Browne and Mullane return for Waterford

TONY BROWNE and John Mullane will make their first start in this season’s Allianz NHL when Waterford play host to Offaly at Walsh Park on Sunday.

Former Allstar Browne is included at midfield with Mullane operating on the right flank of attack. They replace Aidan Kearney, who is on the sick list at present, and James Nagle.

Meanwhile Limerick have wielded the axe following last weekend’s shock defeat by Dublin for Sunday’s clash with Antrim at the Gaelic Grounds.

Omitted from the starting line-up are team captain Damien Reale, Paudie O’Dwyer, Maurice O’Brien, Niall Moran and Donie Ryan and they are replaced by Kieran O’Rourke, Peter Lawlor, Willie Walsh, Hugh Flavin and Brian Begley.

O’Rourke now takes over the right corner back position with Lawlor named at right half back, Willie Walsh at left half back, and Hugh Flavin and Brian Begley operating on the respective flanks of attack.

Kerry will introduce Daniel Bohan from the Austin Stacks club for his first senior competitive game for the Kingdom when they take on Tyrone in the glamour NFL tie of the weekend at Tralee on Saturday.

Bohan was due to have made his debut against Fermanagh but was injured in the build-up to that game. He now takes over the left half back position from Mossie Lyons.

The Kerry selectors have also made two changes in attack with Paul Galvin and Eamonn Fitzmaurice replacing the injured Kieran Donaghy and Donnacha Walsh.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has changed his midfield for the game. Kevin Hughes and Enda McGinley, who both played in attack in last weekend’s win over Limerick, will form a new partnership in the central area at Austin Stack Park.

Kelvin Hughes drops to the bench, while Peter Donnelly switches to full-back, to the exclusion of Joe McMahon.

The vacancies in attack are taken up by Martin Penrose and Colm McCullagh, who come into the central positions. Stephen O’Neill’s move to the left corner is one of four positional switches.

Tom Cahill replaces the injured Timmy Carroll at midfield on the Limerick team to meet table-toppers Donegal at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. The only other change from the side that lost to Tyrone last weekend sees Seanie Buckley taking over the left half forward position from Jason O’Brien.

Waterford have made four changes from the side that lost to Tipperary for tomorrow’s game with Meath at Navan with Justin Walsh, Eamonn Walsh, Liam Lawlor and Gary Hurney replacing Karl O’Keeffe, Stephen Cunningham, Maurice O’Gorman and Shane Briggs.

Wicklow have named the same team as beat Armagh last weekend for their final divisional league hurling game against Derry on Sunday.

Wayne Sherlock, an Allstar in 2004, is understood to have withdrawn from the Cork Senior hurling training panel last night, whether on a temporary or permanent basis is unclear.

It would indicate all is not well in the Leesiders’ camp with the backroom team already reeling from the defections last week of defender Killian Cronin and midfielder Mickey O’Connell.

LIMERICK (SH v Antrim): B. Murray; K. O’Rourke, S. Lucey, S. Hickey; P. Lawlor, B. Geary, W. Walsh; D. O’Grady, M. O’Brien; H. Flavin, O. Moran, B. Begley; A. O’Shaughnessy, S. O’Connor, B. Foley.

WATERFORD (SH v Offaly): F. Hennessy; T. Feeney, D. Prendergast, J. Murray; E. Murphy, K. McGrath, J. Kennedy; T. Browne, D. Bennett; J. Mullane, D. Shanahan, M. Walsh; S. Mullomphy, S. Prendergast, E. Kelly.

KERRY (SF v TYRONE): D.Murphy; M. O’Se, T. O’Sullivan, P. Reidy; T. O’Se, A. O’Mahony, (SF v Kerry): P. McConnell; R. McMenamin, P. Donnelly, D. Carlin; D. Harte, C. Gormley, J. McMahon; K. Hughes, E. McGinley; B. Dooher, M. Penrose, R. Mellon; N. Gormley, C. McCullagh, S. O’Neill.

WATERFORD (SF V Meath): P> Wall; J. Walsh, E. Walsh, T. O’Gorman; E. Rocket, L. Lawlor, P. Ogle; M. Ahern, J. Hurney; G. Hurney, G. Power, L. O’Ronayne; B. Wall, A. Hubbard, W. Hennessy.

WICKLOW (SF v Derry): T. Finn, E. O’Neill, G. Keogh, W. Collins; AN Other, J, Murphy, S. Kelly; D. Moran, J. O’Neill; J. Keogh, D. Hyland, A. Tiernan; E. Glynn, S. Furlong, W. O’Gorman.

OFFALY (SF v Monaghan): P. Kelly; G. Rafferty, J. Quinn, J. Keane; P. McConway, S. Sullivan, K. Slattery; A. McNamee N. Smith; T. Coughlan, N. Coughlan, C. McManus; T. Deehan, P. J. Ward, N. McNamee.

WESTMEATH (SF v Kildare): G. Connaughton; F. Boyle, M. Ennis, J. Keane; K. Gavin, D. O’Donoghue, D Heavin; M. Flanagan, D. O’Shaughnessy; F. Wilson, D. Dolan, D. Duffy; A. Mangan, J. Connellan, D. Glennon.

LIMERICK (SF v Donegal): S. Kiely; D. Carroll, J. McCarthy, S. Gallagher; P. Ahern, P. Browne, P. Ranahan; T. Cahill, J. Galvin; S. Lavin, J. Ryan, S. Buckley; J. Cooke, D. Horan, M. Reidy.

WEXFORD (SF Cavan): J. Cooper; C. Morris, P. Wallace, B. Malone; S. Sunderland, D. Murphy, A. Morrissey; P. Colfer, T. Howlin; C. Deely, R. Barry, E. Bradley; C. Lyng, P. J. Banville, M. Forde.