Offaly call on captain

Offaly have included captain Karol Slattery in their side for Saturday's NFL Division 1A showdown with Dublin (Parnell Park, throw-in 7.45pm).

The Gracefield clubman will make his first appearance of the 2006 league after a period out with injury. Slattery replaces teenager Ross Connor in the Faithfuls defence - one of two changes from their loss to Mayo last time out.

The other switch sees Thomas Deehan make way for Athlone IT star James Coughlan, who lines out at right full-forward.

Pascal Kellaghan, who suffered double vision in the aftermath of a collision with Trevor Howley in the Mayo game, returned to training last week and starts at full-forward.

The Offaly side for Sunday includes three players - Kevin Lynam, Sean Casey and Niall McNamee - who started in the county Under-21s' Leinster championship defeat by Longford, two weeks ago.

OFFALY (NFL v Dublin) - P Kelly; K Lynam, S Casey, N Grennan; B Mooney, S Brady, K Slattery (capt); A McNamee, N Coughlan; J Reynolds, C McManus, L Mooney; J Coughlan, P Kellaghan, N McNamee.