Newtownshandrum unchanged for final
2004 champions Newtownshandrum have unchanged line-up for tomorrow's AIB All-Ireland club hurling final against Galway side Portumna at Croke Park (throw-in 2.00pm).
The Cork outfit have kept the same side from last month's one-point defeat of Down and Ulster champions Ballygalget but centre forward Donal Mulcahy could be forced out.
Mulcahy sustained a broken bone in his wrist in the semi and will undergo a late fitness test.
2004 captain John McCarthy keeps his place at right corner back as Gerard O'Mahony has failed to recover from a knock, which saw him sit out the Ballygalget game.
Bernie O'Connor's outfit are captained by full-back Brendan Mulcahy, and are heavily reliant on the O'Connor twins, Ben and Jerry.
Both Ben and Jerry O'Connor will wear personalised adidas TUNiT boots - with 'Ben 17-03-06' and 'Jerry 17-03-06' inscribed on the tongues - becoming the first GAA players to wear the new fully-customised boots, which were specially flown in for tomorrow's clash from Germany.
Ben O'Connor, wing forward on the 2005 Vodafone GAA AllStars team, has top-scored for Newtown with 0-24 in the All-Ireland Championship to date, hitting 0-8 and 0-6 in their Munster semi-final and final wins over Thurles (Tipperary) and Ballygunner (Waterford) respectively, and 0-10 against Ballygalget.
Tomorrow will be the first time since 1988 that Cork and Galway clubs have clashed in the All-Ireland club hurling decider. Midleton beat Athenry in the 1988 final by 3-8 to 0-9.
Newtownshandrum (SH v Portumna): P Morrissey; J McCarthy, B Mulcahy (captain), D Gleeson; AT O’Brien, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; M Farrell, Jerry O’Connor; JP King, D Mulcahy, C Naughton; John O’Connor, J Bowles, B O’Connor.
