Cahill back as Dublin make two changes

Manager Paul Caffrey has made two changes to the Dublin line-up for Sunday's National Football League match against Donegal.

Manager Paul Caffrey has made two changes to the Dublin line-up for Sunday's National Football League match against Donegal.

The fixture involves a 300-mile round trip to Ballybofey where an in-form Donegal side lie in wait. They may have lost the McKenna Cup final to Tyrone but Brian McIver's team turned over Mayo in their last league outing with three points to spare.

Barry Cahill gets an opportunity at right wing back with Paul Casey, who has been playing regularly for DCU, "rested". "Barry has been going well in training so he deserves an opportunity to come in," said selector Brian Talty.

This means St Vincent's Ger Brennan retains the other wing-back slot alongside Bryan Cullen.

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Brennan broke into the Dublin panel after impressing for his club in last year's run to the county final. The former Belvedere College schoolboy (he played flanker on the senior cup rugby team), was part of the 2003 Dublin minor team that lost the All-Ireland final to Laois.

The other St Vincent's player to force his way into Caffrey's plans recently, Diarmuid Connolly, is omitted. Regular free-taker Tomás Quinn, yet another St Vincent's man, comes in for his first National League start of the campaign.

Connolly is not listed as injured but he did sustain shoulder damage in Dublin's one-point win in Limerick two weeks ago, while he also featured for the under-21 side in last weekend's championship defeat to Meath at Parnell Park where he kicked three points before being sent off after picking up a second yellow card. Quinn landed four points when he replaced his clubmate against Limerick.

Connolly's absence sees Quinn named at centre forward and Alan Brogan at corner forward beside full forward Conal Keaney and another player keen to nail down a regular starting berth, David O'Callaghan of the St Mark's club.

Despite the availability of last season's regular midfield pairing, Shane Ryan and Ciaran Whelan, Ross McConnell is retained beside Darren Magee, probably down to a decent showing against Limerick's John Galvin.

Tyrone captain Brian Dooher could make his first league appearance of the season in the game against Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday, having made his comeback from a nine-month injury nightmare in the Dr McKenna Cup.

Cork have picked up only one point from their games so far but Tyrone manager Mickey Harte is not underestimating them. "I have always found, in the last number of years, that they have underachieved. I think they're a quality side who have underachieved, and any team at this point in time will raise their game a bit for Tyrone," said Harte.

"Division One status next year is dependent on us finishing in the top four, so this is a key game irrespective of where Cork find themselves in the league table."

DUBLIN (SF v Donegal): S Cluxton; P Griffin, N O'Shea, D Henry; B Cahill, B Cullen, G Brennan; R McConnell, D Magee; D Murray, T Quinn, K Bonner; A Brogan, C Keaney, D O'Callaghan.

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent