Any word on the Offaly team for Saturday ?
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:50 am
I see Gooch is ok for Kerry....
Cooper gets starting spot after injury
COLM COOPER'S swift recovery has been rewarded with a starting place against Offaly in Saturday's televised Allianz NFL clash.
The Kerry ace was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury in last weekend's league opener against Cork.
But fears that he could be laid up for a long spell were allayed earlier in the week and Jack O'Connor was happy to name him in his team last night.
Cooper was thought to have done damage to his hip, but it transpired to be no more than bruising and his availability will boost the reigning league and All-Ireland champions who need to win this weekend to have a realistic chance of retaining their title.
There are seasonal recalls for both Willie Kirby and Paul Galvin who did not start the Cork game.
Galvin comes in for Noel Kennelly at right half-forward, with Kirby resuming his midfield partnership with Darragh Ó Sé as the towering Micheal Quirke loses out.
O'Connor has kept faith in a Kerry defence that leaked scores badly in the closing 20 minutes against Cork.
Mike Frank Russell is still out of action after a minor facial operation, but Tom O'Sullivan has been included among the substitutes.
Meanwhile, Trevor Mortimer has answered an SOS call from Mayo manager John Maughan to return home for Sunday's key Division 1A match against Donegal in Ballina.
Mortimer, who is based in Leeds where is studying at the local university, was not expected to feature much for Mayo in the league because of important exams.
But the Shrule-Glencorrib man has agreed to return for the Donegal game as the Connacht champions seek their first league points.
Mortimer hasn't been given a starting place, but can expect to see some action as Maughan looks to add badly required power to his full-forward line.
Maughan has not bothered to name David Brady on the team this week and Ronan McGarrity is also missing, but there is a Ballina player selected as David Clarke takes over in goals from Fintan Ruddy.
Clarke's selection so close to Ballina's AIB All-Ireland club semi-final against Munster champions Kilmurray-Ibrickane constitutes a risk.
With Peter Burke unavailable for the foreseeable future, Clarke will be anxious to put pressure on Ruddy who looks like the number one choice at the moment.
David Heaney has been ruled out with a dead leg he sustained early in the second half of last Saturday's thrilling match with Dublin.
Heaney was replaced by Keith Higgins from Ballyhaunis and Higgins is retained at corner-back, with Pat Kelly moving into Heaney's regular position.
Maughan expressed himself dissatisfied with the performance of his midfield after last weekend's game and Billy Joe Padden, who came on as a substitute, has been retained.
James Gill, who bore the brunt of Maughan's criticism in that department, moves into the half-forward line as Andy Moran loses out.
Another U21 player from last year, Damien Munnelly, has also been dropped as Alan Dillon returns after a groin injury to take his place at full-forward.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has no major injury worries as he prepares to sit down tonight to finalise his team for the visit of Dublin.
What is concerning Harte however is the persistent talk of a rift between himself and Peter Canavan who announced last week that he was withdrawing from the squad for the league.
Harte has once moved to quell those rumours by insisting that there is no rift with his former captain and that the decision was taken with complete harmony.
Cavan, meanwhile, have left a vacancy at corner-back for their Division 2B clash with Wicklow as they await a fitness report on Keith Fannin who was taken off in last weekend's away win over Tipperary.
TG4 will show four matches this weekend, starting with the AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final between Athenry and Toomevara on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Kerry and Offaly Allianz NFL tie in Tralee. Armagh and Galway in Crossmaglen is the main attraction on Sunday followed by deferred coverage of Tyrone and Dublin in Omagh.
KERRY (SF v Offaly) - D Murphy; M Ó Sé, A O'Malley, M Lyons; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; D Ó Sé, W Kirby; P Galvin, E Brosnan, P Kelly; D Quill, R O'Connor, C Cooper. Subs: K Cremin, T O'Sullivan, B Guiney, M Quirke, N Kennelly, K Donaghy, D Doona, L Hassett, B Sheehan.
MAYO (SF v Donegal) - D Clarke; K Higgins, P Kelly, L O'Malley; G Mullins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; B J Padden, J Kilcullen; J Gill, C McDonald, A Kilcoyne; C Mortimer, A Dillon, J Prenty
CAVAN (SF v Wicklow) - J Reilly; M Hannon, C Hannon, AN Other; Paul Brady, P Reilly, A Gaynor; Patrick Brady, P McKenna; M McKeever, M Lyng, S Brady; S Johnson, J Reilly, A Forde.
Cooper gets starting spot after injury
COLM COOPER'S swift recovery has been rewarded with a starting place against Offaly in Saturday's televised Allianz NFL clash.
The Kerry ace was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury in last weekend's league opener against Cork.
But fears that he could be laid up for a long spell were allayed earlier in the week and Jack O'Connor was happy to name him in his team last night.
Cooper was thought to have done damage to his hip, but it transpired to be no more than bruising and his availability will boost the reigning league and All-Ireland champions who need to win this weekend to have a realistic chance of retaining their title.
There are seasonal recalls for both Willie Kirby and Paul Galvin who did not start the Cork game.
Galvin comes in for Noel Kennelly at right half-forward, with Kirby resuming his midfield partnership with Darragh Ó Sé as the towering Micheal Quirke loses out.
O'Connor has kept faith in a Kerry defence that leaked scores badly in the closing 20 minutes against Cork.
Mike Frank Russell is still out of action after a minor facial operation, but Tom O'Sullivan has been included among the substitutes.
Meanwhile, Trevor Mortimer has answered an SOS call from Mayo manager John Maughan to return home for Sunday's key Division 1A match against Donegal in Ballina.
Mortimer, who is based in Leeds where is studying at the local university, was not expected to feature much for Mayo in the league because of important exams.
But the Shrule-Glencorrib man has agreed to return for the Donegal game as the Connacht champions seek their first league points.
Mortimer hasn't been given a starting place, but can expect to see some action as Maughan looks to add badly required power to his full-forward line.
Maughan has not bothered to name David Brady on the team this week and Ronan McGarrity is also missing, but there is a Ballina player selected as David Clarke takes over in goals from Fintan Ruddy.
Clarke's selection so close to Ballina's AIB All-Ireland club semi-final against Munster champions Kilmurray-Ibrickane constitutes a risk.
With Peter Burke unavailable for the foreseeable future, Clarke will be anxious to put pressure on Ruddy who looks like the number one choice at the moment.
David Heaney has been ruled out with a dead leg he sustained early in the second half of last Saturday's thrilling match with Dublin.
Heaney was replaced by Keith Higgins from Ballyhaunis and Higgins is retained at corner-back, with Pat Kelly moving into Heaney's regular position.
Maughan expressed himself dissatisfied with the performance of his midfield after last weekend's game and Billy Joe Padden, who came on as a substitute, has been retained.
James Gill, who bore the brunt of Maughan's criticism in that department, moves into the half-forward line as Andy Moran loses out.
Another U21 player from last year, Damien Munnelly, has also been dropped as Alan Dillon returns after a groin injury to take his place at full-forward.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has no major injury worries as he prepares to sit down tonight to finalise his team for the visit of Dublin.
What is concerning Harte however is the persistent talk of a rift between himself and Peter Canavan who announced last week that he was withdrawing from the squad for the league.
Harte has once moved to quell those rumours by insisting that there is no rift with his former captain and that the decision was taken with complete harmony.
Cavan, meanwhile, have left a vacancy at corner-back for their Division 2B clash with Wicklow as they await a fitness report on Keith Fannin who was taken off in last weekend's away win over Tipperary.
TG4 will show four matches this weekend, starting with the AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final between Athenry and Toomevara on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Kerry and Offaly Allianz NFL tie in Tralee. Armagh and Galway in Crossmaglen is the main attraction on Sunday followed by deferred coverage of Tyrone and Dublin in Omagh.
KERRY (SF v Offaly) - D Murphy; M Ó Sé, A O'Malley, M Lyons; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; D Ó Sé, W Kirby; P Galvin, E Brosnan, P Kelly; D Quill, R O'Connor, C Cooper. Subs: K Cremin, T O'Sullivan, B Guiney, M Quirke, N Kennelly, K Donaghy, D Doona, L Hassett, B Sheehan.
MAYO (SF v Donegal) - D Clarke; K Higgins, P Kelly, L O'Malley; G Mullins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; B J Padden, J Kilcullen; J Gill, C McDonald, A Kilcoyne; C Mortimer, A Dillon, J Prenty
CAVAN (SF v Wicklow) - J Reilly; M Hannon, C Hannon, AN Other; Paul Brady, P Reilly, A Gaynor; Patrick Brady, P McKenna; M McKeever, M Lyng, S Brady; S Johnson, J Reilly, A Forde.