Cork's Joyce to make championship debut

Na Piarsaigh youngster Christopher Joyce will get his first taste of Senior Championship hurling when he starts for Cork against Offaly on Saturday.

Joyce has been handed the centre-back role by Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy, replacing Eoin Cadogan who is due to play for the county's footballers in Sunday's Munster SFC final against Clare.

For his side's All-Ireland SHC second phase qualifier clash at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Barry-Murphy has made just two changes in personnel.

The 20-year-old Joyce joins Tom Kenny and William Egan in the Rebels' half-back line. Up front Cian McCarthy, who pointed as a second half substitute against Tipperary, gets the nod at centre forward as Cathal Naughton drops to the bench.

Pa Cronin moves to the left wing with the hosts also able to call upon the experienced Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and John Gardiner as substitutes.

Cork and Offaly are meeting for the fourth time in the qualifiers in six seasons with the men from Munster having won the previous three encounters.

Cork won by 13 points in 2009 and by 19 points two years earlier but Offaly came much closer last year, losing by 2-17 to 2-16 on a day when current captain Pat Horgan landed 0-10 for the Rebels.

CORK (SHC v Offaly): Anthony Nash; Shane O'Neill, Brian Murphy, Conor O'Sullivan; Tom Kenny, Christopher Joyce, William Egan; Darren Sweetnam, Lorcan McLoughlin; Conor Lehane, Cian McCarthy, Pa Cronin; Jamie Coughlan, Paudie O'Sullivan, Pat Horgan (capt).

Substitutes: Darren McCarthy, Stephen McDonnell, Damien Cahalane, Kilian Murphy, Eoin Cadogan, Daniel Kearney, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, John Gardiner, Cathal Naughton, Luke O'Farrell, Stephen Moylan.