Mortimer set for first start of the season

TREVOR MORTIMER makes his first start of the season as Mayo take on Galway in the Connacht SFC semi-final at Pearse Stadium, Salthill on Sunday.

Mortimer, who missed the entire League because of injury, is selected at centre forward with Aidan Kilcoyne dropping to the bench.

Regular goalkeeper Kenneth O’Neill, who missed the concluding games of the League because of a broken thumb, is fully fit again and takes over from his deputy David Clarke.

Galway have given a call up to 22-year-old Cormac Bane. He is named at left corner forward and is the Tribesmen’s only championship debutant.

Meanwhile the playmaking role of crocked Tyrone star Brian McGuigan has been handed to his brother Tommy for Sunday’s Ulster SFC opener against Fermanagh at Clones.

The famous number 11 jersey will be worn by the younger sibling of the McGuigan clan, who is one of four championship debutants in the Red Hand side.

Three of the four are in fact younger brothers of established stars Justin McMahon at wing back and full forward Colm Cavanagh.

The fourth newcomer is corner forward Niall Gormley, who turned in a couple of sparkling performances in the latter stages of a disappointing league campaign.

Manager Mickey Harte has been forced to plan without nine players who are currently injured — Stephen O’Neill, Brian McGuigan, Enda McGinley, Mickey McGee, Owen Mulligan, Joe McMahon, Martin Penrose, Raymond Mulgrew and Kelvin Hughes.

Mulligan and McGinley have, however, made the bench for the St Tiernach’s Park eliminator.

Cormac McGinley has recovered from injury to resume at full-back, as has midfielder Sean Cavanagh, while John Devine is preferred to Pascal McConnell in goal.

Opponents Fermanagh introduce one newcomer in the person of Damien Kelly who is named at right half forward.

As expected following their heroics at Breffni Park last weekend Down have named an unchanged side for their Ulster SFC first round replay with Cavan at Newry on Sunday.

GALWAY (SFC v Mayo): P. Doherty; K. Fitzgerald, F. Hanley, D. Burke; D. Meehan, N. Coyne, M. Comer; N. Coleman, J. Bergin; D. Savage, J. Fallon, N. Joyce; M. Meehan, P. Joyce, C. Bane.

MAYO (SFC v Galway): K. O’Malley; L. O’Malley, B. J. Padden, K. Higgins; E. Devanney, J. Nallon, P. Gardiner; D. Heaney, P. Harte; G. Brady, T. Mortimer, A. Dillon; C. Mortimer, K. O’Neill, A. Moran.

TYRONE (SFC v Fermanagh): J. Devine; R. McMenamin, C. McGinley, D. Carlin; D. Harte, C. Gormley, J. McMahon; K. Hughes, S. Cavanagh; B. Dooher, T. McGuigan, R. Mellon; N. Gormley, C. Cavanagh, C. McCullagh.

DOWN (SFC v Cavan): M. McVeigh; D. McCartan, D. Rooney, K. McGuigan; R. Murtagh, B. Grant, J. Clarke; D. Gordan, J. Lynch; J. McGovern, A. Carr, R. Sexton; D. Hughes, P. Downey, B. Coulter.

FERMANAGH (SFC v Tyrone): C Breen, S Goan, B Owens, M Bogue, S Lyons, S McDermott, T McIlroy, M McGrath, M Murphy, M Little, T Brewster, E Maguire, C McIlroy, C O’Reilly, C Bradley.