Limerick draft in trio for epic third clash with Tipperary

LIMERICK have made three changes — one at midfield and two up front for next Sunday’s Munster SHC third semi-final clash with Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds.

Out go Peter Lawlor, Pat Tobin and Barry Foley as Mike Fitzgerald, Brian Begley and Sean O’Connor come in.

Fitzgerald is named at left-half forward, Begley dons the number 14 shirt with O’Connor taking over the left-corner forward position.

Damien Reale is restored to the right corner of defence with Stephen Lucey listed at full back. The half back line remains intact, but Mike O’Brien, who started at right-half forward last weekend at Semple Stadium, is now at midfield, taking over from Lawlor.

Switching wings in attack, Niall Moran is now on the right with Fitzgerald coming into the team on the left flank. Match-saving hero on the last occasion, Andrew O’Shaughnessy, moves from full forward to right-corner forward to the exclusion of Tobin. Begley is in at full forward, with O’Connor taking over the left-corner forward position from Barry Foley.

Galway introduce a new centre back for their Connacht SFC semi-final showdown with Leitrim at Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday. Diarmuid Blake replaces Niall Coyne in the pivotal defensive position.

Derry make two changes from the side that defeated Antrim for Sunday’s Ulster SFC semi-final clash with Monaghan at Casement Park.

Patsy Bradley replaces the injured Paul Cartin at right-half back while Paddy Bradley takes over the right-half forward position from Barry McGoldrick.

Noel Garvan is facing a race against time to be fit for Laois’s Leinster SFC semi-final with Wexford on Sunday week.

The St Joseph’s midfielder came down heavily on his ankle in training last week, suffering ligament and tendon damage. He is extremely doubtful for the Wexford game but if he does fail to make it, manager Liam Kearns has a ready-made replacement in Brendan Quigley.

The Under-21 star lined out at full-forward to limited effect in Laois’ quarter-final victory over Longford, before being relocated to his preferred midfield position in the second half.

Tom Kelly, who missed that Longford game with a groin strain, and Billy Sheehan (hamstring) will be available.

LIMERICK (SHC v Tipperary): B. Murray; D. Reale, S. Lucey, S. Hickey; M. O’Riordan, B. Geary, M. Foley; Mike O’Brien, D. O’Grady; N. Moran, O. Moran, M. Fitzgerald; A. O’Shaughnessy, B. Begley, S. O’Connor.

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

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

(GALWAY (MFC v Sligo): O. Higgins; K. Kelly, C. Forde, E. Glynn; T. Fahy, J. Burke, D. Reilly; J. Devane, P. Conroy; M. Martin, T. Walsh, O. O’Mahony; J. Burke, J. Ryan, D. Reddington.

LOUTH (MFC v Carlow): S. Connolly; G. Hoey, P. Nixon, D. Byrne; J. Clarke, P. Smith, R.J. O’Callaghan; B. Duffy, S. McCann; E. MacArdáil, R. Lenaghan, D. Mathews; N. Conlon, D. Maguire, K. Rogers.