Counihan gives Sheehan and Canty the nod

INJURY concerns Graham Canty and Ciaran Sheehan were last night named in the Cork team for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Dublin, while manager Conor Counihan has also made three changes to his starting side.

Canty is selected to captain the side from his centre-back berth while Sheehan will play at full-forward. The alterations to the line-up from the quarter-final win over Roscommon see John Miskella drafted in at left corner-back, Alan O’Connor start at midfield and Donncha O’Connor named at left corner-forward. Jamie O’Sullivan, Derek Kavanagh and Colm O’Neill are the three to make way.

Given the doubts over the fitness of Canty and Sheehan in recent weeks, it remains to be seen if the side named last night takes to the field on Sunday. If Canty is unable to start due to his hamstring injury, it seems likely that dual star Eoin Cadogan is in prime position to come into the team in the full-back line, in a move that would probably see John Miskella released to the half-back line. Sheehan has responded well to treatment on his damaged knee and is one of three players set to make their All-Ireland senior semi-final debut with Paudie Kissane and Aidan Walsh the other newcomers to this last four stage.

Opponents Dublin yesterday announced their team with just the one change from the quarter-final victory over Tyrone, as Cian O’Sullivan replaces Barry Cahill at left half-back.

O’Sullivan’s summer has up until now been hamstrung, literally, by an injury picked up after just nine minutes against Wexford.

Dublin did benefit hugely from their unwanted diversion into the qualifiers, in their case after the loss to Meath, but the three-week halt in proceedings since the August Bank Holiday has been welcomed. A growing list of minor injuries and ailments has all but disappeared in the intervening time leading to Dublin boss Pat Gilroy making just the one change to his first 15.

Such consistency of selection must be envied in Cork where, for a variety of reasons, there is far more debate as to who will and will not make the side but Gilroy won’t be playing too any guessing games in that regard.

“When you get to this stage the focus is really about ourselves and you can’t really worry too much about individuals on other teams. You focus on what you are going to do as a team and maybe on what they are likely to do as a team,” he said.

“They have so many options and strong players that there is not a lot of difference between guys. They are similar-type players a lot of them so it doesn’t really make much difference.”

Gilroy’s response to Dublin’s progress in 2010 has been maintained in the build-up to this game. Trace a finger back through Dublin’s more notable victories this season — against Kerry in Killarney, Tyrone in Omagh and Croke Park — and they were all punctured to some extent by Gilroy’s ability to deflate the hype.

It was after the qualifier defeat of Armagh last month when he pointed out Dublin were still “no world-beaters” and he was sticking to the same dog-eared script yesterday ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

“You only have to look at our last three games in the qualifiers,” he said when asked if there was still room for improvement after their shock quarter-final defeat of Tyrone. “They are riddled with mistakes the whole time.”

Cathartic as the defeat of Mickey Harte’s side was, Gilroy was not blinded to the realities of a game which could have just as easily ended with the Ulster champions progressing instead.

Gilroy reckoned Dublin performed to no more than 70% of their potential that last day, but it would be difficult to quantify the leap they have made since their summer opener against Wexford when they were booed.

“When people get upset and they are expecting something they didn’t get, they are entitled to get upset. We hadn’t played well and people obviously expected us to do a lot better than that after the way we had played in the league but you just have to get on with it and move on.”

Cork and Dublin are no strangers and Gilroy is expecting a stern test.

“They have had so many matches where they were really dominant for short periods and then they let teams back at them a little bit but they have been very impressive in patches.

“You only have to look at the Cavan match where they were totally dominant. At times against Limerick they were really good and they got into a dominant position and they let it slip.

“Cork are a very strong team and the only team to beat them in the championship over the last few years is Kerry. There is a big game in Cork, for sure.”