Moloney dropped for Waterford’s clash with Banner

ANDY MOLONEY is the major Waterford casualty from last Sunday’s National League final defeat by Galway.

The former Tipperary All-Ireland U21 winner, who was substituted after less than half an hour of the league decider, is not n the starting line-up for Sunday's first-round Munster championship game against Clare at Semple Stadium.

Moloney has struggled with his form since returning from injury earlier this year, and his demotion to the substitutes can hardly be rated a big surprise.

Justin McCarthy and his fellow selectors have also made a number of positional changes, the most notable being the placing of Allstar forward Eoin Kelly at midfield as Dave Bennett's partner. Increasing speculation that converted defender and team captain Ken McGrath, would be restored to the attack has not materialised.

Instead, the skipper is switched from right to left-half back, with Brian Phelan now on the opposite flank and Tony Browne remaining in the key pivotal berth, where he often struggled last Sunday against Galway's livewire David Forde.

Recalled at left-full back is Shamrocks clubman Eoin Murphy, who missed the latter stages of the league through injury. He was then hit with a virus before the league final, but came on as a second-half substitute and played well enough to earn his

championship recall.

Eoin Kelly's switch to midfield means a transfer to attack for 21-year-old Michael Walsh, who will now lead the sector from the forty. Walsh will be flanked by Dan Shanahan (his side's best forward last Sunday) and Eoin McGrath, who moves all the way from the corner-back berth, where he started in the league final.

The only line that remains unaltered from that game is the John Mullane, Séamus Prendergast, Paul Flynn inside one, and much bigger contributions will be needed of Mullane and Flynn.

It's a tall and, indeed, unfair order, to have Waterford out in successive Sundays in such major games, but management is insistent that they have put the disappointment of the league final firmly behind them.

Meanwhile, the Waterford intermediate team to play Clare in the championship curtain-raiser on Sunday

includes two players who have played in the senior championship with the county.

The duo are goalkeeper Brendan Landers, and his Lismore club-mate James O'Connor, who will man the full-back berth. Victor O'Shea, Ger Power, and Conan Watt also have

considerable senior inter-county

experience.

Cavan manager Eamon Coleman gives championship debuts to five newcomers for Sunday's Ulster championship clash with Down in

Casement Park.

Goalkeeper Eoghan Elliott, centre half back Trevor Crowe, left-half back Anthony Gaynor, Michéal Lyng on the 40 and Seanie Johnston at top of the left are all getting their chance to show what they can do.

Cavan have been badly hit with injuries to Dermot McCabe (knee),

Peter Reilly (not fully fit after cruciate op), Thomas Prior (stomach virus), Carl Crotty (recovering from dead leg) and Nicholas Walsh (hamstring).

Westmeath hurling manager Tom Ryan gives Dermot McNicholas his championship debut for Sunday's Leinster clash with Kildare in Mullingar. Wexford Coach Pat Roe introduces two newcomers to senior championship football left-half back George Sunderland and full-forward Darren Browne. A vacancy have been left at midfield in the hope that regular Willie Carley can prove his fitness ahead of their Leinster SFC clash with Louth in Parnell Park.

Laois have announced an unchanged team for their opening game in the Leinster SHC against Meath in

Portlaoise on Sunday.

WATERFORD (SHC v Clare): S. Brenner; J. Murray. T. Feeney. E. Murphy; B. Phelan. T. Browne. K. McGrath; D. Bennett. E. Kelly; D. Shanahan. M. Walsh. E. McGrath; J. Mullane. S. Prendergast. P. Flynn; Subs; I. O'Regan, J. Kennedy, A. Moloney, D. Prendergast, S. Ryan, P. O'Brien, B. Wall, L. Lawlor, S. O'Sullivan, G. Quinlan, J. Wall. J. Hurney.

CAVAN (SFC v Down): E. Elliott; E. Reilly, D. Rabbit, P. Brady; A. Forde, T. Crowe, A. Gaynor; P. McKenna, C. Collins; L. Reilly, M. Lyng, M. McKeever; G. Pearson, J. Reilly, S. Johnston.

LAOIS (SHC v Meath): K. Galvin; C. Cuddy, Pat Cuddy, M. McEvoy; J. Fitzpatrick, Paul Cuddy, R. Conway; D. Rooney, J. Walsh; R. Jones, J. Young, E. Maher; T. Fitzgerald, L. Tynan, D. Culleton.

WEXFORD (SFC v Louth): J. Cooper; C. Morris, P. Wallace, N. Murphy; D. Breen, D. Murphy, G. Sunderland; P. Colfer, A. N. Other; D. Fogarty, J. Hudson, R. Browne; J. Hegarty, D. Browne, M. Forde.

KILDARE (SHC v Westmeath): C. Leahy; S. Crowe, D. Lahert, B. Maher; C. Devilly, D. Harney, R. Hoban; C. Buggy, J. Brennan; J. Dempsey, E. Denieffe, S. Joyce; A. McAndrew, A. Quinn, T. Carew.

WATERFORD (IHC v Clare); B. Landers (Lismore); W. Kiely (Ballygunner), J. O'Connor (Lismore), S. Kearney (do); A. Heffernan (Ferrybank), V. O'Shea (Clonea), P. Radley (Kilgobinet); D. Howard (Lismore), J. Coffey (Stradbally); E. Rockett (Portlaw), W. Hutchinson (Ballygunner), G. Power (Stradbally); D. Murphy (Roanmore), C. Watt (Dunhill), P. Kearney (Tallow).

TIPPERARY (JFC v Limerick): O. Myers (Fr. Sheehys); G. Byrne (Holycross/Ballycahill), P. King (Ballina), P. O'Doherty (Solohead); P. O'Flaherty (Cahir), D. Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), S. Mason (Thurles Sarsfields); K. Maguire (Grangemockler, capt.), M. Fitzpatrick (Moyle Rovers); G. Morrison (Cahir), P. O'Mahoney (Clonmel Commercials), T. Connors (Kildangan); P. Whelan (Cahir), M. Lynagh (J.K. Brackens), E. Costello (Thurles Sarsfields)

LIMERICK (JFC v Tipperary): S. Kiely (Hospital-Herbertstown); M. Fitzgerald (do.), D. Galvin (Mungret), A. O'Rahilly (Adare); D. Stapleton (Oola), T. McLoughlin (Drom-Broadford), A. Lane (Foynes); N. Hunt (Athea), S. Gallagher (Ballysteen); B. Slattery (South Liberties), A. Kitson (Monaleen), J. O'Connell (Pallasgreen); M. Culhane (Glin), D. Phelan (St. Patricks), D. White (Athea). Subs. M. Keogh (Pallaskenry), P. Ranahan (Ballysteen), J. Sheehan (Galbally), P. Ryan (Foynes), J. Deere (Pallasgreen), E. Burke (Galbally), D. Leahy (Cappamore), D. Lavin (Adare), AN Other.

KILDARE (MFC v LONGFORD): J. Kindregan; D. McEvoy, J. Fogarty, I. Lonergan; J. Brosnan, J. Creighton, P, Kearney; P. O'Neill, C. Hughes; C. Kelly, A. Smith, B. Bell; M. Conway, G. White, T. Archbold.

In a senior hurling challenge in Fermoy last nigh, Cork beat Tipperary 2-17 to 0-18.