Derry fearful of losing more players

Derry's football resources are being stretched to the limit at present because of injuries, suspensions and club commitments and they are concerned about losing more players before Sunday's National Football League game against Donegal in Ballybofey.

Selector Frank Kearney fears that players recuperating from injuries would be "press-ganged" into playing for their clubs in the county under-21 semi-finals on Saturday.

Kearney says that he shares the strong belief within the county that an unsatisfactory situation could be made a lot worse should Joe Cassidy and Sean Martin Lockhart play for their clubs on Saturday.

"Naturally at under-aged level you don't get too many bites at the cherry but there is the worry that Joe Cassidy and Sean Martin Lockhart will be press-ganged into playing. This, in Kearney's view, would amount to a disservice to the players. "Putting players back into action before they have fully recovered runs the obvious risk of changing a relatively short-term injury into a long-term one."

The county's tenuous position because of the non-availability of players was highlighted in the opening match against Westmeath. Starting with only six of their Ulster final team was unavoidable for that match and proved too heavy a handicap as they had to settle for a draw.

Seamus Downey is serving a three-month suspension arising from the tempestuous Ulster club hurling final, Dungiven players such as Joe Brolly are been rested before the Ulster club final on Sunday week against Tyrone side Errigal Ciarain and several players are nursing hamstring and ligament injuries.

On the brighter side, three under-21 players - Benny Murray, Adrian Heaney, a cousin of Dermot, and Paul Diamond, a younger brother of Karl - impressed when drafted in against Westmeath and are expected to be chosen to face Donegal. Kearney says it is important not to lose too much ground under the new system. "You could very easily find yourself in the third division with a couple of bad results and that's a potential injustice embodied in the new set-up."

The only encouraging sign since the setback of the opening round for Brian Mullins and his selectors is the return from honeymoon of Gary McGill.

Galway manager John O'Mahony has made changes in defence and attack for the match against Mayo in Castlebar.

Francis McWalter is called up to take over from Michael Geoghegan at left corner back while in the attack, Michael Donnellan is the new leader in the absence of Kevin Walsh.

Mayo will announce their team this evening.

Dublin manager Mickey Whelan has deferred naming his side until this evening, by which time he could have information on the extent of Paul Bealin's term of suspension.

Bealin was sent off in the opening game against Sligo last Sunday week, and he is likely to be handed a two-week ban by the Games Administration Committee. If this is the case he will be eligible for Sunday's match.

The Kerry county final on Sunday between Laune Rangers and East Kerry curtails Paidi O Se's options for the match against Wexford. The All-Ireland and League title-holders will have only nine of the team that beat Mayo in the All-Ireland final.

Involved in the county final are Laune Rangers players Mike Hassett, Liam Hassett and Michael Francis Russell as well as Seamus Moynihan, Donal Daly, Declan O'Keeffe and John Crowley.

Goalkeeper Peter O'Leary gets a recall in the absence of O'Keeffe and Tomas O Se, a brother of Dara, comes in at right half back on the strength of his under-21 performances.

Rory O'Rahilly, almost the forgotten man of Kerry football, returns for the first time since April when he played so effectively against Down in the quarter-finals of the National League. It will also be a welcome return to the attack of Brian Clarke, dropped for the All-Ireland final having figured in previous championship games.

Mick O'Dwyer is forced to delay naming his Kildare side until tomorrow because of injuries to midfielder Niall Buckley and corner forward Brian Murphy. Murphy hobbled out of the match against Waterford last Sunday week with a strained hamstring and is still doubtful. Buckley picked up a knee injury in club fare last weekend.

The new league format continues to throw up uninteresting ties. Sunday's Section D programme highlights this trend. Here we have Cork v Waterford at Pairc Ui Rinn, Kildare at home to Limerick in Newbridge, Down at home in Newry to Tipperary and Roscommon and Wicklow at Hyde Park.

There is a unique pairing in the Tipperary senior hurling final at Thurles on Sunday. Mullinahone are figuring in the final for the first time while Clonoulty/Rossmore are seeking only their third title.

Apart from John Leahy, Mullinahone have players of inter-county experience in Brian O'Meara and county minors Paul and Eoin Kelly while on the Clonoulty/Rossmore side Declan Ryan, Aidan Butler, Noel Keane, John Kennedy, Kevin Ryan and Bonnie Kennedy have worn the blue and gold.

Kerry (SF v Wexford): P O'Leary; K Burns, B O'Shea, S Stack; T O Se, L Flaherty, E Breen; D O Se, S Burke; P Laide, J Brennan, D O'Dwyer; R O'Rahilly, B Clarke, M Fitzgerald.

Wexford (SF): S Cooper; C Roche, P Harrington, P Wallace; D Redmond, M Dillon, D Breen; O Kinlock, J Berry; R Kinsella, J Harrington, L O'Brien; S Doran, M McMahon, J Lawlor.

Galway (SF v Mayo): M McNamara; T Meehan, G Fahy, F McWalter; K Fallon, R Silke, S Og de Paor; P Boyce, S O Domhnaill; P Clancy, M Donnellan, D Meehan; D Savage, P Joyce, S Walsh.

Carlow (SF v Leitrim): J Clarke; B Hannon, A Cordon, N Sheehy; J Murphy, B Farrell, B Hayden; R Donnolly, Philip Nolan; W Quinlan; J Morrissey, Pat Nolan; J Nevin, C Hayden, N Doyle.

Galway (SH v Laois, Oireachtas Cup, Sunday, Kenny Park, Athenry, 3.0): R Burke; G Kennedy, M Healy, B Keogh; V Maher, N Larkin, P Hardiman; L Burke, N Shaughnessy; J Campbell, O Fahy, M Cullinane; R Gantley, J Rabbitte, E Cloonan.