Marsden may miss opener

Diarmuid Marsden is in danger of missing Armagh's championship opener against Donegal in Ballybofey in a month's time. The gifted forward who was just coming back from injury had to be substituted early in Sunday's National Football League semi-final replay against Dublin in Croke Park.

"We would hope that Diarmuid will be alright for the championship," said Armagh joint-manager Brian Canavan. "He has five weeks to recover but we won't know for certain until it settles and we can see the extent of the injury."

Marsden had just kicked a long-range point for Armagh and in doing so aggravated a groin injury picked up playing for Ulster in last month's drawn Railway Cup match against Munster in Killarney.

The original damage was also caused by kicking a long-range point and it caused him to pull out of the league quarter-final win over Sligo. He returned for the first semi-final clash with Dublin and acquitted himself well enough despite looking as if he had not fully recovered.

This latest setback comes at a crucial time of the season in a year when Marsden had been enjoying the most injury-free spell of his career. The previous occurrence of the injury took three weeks to clear and Canavan is optimistic that the swift replacement of the player on Sunday will limit any damage.

Wing forward John Rafferty is also an injury concern as he broke a bone in his finger during the weekend replay. There is confidence, however, that he will recover in time for the Donegal match on June 6th.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the venue for next Sunday week's National Hurling League final will be the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. This will come as no surprise given that Tipperary and Galway have played their two previous league finals this decade at the same venue. The match will be televised live by Network 2.

It will be a big weekend at the Gaelic Grounds as the All-Ireland under-21 football final between Kerry and Westmeath is scheduled for the venue on the previous Saturday and will also be televised live.

Coincidentally, both league finals feature the pairings of 10 years ago when Tipperary and Galway hurlers met at Croke Park and Dublin played Cork at the same venue.

Next Sunday's football final is being held in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and the injury situation for the two competing counties hasn't changed much. Cork midfielder Liam Honohan has resumed training with the panel but is unlikely to return to action after injuring his ankle in the quarter-final against Derry.

Dublin centre back Ian Robertson has been ruled out of the match due to a groin injury picked up last month. This injury is beginning to cause long-term concern to Dublin manager Tom Carr.

Originally Robertson had been thought within a fitness test of playing in the first semi-final against Armagh. Two weeks later and he is even more emphatically ruled out. Dublin's opening championship engagement is against Louth on June 6th and it is expected that the player will be available for that.

Back in consideration this week are forwards Senan Connell, who has missed the last three matches because of a cartilage injury, and Jason Sherlock, whose soccer commitments with Shamrock Rovers this season are now over. Westmeath have named the first championship selection of the year. There are four debutants in the team to face Carlow in Dr Cullen Park this Sunday.

Full back Russell Casey (Castledaly), left corner back Fergal Murray (Athlone), midfielder David O'Shaughnessy (Garrycastle) and left corner forward Des Dolan (Garrycastle) all come in for their first championship outings. Murray was a member of the 1995 minor team which won the All-Ireland title.

Murray, right wing back Aidan Canning, O'Shaughnessy and Dolan are all current members of the under-21 team which faces Kerry in the All-Ireland final on Saturday week.

Aidan Lennon, another member of the 1995 team, is named in goal although regular choice Dermot Ryan, whose cheekbone was controversially broken in the infamous league match against Wicklow in Mullingar, has recovered and is back in training. Lennon made a brief appearance in last year's first round against Carlow when he came on as a substitute.

Ruairi O'Connell is also named on the team pending Thursday night's GAC hearing at which he faces charges arising from the Wicklow match. Should he be suspended, it is thought that Jacko Cooney will come back into the side.

Opponents Carlow and the other Leinster preliminary-round contestants Wexford and Longford are expected to name their sides tonight.

Longford have a doubt concerning goalkeeper Gavin Tonra, who also acts as the team's penalty-taker and 45-kicker. Padraig Davis is back after injury and the county is confident after narrowly losing to Wexford during the league at a time when the team was short its Fr Manning Gaels contingent.

This year's GAA McNamee Awards for communications have been announced. National Newspaper: Martin Breheny (Ireland on Sunday); Provincial Newspaper: Alan Walsh (Offaly Express); GAA Yearbook: Kerry, Breda O'Dwyer; County final programme: Kerry SFC; Club media: Josephine O'Riordan (Ardfert); Photography: Des Barry (Examiner); Bord na nOg: Cyril Duggan for Hill 16 (Dublin county board); Local radio: Radio Kerry/CKR joint; Hall of Fame: Jack Mahon.

Westmeath (SH v Carlow) - A Lennon; D Brady, R Casey, F Murray; A Canning, D Mitchell, K Ryan; R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy; D Healy, P Conway, S Colleary; G Heavin, M Flanagan, D Dolan.