Joyce returns to revitalise ailing Tribesmen

FORMER Footballer of the Year Pádraig Joyce has returned to the Galway fold. The two-time All-Ireland winner has not been part of the Galway squad since last year’s humiliating All-Ireland qualifier defeat by Westmeath.

However, it has emerged that Joyce has returned to training this week. The news is a welcome boost to manager Peter Ford, whose side have yet to register any points in the National Football League following defeats to Derry and Galway, respectively.

Limerick coach Mickey O’Sullivan has made four changes in his team to play Fermanagh in the postponed NFL tie on Sunday from the side which lost to Dublin by a point last Sunday.

Out go Diarmuid Carroll, Mike Jones, Mike Crowley and Jason O’Brien, replaced by Sean Kiely, Andrew Lane, Garreth Noonan and Timmy Carroll.

A boost for O’Sullivan is the return of Stephen Lavin from Australia and he is named among the subs.

Meanwhile, Óisin McConville is one of a number of high-profile players who has had to call time on his inter-county football commitment these last few weeks. He is one of seven players from Armagh involved in the Crossmaglen Rangers side which meets St Brigid’s from Roscommon in the AIB All-Ireland Club semi-final next weekend. For McConville, now in his 13th season with Armagh, it has a silver lining: “When you’re with the county that long, you have really seen all the pre-season training you want to see at this stage,’’ he smiled. “With the club you’re enjoying it, getting to play matches and you’re working towards something. With Armagh you’re looking at the bigger picture: the Championship. At the same time, you’re looking to get back with the team.’’

McConville says while people associated Crossmaglen with the club championship (having won it three times), their last title success was six years ago. “We were here (in a semi-final) in 2004 and mucked up (losing to Portlaoise). Six years is a long time. We want to get back to another final. It doesn’t always work out, but the appetite is good. We have about eight players from 2000 and the attitude of the young fellows is as good as the 33 and 34-year-olds. That’s probably what has us back.

“We have a good underage structure. It’s fabulous winning championships at Under-12, U-14 and U-16. The supply doesn’t show any signs of drying up which is good for everybody in the club.’’

St Brigid’s captain Mark O’Carroll is very much aware of the fact that Roscommon clubs don’t have a good record in the club championship — with Clan na nGael having the misfortune to lose in six finals.

“We know Crossmolina have a lot of experience, but we’re just worried about our own game. And it didn’t really come right for us in the Connacht quarter-final against Tubbercurry. A lot of people were writing us off afterwards, but we kept our heads down, we knew we were improving.’’

Mayo manager John O’Mahony has been helping out in an advisory capacity and O’Carroll says he has had a “huge influence” on their progress: “He is one of the best managers in the country.”

LIMERICK (SF v Fermanagh): S. Kiely; S. Gallagher, J. McCarthy, A. Lane, P. Ahern, P. Browne, P. Ranahan; T. Cahill, J. Galvin; G. Noonan, T. Carroll, J. Cooke; J. Ryan, D. Horan, M. Reidy.

Subs: M. Jones, M. Crowley, J. O’Brien, D. Carroll, D. McAuley, B. Fitzpatrick, N. Mulvihill, G. Collins, L. Kavanagh, M. McMahon, J. Stokes, S. Buckley, B. Scannell, S. Cronin, S. Lavin.