No changes to Dublin team for hurling semi-final
Dublin are set to field an unchanged team when they meet Cork in tomorrow afternoon's All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park (throw-in 3.30pm).
A clean bill of health has afforded manager Anthony Daly the opportunity to start the same team which defeated Galway last month to secure the Dubs' first Leinster senior title since 1961.
The Leinster champions boast a settled side as this is the third Championship game on the trot that Daly has chosen the same starting line-up.
Peter Kelly and Liam Rushe again form the spine of the defence with team captain John McCaffrey and Joey Boland dovetailing together in midfield.
The influential Boland has been the Dubs' second top scorer so far in the Championship, hitting 0-20 including five points from play, while leading marksman and full-forward Paul Ryan, who was this week crowned the GAA/GPA Opel Player of the Month for July, already has 3-26 to his name.
Speaking about the team selection process and those who have pressed for a starting berth, Daly said: "It's one of the things that the boys asked us to do at the start of the year - to go on merit, and to reward performance more.
"What we tried to do that this year was if a fella has shown form he goes up the ladder, and I think in general we have tried to do that.
"Fellas like Conor McCormack, who lost his place starting the last couple of games, is playing well in training. Mark Schutte is playing really well, Eamonn Dillon playing really well too. And fellas like Chris Crummey and Kevin Byrne that weren't in the 26 are pushing hard."
Dublin have not played since five weeks ago when they dethroned Galway in the Leinster final. All five substitutes were used that day - McCormack, Oisin Gough, Shane Durkin, Mark Schutte and Simon Lambert - and their bench for the All-Ireland semi-final will not be confirmed until tomorrow.
Daly's men are seeking the county's first win over Cork in the Championship since the 1927 All-Ireland final, with a victory tomorrow setting up the Dubs' first All-Ireland SHC final appearance in 52 years.
Gary Maguire; Niall Corcoran, Peter Kelly, Paul Schutte; Stephen Hiney, Liam Rushe, Michael Carton; John McCaffrey; Joey Boland, Conal Keaney, Ryan O'Dwyer, Danny Sutcliffe; David O'Callaghan, Paul Ryan, David Treacy.
