Gaelic Games Digest/WESTMEATH: Martin Flanagan has withdrawn from reigning Leinster champions Westmeath's football panel, leaving manager Páidí Ó Sé short of cover for his forward positions as they face into the championship.
"Martin won't be part of our panel for the championship, he's cried off," confirmed Ó Sé last night. "Things weren't working out for him. The injuries he received and the operations and so on left him a little too much to do.
"Of course I'm disappointed. Martin is a very good player and if he was fully fit he'd be an asset to us. But that's not going to happen now. He has made a conscientious decision to withdraw."
Last week Ó Sé cut David Mitchell and Shane Colleary from the panel, while Dessie Dolan, Rory O'Connell, David O'Shaughnessy and Alan Mangan all struggled with injuries during Westmeath's disappointing league campaign.
RULE 42 FALLOUT: Fallout from Cork's rigid stance on Rule 42 is expected at next Tuesday's county board meeting as several clubs plan to question the decision to refuse a democratic vote on the issue ahead of congress, reports Gavin Cummiskey.
Last Tuesday week the board denied any vote on the temporary opening of Croke Park by referring to the 2003 Cork convention when a straight vote on Rule 42 was defeated. This vote was, however, different from the motion passed at congress last Saturday.
Kilavullen delegate Pat O'Brien has branded the board's ruling as "undemocratic" and intends to raise the matter next week. And Nemo Rangers chairman Leonard Buckley believes the decision had a detrimental effect on the presidential aspirations of Youghal's Christy Cooney, who was defeated by Kilkenny's Nickey Brennan.
LIMERICK: Peter Lawlor returns to the Limerick team for Sunday's National Hurling League relegation clash with Laois after a five-week lay-off through injury. Donnacha Sheehan and Niall Moran are also recalled, while Tim Houlihan will play in goal.
DUBLIN: Humphrey Kelleher makes two changes for Saturday's final league match against Antrim at Casement Park. Darragh Spain comes in at full back, while Stuart Mullen replaces Michael Carton at corner forward.
Meanwhile, Dublin's footballers will take on Leitrim in a senior challenge match at Naomh Peregrins on Saturday at 3pm.
LIMERICK (SH v Laois): T Houlihan; D Reale, S Lucey, M Foley, O Moran, B Geary, P Lawlor; D O'Grady, P O'Grady; A O Shaughnessy, N Moran, C Fitzgerald, D Ryan, TJ Ryan, D Sheehan
DUBLIN (SH v Antrim): G Maguire; G Bennett, D Spain, S O'Shea; S Hiney, R Fallon, D O'Reilly; C Meehan, D Sweeney; G O'Meara, D Curtin, T Moore; E Carroll, M Breathnach, S Mullen. Subs: W Bourke, M Carton, S Daly, C Hennebry, K Elliott, F Chambers, A McCrabbe, S McDonnell, S Perkins.
