Monaghan unchanged for Armagh semi clash

Ulster champions Monaghan are unchanged for tomorrow evening’s provincial semi-final against Armagh in Clones. All Star Conor McManus starts at left corner forward having been sprung before throw-in in the quarter-final having made a speedier than expected recovery from ankle and knee injuries picked up in a club match last month.

This will be the first time the counties have met in championship since 2010 when Monaghan recorded a big win in Casement Park, 1-18 to 0-9.

There was no official word from Armagh late last night as to whether the county intends to apply to the Disputes Resolution Authority for an 11th-hour hearing in an effort to free Andy Mallon, Brendan Donaghy and Kieran Toner from suspensions picked up in respect of the pre-match brawl in the quarter-final against Cavan for tomorrow’s match.

The players were unsuccessful with an application to the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee during the week to try to overturn their one-match bans.

Wexford have made one enforced change for Sunday’s Leinster football semi-final against champions Dublin in Croke Park. Robert Dempsey who kicked two points in the victory over Longford earlier this month has to make way because of a groin injury. His place at wing forward goes to Michael O’Regan, who played for the county’s hurlers in last year’s championship.

Cavan, meanwhile, who after the Armagh defeat accepted the suspensions for Martin Dunne and Fergal Flanagan have made four changes to their team for the visit of Westmeath.

Manager Terry Hyland brings in Joshua Hayes who impressed at corner back throughout the league, Robert Maloney-Derham and the experienced Michael Lyng in place of Flanagan, Dara McVeety and Killian Brady. Under-21 player Michael Argue, who made his senior debut in last years qualifier series, is also called up with Eugene Keating making way.

Mickey Harte makes four changes to his Tyrone team for tomorrow’s All-Ireland qualifier in Omagh against Louth. Out from the side that lost narrowly to Monaghan in the Ulster semi-final go Justin McMahon, Conan Grugan, Martin Penrose and Ronan O’Neill.

They are replaced by PJ Quinn, Emmett McKenna, Shay McGuigan and Connor McAliskey respectively. McGuigan makes his debut for the county in this year’s championship.

Tyrone played Louth in the All-Ireland qualifiers during their last successful campaign six years ago and the border county proved hard to shift with a replay needed before Harte’s men moved on.

The replacements bench includes minor captain Conor McKenna, now available after the county exited the championship - also at the hands of Monaghan.

Described by Harte as “one of the best players to come on the scene in a generation”, McKenna would have been part of the senior panel earlier but for his minor commitments.

Meanwhile Waterford hurlers welcome back Darragh Fives after injury for his first start of the summer in tomorrow evening’s qualifier match against Laois in Walsh Park. He is named at wing back in place of Jamie Nagle. There is a championship debut for Ryan Donnelly who lines out at corner forward with Shane Walsh switching to full forward to replace the suspended Brian O’Sullivan.

Antrim hurling manager Kevin Ryan has made four changes to the team to face Offaly in Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling qualifier at Ballycastle. Compared to the side which lost to Wexford in the Leinster quarter-final, Simon McCrory replaces Ciaran Johnson in defence, Tomas McCann and Jackson McGreevey form a new midfield partnership to the exclusion of Eoghan Campbell and Michael Bradley, while Darren Hamill is named in attack at the expense of Conor Johnson.

MONAGHAN (SFC v Armagh): R Beggan; K Duffy, D Wylie, C Walshe; D Mone, V Corey, F Kelly; D Clerkin, D Hughes; R Wylie, C McGuinness, P McKenna; D Malone, K Hughes, C McManus. Subs: G McCaffrey, C Boyle, C Gilligan, K O’Connell, G Doogan, P Finlay, S Gallogly, T Kerr, P Donaghy, J McCarron, O Duffy.

WEXFORD (SFC v Dublin): S Roche; R Tierney, G Molloy (capt.), C Carty; M Furlong, B Malone, A Flynn; D Waters, P Byrne; M O’Regan, PJ Banville, J Holmes; C Lyng, B Brosnan, K O’Grady.

WATERFORD (SHQ v Laois): S O’Keeffe; S Fives, L Lawlor, N Connors; D Fives, M Walsh (capt.), T Burke; K Moran, S O’Sullivan; J Dillon, P Mahony, A Gleeson; R Donnelly, S Walsh, C Dunford.

TYRONE (SFQ v Louth): N Morgan; A McRory, R McNamee, PJ Quinn; R McNabb, Matthew Donnelly, P Harte; C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh (capt.); E McKenna, S McGuigan, C McGinley; D McCurry, S O’Neill, C McAliskey. Subs: M O’Neill, M Penrose, R O’Neill, Justin McMahon, Joe McMahon, R McKenna, N McKenna, C McKenna, T McCann, P Kane, P Hughes.

CAVAN (SHQ v Westmeath): C Gilsenan; J McLaughlin, R Dunne, A Clarke; J Hayes, J McEnroe, R Maloney Derham; D O’Reilly, G McKiernan; M Argue, M Lyng, N McDermott; J Brady, D Givney, M Reilly.

ANTRIM (SHQ v Offaly): C O’Connell; O McFadden, C McKinley, A Graffin; S McCrory, N McAuley, N McManus; T McCann, J McGreevey; C Carson, P Shiels, C McCann; D Hamill, C Clarke, PJ O’Connell.