Three changes for Galway
Galway manager Conor Hayes has made three changes to his side for tomorrow evening's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final with Kilkenny (Semple Stadium, throw-in 6pm).
The repeat of last year's semi-final, which resulted in a nine-goal thriller, will see Hayes and his Kilkenny counterpart Brian Cody lock horns in Thurles.
Hayes has opted to recall David Collins, Conor Dervan and Alan Kerins for the much-anticipated re-match. All three players missed the Tribesmen's 3-21 to 0-06 win over Westmeath in their final Group A qualifier.
Collins, the 2005 Young Hurler of the Year, has been named at left half-back, but it is understood that he will undergo a late fitness test on the hamstring injury which saw him sit out the Westmeath game. Shane Kavanagh, who had been suffering from a bruised foot, has been named at centre back.
Mullagh clubman Dervan, 24, is a suprise inclusion at midfield - he will partner Fergal Healy, while Kerins, who has scored 4-03 in his two championship outings this summer, is a direct swap for David Tierney at left half-forward.
Castlegar's Colin Connolly has retained his place in the half-forward line, while 2001 All-Star Eugene Cloonan looks set to be sprung from the bench if things are not going Galway's way.
Hayes admitted in an interview this week that the Athenry sharpshooter, who has shaken off a thigh injury, is as fit as he has ever seen him.
He said: "We'd a game amongst ourselves last Thursday and played our Under-21s last Saturday, and Eugene's sharpening up pretty well.
"He's certainly a real option for us at this stage and we're delighted to see him back...I'd have no fears of putting him out."
The 27-year-old Cloonan has not played championship hurling since the 2004 SHC qualifier loss to Kilkenny.
Meanwhile, the west's latest hurling prodigy Joe Canning has been named in the Galway minor team for Sunday's All-Ireland MHC quarter-final against Antrim.
The Portumna teen, who is trying to help his county to a three-in-a-row of minor titles, was called into Hayes' senior squad earlier in the week, but pulled out in order to concentrate on the minor game.
GALWAY (SHC v Kilkenny) - Liam Donoghue (capt); Damien Joyce, Tony Og Regan, Ollie Canning; Derek Hardiman, Shane Kavanagh, David Collins; Fergal Healy, Conor Dervan; Cathal Connolly, David Forde, Alan Kerins; Damien Hayes, Ger Farragher, Niall Healy.
Substitutes: Aidan Ryan, Ger Mahon, Richie Murray, David Tierney, David Hayes, Eugene Cloonan, Kevin Broderick, Andrew Keary, Eoin Lynch, Colin Coen, Kenneth Burke, Kerril Wade, Paul Flynn, Aidan Diveney, Michael John Quinn.
GALWAY (MHC v Antrim) - J Skehill; J Ryan, M McMahon, L Tully; M Corcoran, K Keane, A Moylan; G Lally, C Forde; A Harte, N Lynch, E Forde; S Coen, K Keehan, J Canning (capt).
