Cork opt for newcomer Dillon at full back

GAELIC GAMES TEAM NEWS:CORK MANAGER Denis Walsh has named Eoin Dillon at full back on the team to face Galway in Sunday's NHL final in Thurles. Dillon comes in for the injured dual player Eoin Cadogan, who was the county's first-choice in the position over the past year.

The decision comes as a bit of a surprise, as speculation locally had been that Brian Murphy would move over from corner back.

Dillon, only on the county panel a matter of weeks, played in last weekend’s challenge match against Division Two finalists Wexford and obviously impressed the selectors, as he comes in for his first appearance of the campaign.

A former underage player, Dillon, from the Milford club, played at centrefield on the Cork side that won last year’s All-Ireland intermediate title, beating Kilkenny in the final. Another member of that team, Lorcán McLoughlin, is also named in Sunday’s starting line-up, on the wing.

Walsh has named only three of the players, who started in the shadow side that faced Galway in the regulation Division One match two weeks ago: Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Ben O’Connor and Michael Cussen.

Galway manager John McIntyre retains only two of the team that won that afternoon in Salthill although ankle injuries rule out Niall Healy, who scored 2-9 that day as well as Fergal Moore.

Regular centre back John Lee starts on the bench.

“John has had to miss a lot of training due to his medical exams,” explained McIntyre. The experienced Tony Regan, who came on for Lee against Cork, lines out instead and brings to five – together with corner backs Damien Joyce and Ollie Canning, David Collins and Damien Hayes the number of survivors from Galway’s last NHL success six years ago.

Wexford have been able to include Darren Stamp and Paul Roche, both returning from injury, for the Division Two final.

Stamp comes in to centre back with Ciarán Kenny moving to corner back. Paul Roche resumes in the other corner.

Noel Carton, the young Cloughbawn hurler, becomes the first post-Damien Fitzhenry goalkeeper to feature in a national final.

Clare delay naming their team until this evening pending a fitness test on James McInerney but it is expected that last year’s under-21 All-Ireland winner Darach Honan will be ready to play some part in the final having recovered from a hamstring injury.

Finally Dublin under-21 football manager Jim Gavin makes two changes to his side for tomorrow’s All-Ireland final with Donegal.

Mark Coughlan replaces Lucan’s David Quinn and Robert McCarthy comes in for Barry O’Rorke. Captain Johnny Cooper and Ted Furman, who had been carrying knocks, have been passed fit to play.

Ross O’Carroll only lasted 23 minutes, but Dublin footballers were far the superior team (5-15 to 0-22) in a challenge game with Antrim last night. The full-back had to come off in the first half holding his right leg, with Ross McConnell coming on to fill the spot in defence.

It made no difference to the outcome, as Dublin rattled the net five times to dispose of the Saffron’s challenge.

Pat Burke was the best half forward on show as he netted 2-2 and had a hand in another goal on a cool night in Cooley.

Dublin started with Barry Cahill and Denise Bastick in midfield, but it was their half forward line that excelled with Michael MacAuley claiming a lot of ball.

Goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton made an appearance late on in place of MacAuley.

Fresh from their National League success, Cork footballers will this Sunday (5.30) continue their preparation for the championship when they take on Limerick in a challenge game to mark the official opening of Clonakilty GAA’s new complex.

The match will mark the highpoint of the weekend for current Cork county champions, Clonakilty following the official opening of the €9,000,000 complex by GAA president, Christy Cooney at 1.30.

Located on a spacious 22-acre site two miles from town, the Clonakilty grounds and training facilities have already been used by the Dublin and Longford footballers while the Leitrim county team are also scheduled to arrive for a training weekend in the next few weeks.

CORK (NHL v Galway): D Cusack; S O'Neill, E Dillon, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, L McLoughlin; M Cussen, K Murphy, C Naughton; B O'Connor, A Ó hAilpín, P Horgan. Subs: M Coleman, S Murphy, M Walsh, R Ryan, W Egan, G Callanan, M O'Sullivan, J O'Connor, P O'Sullivan.

GALWAY: C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, O Canning; D Barry, T Regan, D Collins; G Farragher, D Burke; A Harte, C Donnellan, A Smith; D Hayes, J Canning, I Tannian.

WEXFORD (NHL v Clare): N Carton; P Roche, K Rossiter, C Kenny; R Kehoe, D Stamp, M Travers; H Kehoe, C Farrell; A Shore, E Quigley, D Lyng; R Jacob, S Banville, P Atkinson.

DUBLIN (Under-21 FC v Donegal): V Whelan; E Culligan, R O'Carroll, D Nelson; J Cooper (capt.), J McCarthy, N Devereux; S Murray, C Mullins; M Coughlan, T Furman, G Sweeney; R McCarthy, D Rock, C Dorney.