Surprise choice Ryan gets call to lead Wexford attack

DARA RYAN is a surprise choice at centre-forward on the Wexford team to play Kilkenny in Sunday’s Guinness Leinster hurling final in Croke Park.

It represents the only change in personnel from the semi-final win over Offaly although the management have left a vacancy at midfield, pending a fitness report on Rory McCarthy later in the week.

McCarthy, who broke a finger in the semi-final, took part in light training last night at the Belfield pitch in Enniscorthy with the rest of the squad. However, the selectors remain unsure as to his match fitness, to the extent that at this stage they feel that it's 'touch and go' whether he will start.

Excluding McCarthy (who played at right half-forward), the team features ten of the players who lined out in last year's final among them Dara Ryan. Only recently back after surgery for a damaged cruciate ligament, he was in his traditional full-back position.

Last September he underwent an operation on his knee and only re-joined the panel at the end of the league campaign. His only outing was a brief appearance as a last-minute sub in the concluding round against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park.

Four years ago he played at centre-forward in the championship against Dublin. And, in last year's qualifier game against Clare he finished the game in attack after lining out at full-back. The current holder of the position is David 'Doc' O'Connor, who graduated from UCD yesterday.

Positional changes in attack see Donal Berry moved to full-forward, Rory Jacob from there to the left corner, with Mitch Jordan switching to the left wing in place of Barry Goff.

Jacob is a son of former star Mick Jacob and his brother Michael was the match-winner in the semi-final, scoring a late point after having been introduced as a substitute.

The team will be captained by Paul Codd.

WEXFORD: D. Fitzhenry, C. Kehoe, D. O'Connor, K. Rossiter, D. Stamp, D. Ruth, L. Dunne, A. Fenlon, A.N. Other, P. Codd (capt.), D. Ryan, M. Jordan, B. Lambert, D. Berry, R. Jacob. Subs: P., Carley, M. Travers, D. Guiney, L. O'Gorman, K. Furlong, T. Mahon, B. Goff, M.J. Furlong, C. McGrath, M. Jacob, L. Murphy, A. O'Leary, G. Coleman, N. Higgins.