Cooper, O Sé and Walsh return for Kingdom
Kerry have not named an unchanged team in back-to-back games all summer, and once more Jack O’Connor has been forced into making changes, dropping Aidan O’Mahony, Tadhg Kennelly and Sean O’Sullivan to the subs bench.
The changes were signposted in last weekend’s unimpressive win over Antrim, when all three were substituted.
The return of Cooper and O Sé was always a given, when, despite being benched for a breach of discipline ahead of the Antrim game, they were introduced last Sunday in Tullamore.
Walsh, who has been in an out of the team all summer, also impressed after coming on, with his shot forcing the save that set up Paul Galvin for Kerry’s winning goal.
In all, 10 of the team that started against Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final two years ago will line out on Monday.
The five exceptions are Tommy Griffin, Michael McCarthy, Donnacha Walsh, Tommy Walsh and Darran O’Sullivan, taking the place of Pádraig Reidy, Aidan O’Mahony, Bryan Sheehan (all subs), Kieran Donaghy (injured) and Eoin Brosnan (no longer involved).
Kildare’s hopes of dethroning All-Ireland champions Tyrone have been dealt a massive blow with the news that playmaker Mikey Conway has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Conway had an MRI scan on his right knee yesterday that revealed he had suffered cruciate ligament damage for the second time in his career.
The Nurney man has been troubled during the championship by ligament trouble to his left knee, in which he tore the cruciate back in 2005.
In other injury news, Eamonn Callaghan’s fitness continues to be monitored as he struggles with a groin problem that ruled him out of the Leinster final. He did make a point-scoring cameo appearance in that game but failed to train in the fortnight between that game and the Wicklow tie.
Meanwhile Dermot Earley is relishing Sunday’s return to Croke Park for the first time since their Leinster final defeat to Dublin. Kieran McGeeney and Paul Grimley will bring a treasure chest of personal experience to the table against Tyrone but it is on the shoulders of Earley and his colleagues that the county’s hope will ultimately live or die.
Earley has himself been in superb form this summer and Kildare in general, though far from perfect, carry the air of a team gaining in momentum.
“We were tested in a good few of the games, especially the Dublin game. The positive was that even after the bad start that we gave them, the 1-3, we knuckled down and came right back and actually took the lead.”
“I think we have improved since the Dublin game and we will learn from Wicklow. We let them in again for two soft goals and you can’t really be doing that at this level. Hopefully we won’t let them in for any goals on Sunday.”
Meanwhile Earley has questioned claims that Kieran Donaghy could play some part in Kerry’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin, three weeks after suffering an injury to the same metatarsal bone that sidelined him for two months earlier this year.
Donaghy was moving freely about the pitch and dressing room areas in Tullamore last Sunday but such injuries are notoriously difficult to shed completely, as Earley knows.
“I broke both fifth metatarsals twice,” said Earley.
“I’d be surprised to be honest if he plays (against Dublin) but maybe he has super healing. He is a star. It took me, both years, it was nine months. I lost two years really. I don’t know exactly if it’s the same injury but it’s one of those injuries.
“I remember the consultant said 70% of these don’t heal correctly the first time. It’s unfortunate. Generally, it requires an operation and requires a screw in it.
Meanwhile Limerick look set to name their team to face Meath for Saturday’s round four qualifier after training tonight. Captain Seanie Buckley is their chief injury concern.
KERRY (v Dublin): D Murphy; M O Sé, T Griffin, T O’Sullivan; T O Sé, M McCarthy, K Young; D O Sé, S Scanlon; P Galvin, Declan O’Sullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper, T Walsh, Darran O’Sullivan.
Subs: G Reidy, A O’Mahony, T Kennelly, S O’Sullivan, M Quirke, P O’Connor, P Reidy, A O’Shea, B Sheehan, D Moran, D Bohan, BJ Walsh, K Quirke, M Corridan, A Maher.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
