Injury forces Kerry to hold Galvin in reserve

FOOTBALLER of the year Paul Galvin has missed out on a place in the Kerry starting 15 for Sunday’s Munster SFC semi-final against Cork in Fitzgerald Stadium due to an ankle injury.

Galvin suffered the problem in training recently and drops to the bench for Sunday’s game with last year’s All-Ireland winning captain Darran O’Sullivan coming into the side at right half-forward. That’s the only change made by Kerry boss Jack O’Connor from the team that defeated Tipperary in last month’s quarter-final tie with Mike McCarthy and Kieran Donaghy both fully fit to play after recent injury scares

Cork’s starting 15 carries a greater number of talking points with manager Conor Counihan making three changes in personnel from the league final victory over Mayo in April and also handing out two championship debuts.

The experienced trio of Alan Quirke, Graham Canty and Pearse O’Neill all come back into the side following recent injury problems.

Quirke starts in goal, Canty is stationed at the edge of the square where he will aim to curb Kieran Donaghy’s influence and O’Neill is named at right half-forward.

Paddy O’Shea, Eoin Cotter and Fintan Goold are the three players to make way, with Eoin Cadogan and Colm O’Neill also unable to force their way into the reckoning from the start.

Canty’s return sees a positional change in defence with Jamie O’Sullivan moving to left corner-back. O’Sullivan makes his senior championship debut as does full-forward Ciaran Sheehan while midfielder Aidan Walsh plays from the start for the first time in senior championship. Both teams line-ups have been significantly altered since their last championship meeting in last September’s All-Ireland decider. Kerry have 11 survivors from that game while Cork have 10.

Waterford manager John Owens has made just the one change for their Munster SFC semi-final against Limerick on Sunday afternoon from the team that defeated Clare at the quarter-final stage. Injury forces Patrick Hurney out of the attack with Robert Ahearne coming into the team in his place at full-forward.

Armagh manager Paddy O’Rourke has been forced into one switch for their Ulster SFC quarter-final against Monaghan in Casement Park on Sunday. James Lavery is ruled out through injury, Vincent Martin comes into the team at left corner-back and Charlie Vernon moves to his favoured position at midfield.

Kildare boss Kieran McGeeney has opted to hold All Star midfielder Dermot Earley in reserve as he names two championship debutantes in his starting 15 for tomorrow night’s Leinster SFC quarter-final against Louth in Navan.

Earley has been suffering from knee trouble since picking up the problem in training in March, but despite featuring in recent challenge games he is not named in the side to face Louth. Instead the midfield positions are to be filled by Moorefield pair Daryl Flynn and David Whyte, with Whyte making his championship debut after playing regularly during the league campaign. The other newcomer is Allenwood’s Shane McCormack in goal while the 39 year-old Anthony Rainbow is named amongst the substitutes.

There are four championship debutants in the Westmeath side for Sunday’s Leinster SFC quarter-final against Wicklow. John Gaffey is named at left corner-back, Kieran Martin starts at centre-back, former Connacht rugby player Alan Gaughan will play at left half-forward and dual player Paul Greville is in at right corner-forward. Denis Glennon returns to the team at left corner-forward with Martin Flanagan named alongside him at full-forward but Dessie Dolan is unable to make the starting 15 and is included amongst the substitutes.

Sligo manager Kevin Walsh has included two newcomers to championship football in his team for tomorrow evening’s Connacht SFC quarter-final against Mayo in Markievicz Park. Right half-back Keelan Cawley and right corner-forward Colm McGee both get the nod to start after impressive league campaigns. Walsh also welcomes back former All Star Eamonn O’Hara into the starting line-up in one of two changes from the team that defeated Antrim in the NFL Division 3 decider in April.

O’Hara replaces Francis Quinn at left half-forward while the other personnel alteration sees Brendan Phillips in for Michael Quinn at centre-back.

Forwards Adrian Marren and Stephen Coen have to be content with places on the bench.

Laois have made two changes for Sunday’s Leinster SHC quarter-final against Dublin from the preliminary round win over Carlow. Conor Dunne comes into the team at midfield in place of the suspended Eoin Costello, while Neil Foyle replaces Colin Delaney in attack.

KERRY (SF v Cork): B Kealy; M O’Sé, T Griffin, T O’Sullivan; T O’Sé, M McCarthy, K Young; S Scanlon, M Quirke; Darran O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper, K Donaghy, B Sheehan. Subs: D Hennessy, P Reidy, P Galvin, A Maher, A O’Connell, K O’Leary, BJ Keane, N O’Mahony, P Corridan, D Moran, D Bohane, P O’Connor, J Buckley, J Lyne, J O’Donoghue.

CORK (SF v Kerry): A Quirke; R Carey, G Canty, J O’Sullivan; N O’Leary, M Shields, P Kissane; A O’Connor, A Walsh; P O’Neill, D O’Connor, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, P Kerrigan.

Subs: P O’Shea, E Cadogan, E Cotter, F Goold, J Hayes, D Kavanagh, F Lynch, K McMahon, J Miskella, K O’Connor, C O’Driscoll, P O’Flynn, C O’Neill, B O’Regan, G Spillane.

WATERFORD (SF v Limerick): T Wall; K Connery, T O’Gorman, M O’Gorman; T Grey, S Briggs, E Walsh; M Ahearne, T Prendergast; W Hennessy, C McGrath, B Wall; G Hurney, R Ahearne, L O’Lionáin.

ARMAGH (SF v Monaghan): P Hearty; A Mallon, B Donaghy, V Martin; P Duffy, C McKeever F Moriarty; C Vernon, K Toner; M Mackin, A Kernan, G Swift; B Mallon, S McDonnell, R Henderson.

KILDARE (SF v Louth): S McCormack; H McGrillen, G White, E Bolton; K Cribbin, B Flanagan, M O’Flaherty; D Flynn, D Whyte; R Sweeney, J Doyle, J Kavanagh; A Smith, P O’Neill, E Callaghan.

WESTMEATH (SF v Wicklow): G Connaughton; F Boyle, D O’Donoghue, J Gaffey; M Ennis, K Martin, D Harte; D Duffy; J Smyth, C Lynam, A Gaughan; P Greville, M Flanagan, D Glennon. Subs: D Quinn, K Maguire, D Healy, D Dolan, F Wilson, L Smyth, I Coffey, G Egan, T Warburton, G Flanagan, D McDermott, G Glennon, P Sharry, M Dalton, J Durkan.

SLIGO (SF v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, N McGuire, R Donovan; K Cawley, B Phillips, J Davey; T Taylor, S Gilmartin; M Brehony, A Costello, E O’Hara; C McGee, K Sweeney, D Kelly.

LAOIS (SH v Dublin): E Reilly; J A Delaney, D Maher, C Healy; B Campion, M Whelan, M McEvoy; C Dunne, J Walsh; J Fitzpatrick, Z Keenan, W Hyland; T Fitzgerald, N Foyle, J Brophy.

KERRY (SH v Wicklow): B Rochford; C Harris, T Murnane, A Keane; J Godley, L Boyle, J Fitzgerald; M Conway, J Griffin; J Egan, M Boyle, D O’Connell; JM Dooley, G O’Brien, S Nolan. Subs: JB O’Halloran, B O’Leary, A Healy, C Harty, J Flaherty, E Sheehy, R Kenny, J McCarthy, S Young, N Young, D Fitzelle, S Brick, J Casey, P Monson, S Maunsell.

WESTMEATH (SH v Kildare): P Burke; R Whelan, A Price, O Price; J Shaw, A Mitchell, D McCormack; L Smyth, J Clarke; E Loughlin, B Murtagh, S Bardon; A Dermody, B Leharte, D Carthy.