Brosnan back to bolster Kerry defence

EOIN Brosnan will make his first appearance in championship football since the 2009 Munster semi-final replay, in next Sunday’s provincial quarter-final against Tipperary after being named at centre-back in the Kingdom starting fifteen last night.

Manager Jack O’Connor has selected the Dr Crokes player in one of four changes from the team that lost out to Down in last July’s All-Ireland quarter-final. Brosnan replaces the retired Mike McCarthy, while Tomás Ó Sé, who missed that Down match through suspension, returns instead of Tommy Griffin.

There is a new midfield partnership in Anthony Maher and Brian Sheehan with Kieran O’Leary drafted in at corner-forward. Seamus Scanlon and Micheal Quirke are named amongst the substitutes while Paul Galvin who has battled a hamstring injury recently is also set to start on the bench.

Meanwhile Clare manager Micheál McDermott wouldn’t settle for a moral victory when his side face All-Ireland champions.

The bookmakers have McDermott’s men as 14/1 outsiders against Conor Counihan’s men (1/100) but the Banner boss would love to produce the upset of the summer down in Páirc Ui Chaoimh.

McDermott insisted: “When you go into championship football it’s all about winning. We are not going down to Cork for moral victories, we are not going down to keep within a couple of points of Cork and maybe have a run in the qualifiers after that. We are going down to Cork with the intention of winning the game

“Drawing Cork in the championship is the short straw but we are still going down believing we can win against the All-Ireland champions.”

Meanwhile Tyrone attacker Enda McGinley has been ruled out of the Ulster Football Championship opener against Monaghan on June 5.

Derry captain Barry McGoldrick is a major injury concern for Sunday’s Ulster SFC clash with Fermanagh at Celtic Park. The Coleraine defender is struggling with a groin problem and missed an in-house challenge game on Sunday.

However, there was some good news for the Oak Leafers with Joe Diver and Niall Holly both being declared fit for the Fermanagh game.

KERRY (SF v Tipperary): B Kealy; K Young, M Ó’Sé, T O’Sullivan; T Ó’Sé, E Brosnan, A O’Mahony; A Maher, B Sheehan; Darran O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper, K Donaghy, K O’Leary. Subs: T Mac an tSaoir, S Scanlon, P Galvin, BJ Keane, M Quirke, P Reidy, D Bohane, S Enright, D Geaney, A O’Connell, N O’Mahony.

LEITRIM (SF v Sligo): C McCrann; D Reynolds, R Gallagher, P Maguire; B Prior, G Reynolds, W McKeon; T Beirne, D Lowe; P Brennan, E Mulligan, R Lowe; A Croal, C Beirne, J Glancy.

Subs: P Farrelly, B McWeeney, D Beck, J Glancy, J McKeon, D Sweeney, B McDonald, C Kelly, C Clarke, C Sheridan, F Clancy.

LAOIS (SF v Longford): E Culleton; C Healy, K Meaney, M Timmons; D Strong, S Julian, P O’Leary; C Begley, B Quigley, D Carroll, J O’Loughlin, N Donoher; R Munnelly, B Sheehan, MJ Tierney.

SLIGO (SF v Leitrim): P Greene; C Harrison, R Donnellan, N Ewing; P McGovern, B Curran, D Rooney; S Gilmartin, T Taylor; A Costello, E O’Hara, F Quinn; S Coen, K Sweeney, A Marren.