Wexford bring Codd on board for clash with Cork

PAUL CODD, a member of one of Wexford’s most famous hurling dynasties, has been drafted in by the Leinster champions for Sunday’s Guinness All-Ireland SHC semi-final clash with Cork at Croke Park.

One of the most outstanding player’s in the game last year, the Rathnure clubman kept a very low profile in the early part of the current season, citing a number of injury problems for his absence from the county team.

Subsequently, the vastly talented forward saw eye to eye with the Wexford management and came on as a sub in both the Leinster semi-final and final victories over Kilkenny and Offaly.

Now he gets his first championship starting position this season, taking over the left half-forward position from Barry Lambert, who has been struggling with an ankle injury.

Following final fitness tests last night, right half-forward Paul Carley and centre-forward Eoin Quigley were given the green light.

Earlier in the week, Carley was considered to be extremely unlikely to recover from an ankle injury sustained in a club football game. But Quigley, suffering from a hamstring injury, was always expected to start.

Páidi Ó Sé has given a telling endorsement to the team that brought the first Leinster championship trophy to Westmeath.

Last night, he announced that the same 15 who started against Laois in the provincial replay will take the field against Derry in the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park tomorrow.

Joe Fallon, who came on for Fergus Wilson; Gary Dolan, who substituted for Paul Conway; and Seamus Colleary, who replaced Denis Glennon; during the historic Leinster final triumph are all held in reserve.

Derry, however, have made once change from the side that clinched the quarter-final spot from the qualifying rounds of the competition.

Teak-tough defender Sean Martie Lockhart, who came on as a sub in the two qualifying games with Wexford and Limerick, will start on this occasion.

He takes over the left corner-back position from Gerard O’Kane and will also captain the side. O’Kane was ruled out with an ankle injury.

This will be only the second clash between the counties at senior level in the last ten years.

They last met in 1994 in the quarter-final of the National League when Derry were reigning All-Ireland champions, having beaten Cork in the 1993 decider. But Westmeath bested the northerners on that occasion and the following year the Midlanders defeated Derry to win the All-Ireland minor title for the first time.

WEXFORD (SHC v Cork); D. Fitzhenry; M. Travers, D. Ryan, D. O’Connor; R. McCarthy, D. Ruth, J. O’Connor; A. Fenlon, T. Mahon; P. Carley, E. Quigley, P. Codd; M. Jordan, M. Jacob, R. Jacob.

WESTMEATH (SFC v Derry): G. Connaughton; D. Healy, J. Davitt, J. Keane; M. Ennis, D. O’Donoghue, D. Heavin; R. O’Connell, D. O’Shaughnessy; B. Morley, P. Conway, F. Wilson; A. Managan, D. Glennon, D. Dolan.

DERRY (SFC v Westmeath); B. Gillis; K. McGuckin, N. McCusker, S. M. Lochart; F. McEldowney, P. McFlynn, P. Kelly; F. O’Doherty, M. Bradley; J. Donaghy, J. McBride, C. Moran; J. Bradley, P. Bradley, E. Muldoon.