Limerick take no chances as Begley undergoes fitness test
Dual star Brian Begley sustained a leg injury during Limerick’s hurling replay with Waterford on Saturday last and as a result a vacancy at full forward has been left on the football team.
Begley will undergo a fitness test at the end of the week and if he is passed fit his name will be automatically included in the starting line-up.
Limerick’s other dual player Stephen Lucey has been named at centre back in place of the injured Jonathon Stokes and the only other change from the side that excitingly defeated Cork last time out sees Sean Kelly and Sean Lavin switching wings in the half forward line.
Tyrone manager Micky Harte has been forced to make two changes from the team which defeated Derry in a replay last time out, for Sunday’s Ulster SFC semi-final clash with Antrim at Casement Park.
Injuries to Cormac McAnallan and Sean Cavanagh has ruled both players out. Kevin Hughes and Gerard Cavlan who have been regular forwards up to now are moved out to form a new midfield partnership.
Into the team comes Stephen O’Neill at left half forward, and Mark Harte at right corner forward.
Westmeath coach Luke Dempsey has postponed naming his team for the All-Ireland Qualifier against Monaghan until tonight for up to date reports on injuries to Derek Heaven and Damien Healy.
Kildare boss Padraig Nolan has opted for a no-change policy in picking his team for the Leinster SFC semi final against Meath in Croke Park on Saturday.
The game does however mark the return to the substitutes bench of free scoring forward Padraig Brennan.
There are two vacancies, at left corner back and right corner forward, on the Laois team to play Tipperary in Saturday’s All-Ireland Hurling Qualifier at Portlaoise, from the side which failed to Dublin in the Leinster Preliminary final replay.
Ml McEvoy and Tommy Fitzgerald are struggling with injury and are being given as much time as necessary to declare their fitness. Positional switches sees Pat Mahon move out from left corner back to left half back, Robert Jones goes from left half forward to midfield in place of Darren Rooney, while Lyam Tynan will now lead the attack with David Cuddy at full forward.
There are no surprises on the Antrim team for Saturday’s Guinness Ulster SHC final against Derry at Casement Park.
Manager Dinny Cahill has given a vote of confidence to the same 15 players, who played against Tipperary in last season’s All-Ireland quarter final tie, which they won comfortably.
But Derry have recalled Gregory Biggs. The Banagher clubman came off the bench in Derry’s win over New York last month, his first action since the opening day of the NHL in February.
TYRONE (SF v Antrim): J. Devine; C. Lawn, C. Holmes, R. McMenamin; C. Gormley, D. McCrossan, P. Jordan; K., Hughes, G. Cavlan; B. Dooher, B. McGuigan, S. O’Neill; M. Harte, Peter Canavan, O. Mulligan.
ANTRIM (SF v Tyrone): S. McGreevy; G. Adams, J. McKeever, N. Wards; S. Kelly, T. Convery, A. Finnegan; A. McCrory, M. McGarry; J. Quinn, K. Brady, K. McGourty; P. McCann, D. O’Hare, K. Madden.
KILDARE (SF v Meath): E. Murphy, B. Lacey, D. Lyons, A. McLoughlin M. Wright, A. Rainbow, K. Ennis, A. Barry, K. Brennan, P. Murray, J. Doyle, R. Sweeney, T. Fennin, S. Mackenzie - Smith , D. McCormack.
LAOIS (SH v Tipperary): J. Lyons; L. Mahon, Patrick Cuddy, AN Other; C. Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, P. Mahon; J. Young, R. Jones; J. Phelan, L. Tynan, F. O’Sullivan; AN Other, D. Cuddy, D. Culleton.
DERRY (SH v Antrim): K. Stevenson; P McVeigh, E McKeever, C McEldowney; D Magill, M Conway, P O’Kane; R Convery, P Carton; G. Biggs, O Collins, R Kennedy; J O’Dwyer, M Collins, P. McGrellis.
ANTRIM (SH v Derry): D Quinn; M Kettle, K Kelly, J Campbell; M McCambridge, K McKeegan, C Herron; C Cunning, J Connolly; P Richmond, C McGuckian, L Richmond; L Watson, G O’Kane, B McFall.
LIMERICK (SF v Clare): S. O'Donnell; M. O'Riordan, D. Sheehy, T. Stack; C. Mullane, S. Lucey, D. Reidy; J. Quane, J. Galvin; S. Lavin, M. Gavin, S. Kelly; C. Fitzgerald, A. N. Other, M. Reidy.
