Tompkins makes changes

Cork have selected three championship debutants for Sunday's Munster football semi-final with Kerry in Killarney. Sean Levis and Alan Cronin have both been handed their big chance by manager Larry Tompkins and start at wing back and wing forward respectively, writes Ian O'Riordan

Corner forward Diarmuid O'Sullivan has made many previous appearances for Cork's hurlers, but the dual player now gets his first championship start for the footballers. Having performed with consistent threat throughout the league, the only surprise is his positioning as he was expected to line out at full forward.

Instead Colin Corkery once again leads the attack, with Fionan Murray to his other side. The rest of the forward line is notable only because of the absentees, including names like Joe Kavanagh, Philip Clifford and Conrad Murphy.

Murphy is the man to lose out by Cronin's positioning at left half forward. Kavanagh and Clifford also started against Kerry in the Munster final a year ago, but instead Martin Cronin, older brother of Alan, completes the forward line along with Brendan Jer O'Sullivan.

The back line also shows some change from a year ago. Only Anthony Lynch at corner back holds the same position, with Ciaran O'Sullivan now holding the full back berth and Micheal O'Donovan among those to lose out in the reshuffle.

Opponents Kerry have made just the minimum of changes from the team that beat Limerick in the first round on May 12th. Though originally listed to start, team captain Darragh Ó Sé was sidelined with a hand injury and so Eoin Brosnan took over at midfield.

With Ó Sé fully fit again Brosnon moves back out to left wing forward and Dara O Cinneíde, who filled the position the last day, drops down to the bench. Young Colm Cooper again fills one of the corner forward positions.

The Munster champions thus start with 11 of the team that won the title over Cork last July. The obvious absentee is Maurice Fitzgerald, while also missing are Mossy Lyons, Donal Daly and O'Cinneíde.

The Donegal team that hammered Down in the quarter-final will start Sunday's Ulster semi-final with Derry at Clones.

Clare full-forward Tony Carmody will miss Saturday's qualifier game with Dublin with an ankle injury, while Tony Browne will be available for Waterford's Munster final clash with Tipperary despite been sent off in a club game at the weekend.

In yesterday's report on Peter McGrath's retirement, the name of Kerry manager Páidí Ó Sé was inadvertently omitted from a list of managers who have trained teams to two All-Ireland football titles.

SATURDAY

All-Ireland SHC qualifier, Round One (extra-time if necessary): Down v Galway, Casement Park, 4.15, P Dunphy (Kilkenny); Dublin v Clare, Parnell Park, 6.15, P Ahern (Carlow); Meath v Offaly, Navan, 7.0, S McMahon (Clare).

All-Ireland SFC qualifier Round One, replay (extra-time if necessary): Cavan v Limerick, Breffni Park, 4.0, D Joyce (Galway).

SUNDAY

Leinster SFC semi-final: Offaly v Kildare, Nowlan Park, 4.45, S Prior (Leitrim).

Munster SFC semi-final: Cork v Kerry, Killarney, 4.30, J Bannon (Longford); semi-final replay: Tipperary v Clare, Limerick, 4.0, G Lynch (Fermanagh).

Ulster SFC semi-final: Derry v Donegal, Clones, 2.40, M Collins (Cork).

Munster JFC semi-final: Kerry v Cork, Killarney, 2.30, G Haugh (Limerick); semi-final replay: Clare v Tipperary, Limerick, 2.0, M Ryan (Limerick).

Leinster JFC: Wicklow v Longford, Nowlan Park, 3.0, P Doyle (Wexford).

TEAMS

KERRY (SF v Cork): D O'Keeffe; M O'Se, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T O Se, E Fitzmaurice, T O'Sullivan; D O Se, S Scanlon; A Mac Gearailt, N Kennelly, E Brosnan; M F Russell, J Crowley, C Cooper.

CORK (SF v Kerry): K O'Dwyer; O Sexton, C O'Sullivan, A Lynch; S Levis, R McCarthy, G Canty; N Murphy, M O'Sullivan; B J O'Sullivan, M Cronin, A Cronin; D O'Sullivan, C Corkery, F Murray.

DONEGAL (SF v Derry): T Blake; S Carr, M Crossan, N McGinley; R Sweeney, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; J Gildea, J McGuinness; C Toye, M Hegarty, B Roper; A Sweeney, B Devenney, P McGonigle.