Cork start back with just four changes

Cork's first competitive team since the resolution of the recent bitter dispute in the county has been announced by new football manager Conor Counihan. It shows just four changes from the side that lost heavily in last year's All-Ireland final to Kerry.

Coming into the side to face Roscommon in the National Football League Division Two tie at Kiltoom on Sunday are Diarmuid Duggan at corner back, wing back Anthony Lynch who was injured last September, Alan O'Connor at centrefield and Daniel Goulding whose omission from the final 15 became something of a controversy in the aftermath.

Missing out are Michael Shields, who has since signed for AFL club Carlton in Melbourne, Nemo Rangers pair Derek Kavanagh and James Masters ahead of next month's All-Ireland club final and Conor McCarthy.

It has also been announced that Graham Canty will captain the Cork footballers this year. A current All Star and a former captain of Ireland in the 2003 International Rules series, the Bantry Blues player is one of the most respected defenders in the game.

According to Counihan, he had a full pick apart from the Nemo players, Fintan Goold and Kevin O'Sullivan. The team won a challenge match against Wexford last weekend but they have already conceded the points from their opening two matches to Meath and Dublin.

Roscommon manager John Maughan has made clear his unhappiness at the awarding of the points in respect of those opening matches.

"I thought it was a flawed decision," he said, "because it was taken partly on the basis that the calendar wouldn't be able to accommodate the refixtures but they've set up a potential logjam because scoring difference won't count in the division and play-offs will probably be needed.

"If it had been anyone else, Westmeath, Roscommon or Cavan, I'm not sure we would have got the points."

Meanwhile Kerry manager Pat O'Shea has made four changes from the team that beat Tyrone for tomorrow's big Division One match against Derry. Goalkeeper Kieran Cremin comes in for his first run of the season, as O'Shea gives him an outing and rests Diarmuid Murphy.

Killian Young is also rested, partly with an eye on the upcoming under-21 championship, whereas Paul O'Connor comes in for the injured Declan O'Sullivan with Bryan Sheehan switching to centre forward. Darren O'Sullivan is selected at wing forward in place of David Moran.

Tyrone manger Mickey Harte has made four changes for Sunday's league clash with Galway, Ryan McMenamin makes his first appearance of the season, while Sean Cavanagh will make his first start as the team's injury crisis begins to ease. Goalkeeper Jonathan Curran is a league debutant and Ryan Mellon comes into attack.

In the latest 'strike' controversy to hit the GAA, Offaly referees have voted to withdraw their services this weekend. A referees' meeting on Wednesday night resulted in a decision to pull out of county football league matches this weekend.

This follows a recent controversy after a referee - Mick Mahon of Shannonbridge - was struck while taking charge of an Offaly under-21 hurling championship match. The team at the centre of the controversy - St Mary's, an amalgamation of Ballyskenagh and Shinrone - were banned from the under-21 championship for two years. However, referees were angry when a decision was taken in recent weeks to lift the ban on St Mary's. County board officials were unavailable for comment last night.

CORK (SF v Roscommon): A Quirke; K O'Connor, G Canty (capt.), D Duggan; N O'Leary, G Spillane, A Lynch; N Murphy, A O'Connor; J Miskella, P O'Neill, K McMahon; D Goulding, M Cussen, D O'Connor.

KERRY (SF v Derry): K Cremin; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, D Bohane; S Scanlon, T Griffin; Darren O'Sullivan, B Sheehan, S O'Sullivan; K O'Leary, K Donaghy, P O'Connor.

TYRONE (SF v Galway): J Curran; PJ Quinn, C Gormley, M Swift; D Harte, D Carlin, R McMenamin; K Hughes, E McGinley; R Mellon, R Mulgrew, S Cavanagh; T McGuigan, C McCullagh, O Mulligan.

CAVAN (SF v Dublin): J Reilly; M Hannon, P Reilly, K Fannin; A Forde, R Flanagan, D Sheridan; D McCabe, M McKeever (capt.); M Reilly, M Lyng, R Donohoe; J O'Reilly, S Brady, S Johnston.

ROSCOMMON (SF v Cork): G Claffey; P O'Connor, A McDermott, A Murtagh; D O'Gara, E Kenny, S McDermott; K Mannion, M O'Carroll; G Cox, F Dolan, C Cregg; G Heneghan, J Dunning, S Kilbride.

LONGFORD (SF v Fermanagh): D Sheridan; D Brady, D Masterson, D Reilly; S Mulligan, A O'Connor, N Farrell; L Keenan (capt.), E Farrell; D Barden, P Barden, P Dowd; B Kavanagh, D Farrell, F McGee.