Doherty steps in for injured Crossan against Meath

EAMONN DOHERTY has been named as the full back replacement for injured team skipper Mark Crossan on the Donegal team for Sunday's Bank of Ireland, All-Ireland SFC qualifier with Meath at Croke Park.

Crossan sustained a fractured jaw in the Ulster final against Armagh and centre-forward Michael Hegarty has been nominated to take over the captaincy in his absence.

Meath are not expected to make any changes from the side that trounced Laois last time out.

After taking a leave of absence from League football Pascal Canavan, younger brother of team captain Peter, makes his first Tyrone start of the season for Sunday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Sligo at Croke Park.

The experienced Canavan comes in at centre-forward, with Cormac McAnallen reverting to his tried and tested midfield role following a brief run in attack.

Jarlath Quinn, who played at midfield against Leitrim and Derry, is the player to lose out.

“If you have to put in a man, it’s never a risk to put in a very experienced man, and Pascal is definitely experienced,” said team spokesman Pat McCartan.

Kevin Hughes had been expected to start in the absence of injured Gerard Cavlan, who suffered a fractured jaw in the win over Derry, but Declan McCrossan gets the nod at left half-forward.

Peter Ward wins back his place in goal due to the absence of John Devine with a broken collar bone. Ward apart, the defence remains unchanged, as does the full forward line, where Peter Canavan resumes his partnership with Stephen O’Neill and Brian McGuigan. Sligo have made several changes on their side from the one which lost to Galway in the Connacht final. Nigel Clancy, who missed the provincial decider because of injury, returns at full back in place of Niall Carew. David Durcan takes over the centre half-back position from Michael Langan.

Young Dara McGarty, who impressed when introduced in the Connacht final, is given a starting place at right half-forward with Martin Brehony moving to centre-forward and Kieran Quinn taking over the left half-forward berth from Brian Walsh.

John McPartland is introduced at full forward, with Dessie Sloyan moving to right corner-forward in place of Tom Brennan.

Meanwhile, Tipperary senior hurling boss Nicky English will have to plan without Allstar midfielder Eddie Enright for the next few weeks as the Sarsfields man is out of the country due to work commitments.

Enright returned to the starting line-up for last weekend’s All-Ireland qualifier tie against Offaly in Portlaoise having recovered from a serious finger injury. But his untimely departure to the US is seen as a real blow to Tipp as they prepare for their tilt with Antrim in the quarter-final in two weeks time. Enright flies back to Ireland on the day before that game.

DONEGAL (SF v Meath): T. Blake; S. Carr, E. Doherty, N. McGinley; R. Sweeney, B. Monaghan, K. Cassidy; J. Gildea, P. McGonagle; J. McGuinness, M. Hegarty, C. Toye; B. Roper, A. Sweeney, B. Devanney.

TYRONE (SF v Sligo): P. Ward, C. Gormley, C. Lawn, B. Robinson, R. McMenamin, C. McGinley, P. Jordan, C. McAnallen, C. Holmes, B. Dooher, Pascal Canavan, D. McCrosan, B. McGuigan, S. O’Neill, Peter Canavan.

SLIGO (SF v Tyrone): J. Curran; M. Cosgrove, N. Clancy, B. Philips; N. Maguire, D. Durkan, P. Naughton; P. Durkan, E. O’Hara; D. McGarty; M. Brehony, K. Quinn; D. Sloyan, J. McPartland, G. McGowan.