Saffron selects three debutants

Kevin O'Boyle, Justin Crozier and James Loughrey will make their championship bows for Antrim in Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Derry (Casement Park, throw-in 4.15pm).

Antrim come into the championship off the back of a poor league campaign - they lost five of their seven games in Division 2B - but manager Jody Gormley reckons, as underdogs, they are well placed to spring a surprise.

"Derry are in a no-win situation. If they beat us people are going to say 'so what?' They beat Tyrone last year but have failed to move on from that," Gormley said.

"(Despite our league defeats) it has been encouraging. The boys fought to the end of matches, particularly against Meath and Cavan. I don't think we are all that far away."

Gormley has made a total of ten changes to the Saffrons side that beat Tipperary 2-15 to 0-11 in their last league game on April 8. Kevin Niblock and CJ McGourty are the only survivors in attack.

Goalkeeper Sean McGreevey will make his first championship start for two years, after regaining the number 1 jersey during the league.

Sunday's game is the first Ulster championship clash between Antrim and Derry since 2002. The Saffrons, who have not with their provincial title since 1951, have lost four and drawn one of their last five SFC encounters with Derry.

Sunday's winners will move on to play Down or Monaghan in a June 24 semi-final.

ANTRIM (SFC v Derry) - S McGreevey; T Scullion, P Doherty, K O'Boyle; S McVeigh, G Bell, J Crozier; J Quinn, M McCann; A Gallagher, K Niblock, J Loughrey; CJ McGourty, K Brady, P Cunningham.