Carlow to start eight newcomers

OFFALY introduce two newcomers, while Carlow will have no fewer than eight debutantes when the counties meet in the Leinster SFC quarter-final at Portlaoise on Sunday.

For red-hot favourites Offaly, Niall Smith is drafted in at midfield, while former Westmeath player PJ Ward makes his debut for his newly-adopted county at full-forward.

Christy Bolger, Mark Nolan, Evan Doyle, James Hickey, Gary Morrissey, Kieran Nolan, Derek Heavin and Paul Reid will wear the Carlow colours at the top level for the first time.

Bolger is named at full-back, Nolan in the left corner of defence, Doyle at centre-back, with Hickey is on his left. Morrissey is at midfield, Nolan on the right flank of attack with Heavin at centre-forward and Reid at top of the right.

Both Antrim and Derry have stuck by the sides named for last Sunday’s rained-off Ulster SFC for Sunday’s re-fixture at Casement Park.

The Dublin team to play Wexford in the Leinster SHC semi-final in Nowlan Park on Saturday night includes four newcomers. Declan Qualter, Joey Boland, Ross O’Carroll and Padraig O’Driscoll have all been given starts by manager Tommy Naughton.

Galway native Qualter partners Boland at midfield, while O’Carroll and O’Driscoll, who saw action as a substitute in last year’s All-Ireland qualifiers against Limerick and Clare, are both named in attack.

Derek O’Reilly, had been a doubt due to a hamstring injury, but has been passed fit to play at right half back, while Stephen Hiney has recovered from a career-threatening eye injury to make his first championship appearance in two years.

John McCaffrey wasn’t considered after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury in last Wednesday’s Leinster U-21 championship clash with Kildare.

DUBLIN (SHC v Wexford): G. Maguire; P. Brennan, S. Hiney, T. Brady; M. Carton, R. Fallon, D. O’Reilly; D. Qualter, J. Boland; L. Ryan, R. O’Carroll, D. Curtin; J. Kelly, P. O’Driscoll, K. Flynn.

OFFALY (SFC v Carlow): P. Kelly; G. Rafferty, J. Quinn J. Keane; P. McConway, S. Brady, K. Slattery; A. McNamee (C) , N Smith; N. Coughlan, P. Kellaghan C. McManus; T. Deehan, PJ Ward, N. McNamee.

CARLOW (SFC v OFFALY): J. Clarke; J. Ryan, C. Bolger, M. Nolan; P. Cashin, E. Doyle, J. Hickey; G. Morrissey, M. Brennan; K. Nolan, D. Heavin, M. Carpenter; P. Reid, D. Byrne, B. Kelly.

ANTRIM (SFC v Derry):):S. McGreevey; T. Scullion, P. Doherty, A. Byrne; S. McVeigh, G. Bell, J. Crozier; M. McCann, J. Quinn; A. Gallagher, K. Niblock, J. Loughrey; C. McGourty, K. Brady, P. Cunningham.

DERRY (SFC v Antrim): B. Gillis; M. McGoldrick, K. McCloy, G. O’Kane; P. Cartin, S. M. Lockhart, C. McKeever; P. Doherty, J. Conway; J. McGoldrick, C. Gilligan, J. Diver; R. Wilkinson, E. Muldoon, M. Lynch.