Galway make no changes

Galway manager John O'Mahony has named an unchanged team to face Kildare in the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland semifinal on Sunday. Although midfielder Kevin Walsh and defender John Divilly have regained fitness, O'Mahony has decided to show faith in the 15 that cruised through the Connacht championship.

That decision effectively offers Tommy Joyce another chance, as the luckless Killererin forward was injured at the very beginning of the Connacht final against Leitrim.

While Shea Walsh deputised effectively in his absence, Joyce has been reinstated for this semi-final.

There is one positional switch, with Michael Donnellan moving in from wing forward to take up a central position. His confrontation with Kildare's Glen Ryan promises a tantalising contrast of styles.

With Ja Fallon out for the season with injury, Donnellan has taken up much of the slack. His contribution against Sligo - eventual landslide notwithstanding - was one of his finest in maroon.

Newcomer Jason Killeen will stand at the heart of the Galway defence. O'Mahony and his selectors might have drafted in Divilly or switched 1998 captain Ray Silke from the corner, but Killeen has done nothing thus far to mitigate reactionary tactics.

Against Sligo, he caught the eye from early on, imposing defensively and was also keen to accompany his half-back team-mates Declan Meehan and Sean Og De Paor on downfield breaks. His tussle against Karl O'Dwyer will provide him with the sternest test of an impressive first season.

There is an argument that this Galway side have yet to be adequately stretched this summer. Kildare come into this semi-final after a marathon journey through Leinster and have arguably grown more resilient with each passing Sunday.

Midfielder Willie McCreery has been at the helm of this summer revival and the Galway duo of Sean O Domhnaill and Joe Bergin face a trying afternoon.

However, the pair coasted against the not-inconsiderable presence of Eamonn O'Hara and Paul Durcan from Sligo and also thrived against Leitrim.

Bergin is a wonderful prospect for Galway, particularly with Kevin Walsh nearing the twilight of his career. The towering Walsh is, however, likely to feature at some stage on Sunday.

Galway (SF v Kildare): M McNamara; T Meehan, G Fahy, R Silke; D Meehan, J Killeen, S Og De Paor; S O Domhnaill, J Bergin; P Clancy, M Donnellan, T Joyce; D Savage, P Joyce, N Finnegan.