin Kelly.

Paul Flynn is surprisingly named at full forward with the Lismore pair of Dan Shanahan and Dave Bennett flanking Andy Moloney on the forty and the sextet is completed by the promising Stradbally teenager Michael Walsh in the right corner.

Laois must face neighbours Offaly in Sunday’s big midland clash at Birr without star attacker David Cuddy.

Cuddy is nursing a leg injury, which caused him to miss out on his sides excellent eight points victory over Galway last time out.

The Laois selectors have left a vacancy at left half forward but Eamonn Meagher, who held down that position against Galway, is expected to get the thumbs up sign to start, thus making it an unchanged side.

CORK (SH v Clare); D. og Cusack; W. Sherlock, P. Mulcahy, M. Fitzgerald; D. O'Sullivan, R. Curran, T. Kenny; T. McCarthy, J. Barrett; S. McGrath, N. McCarthy, B. O'Connor; E. Fitzgerald, J. Deane, A. Browne.

WATERFORD (SH v Limerick) S. Brenner, J. Murray, T. Feeney, B. Flannery, E. Murphy, D. Prendergast, B. Greene, T. Browne, P. Queally, D. Shanahan, A. Moloney, D. Bennett, M. Walsh, P. Flynn, E. Kelly.

LAOIS (SH v Offaly): J. Lyons; L. Mahon, Pakie Cuddy. T. Phelan; C. Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, M. McEvoy; J. Young, D. Rooney; J. Phelan, P. Maher, A. N. Other; L. Wynne, L. Tynan, T. Fitzgerald.

KERRY (SH v Antrim): J. Healy; T. Cronin, C. Flaherty, H. Francis T Twomey; J. McCarthy (Capt.), A. Cronin, W. Joe. Leen; B. O'Sullivan, P. Cronin; B. Brick, S. Brick, P. O'Connell; M. Slattery, M. Conway, J. M. Dooley.

MAYO (SF v Roscommon FBD League Final) P Burke, G Ruane, J Nallen, K Mortimer, A Higgins, G Mullins, A Roche, D Heaney, J Gill, T Mortimer, K McDonald, D Sweeney, S Mangan, B Maloney, C Mortimer.