Ryan returns for Wexford

GAELIC GAMES/Championship 2005 Team news: With quite remarkable timing, Darragh Ryan has recovered from a long-term knee injury to regain his place in the Wexford team for Sunday's Leinster hurling semi-final against Laois. It will mark Ryan's first competitive match for Wexford this year, when as late as last week his participation in the championship was still in doubt.

Ryan sustained the injury while playing Railway Cup last November, and when the problem didn't respond to rest he underwent an operation two months ago to remove some damaged cartilage. He managed to get back playing with his club, St Anne's, last month, but rejoined the Wexford panel only within the past fortnight.

But manager Séamus Murphy is satisfied the former All Star is fit and ready to line out in his accustomed full-back position. Ryan's return is a significant boost for Wexford's trip to Croke Park as they set out to defend their Leinster title after a disappointing climax to their league.

Murphy gives first championship starts to just two players: corner forward Des Mythen and midfielder Redmond Barry. Mythen featured regularly during Wexford's league campaign, while Barry has featured with the Wexford footballers.

Diarmuid Lyng gets his first championship start at left wing back, although he did appear as a substitute in Wexford's last championship match, the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork.

The experienced Adrian Fenlon is also back at his familiar midfield position having rejoined the panel at the end of April.

In total, there are 10 survivors from last year's Leinster finalists, the changes being Lyng, Darren Stamp, Mythen, Barry and Keith Rossiter.

Laois have made two changes from the team that eased past Dublin in the quarter-final of May 22nd. While defence and midfield remains intact, manager Paudie Butler has introduced Enda Meagher and Cahir Healy in place of Mark Rooney and John Rowney, both of whom have been carrying minor injuries.

Meagher was introduced to good effect against Dublin and replaces Rowney at centre forward. Healy starts on the wing in place of Liam Tynan, who moves up to full forward to replace Rooney.

It's been 20 years since Laois beat Wexford in the Leinster championship, and if that seems like a long time, their last win before that was in 1941. Yet, Butler has done everything possible to get his team ready for the challenge, including the all-important advance tour of Croke Park.

"Things have been going very well since the Dublin match," he added, "and there's been great energy at training for the past week or so. We know there's no way we'll get away with our first-half performance in the Dublin match against Wexford. So we'll definitely be looking to get a better start."

Laois managed to get the exclusive use of Croke Park for an hour on Monday afternoon, and Butler found that experience particularly valuable.

"It was lovely to get in there and try out the new surface, and it definitely is very different from last year. It's very fast. I think we were the first hurling team to try out the bounce of it as well, because this will be the first hurling match played there since they've improved the pitch."

Sunday's second semi-final involves Kilkenny against Offaly, but the latter will be starting without the services of Brian Whelahan. Although he returned to Offaly training last week, Whelahan is named among the substitutes.

Manager John McIntyre has handed championship debuts to 20-year-old Daniel Hoctor at right wing back and wing forward Dylan Hayden, who featured as a substitute on three occasions last year.

Kilkenny are unlikely to finalise their team until Friday as manager Brian Cody awaits final word on a couple of players carrying minor injuries, the most serious of which is the knee injury sustained by midfielder Derek Lyng.

WEXFORD (SH v Laois): D Fitzhenry; D O'Connor, D Ryan, K Rossiter; D Ruth, D Stamp, D Lyng; A Fenlon, R Barry; R McCarthy, E Quigley, M Jacob; D Mythen, M Jordan, R Jacob.

LAOIS (SH v Wexford): P Mullaney; B Campion, P Cuddy, M McEvoy; J Fitzpatrick, D Rooney, S Dwyer; J Young, J Walsh; J Phelan, E Meagher, C Healy; T Fitzgerald, L Tynan, D Culleton.

OFFALY (SH v Kilkenny): B Mullins; B Teehan, G Oakley, D Franks; D Hoctor, K Brady, C Cassidy; M Cordial, B Murphy; G Hanniffy, R Hanniffy, D Hayden; B Carroll, J Brady, D Murray.