Team news: John Meyler makes four changes as Cork bid to topple Limerick
John Meyler has reacted to Cork’s defeat to Tipperary by making four changes for tomorrow’s Munster SHC Round 2 in the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
Robert Downey, who impressed in the win over Limerick in the Division 1A game at the same venue earlier this year, is named to start against them again. He and Mark Ellis come into the half-back line as Christopher Joyce and Tim O’Mahony make way. It’s a surprising move by Meyler to jettison O’Mahony given he was groomed for the position during the League.
Bill Cooper is considered fit to start after crying off late last Sunday with a back spasm and replaces Robbie O’Flynn, who came in for him. Aidan Walsh is preferred to Shane Kingston, which might be considered the biggest call in light of the number of frees Kingston won against Tipperary. Aside from Cooper’s fitness, there is good news in Alan Cadogan returning to the panel as he takes Conor O’Sullivan’s spot on the bench.
John Kiely’s only announced change to the team that started in last year’s All-Ireland final victory over Galway is Peter Casey for Seamus Flanagan. Casey began the Division 1 final win against Waterford and bar the injured Tom Condon the same 15 are named to begin tomorrow.
Tipperary bring in Alan Flynn at the expense of Seán O’Brien for the visit of Waterford to Thurles tomorrow. Niall O’Meara, despite being unable to finish the win over Cork last weekend, is included in the team.
Waterford captain Noel Connors is included in their announced side although Páraic Fanning has made four changes to the team that lost to Clare, Calum Lyons, Thomas Ryan, Jack Prendergast and Patrick Curran taking the spots of Shane McNulty, Mikey Kearney, Shane Bennett and Peter Hogan. Lyons makes his Championship debut.
Cavan manager Mikey Graham has given Championship debuts to Conor Rehill, Conor Brady and Thomas Galligan for their Ulster quarter-final derby against Monaghan in Kingspan Breffni Park this evening.
CORK (SHC v Limerick): A. Nash; S. O’Donoghue, E. Cadogan, N. O’Leary; R. Downey, M. Ellis, M. Coleman; B. Cooper, D. Fitzgibbon; D. Kearney, S. Harnedy, L. Meade; C. Lehane, P. Horgan (c), A. Walsh. Subs: P. Collins, S. McDonnell, D. Cahalane, T. O’Mahony, C. Joyce, G. Millerick, R. O’Flynn, S. Kingston, A. Cadogan, D. Dalton, J. O’Connor.
LIMERICK (SHC v Cork): N. Quaid; S. Finn, M. Casey, R. English; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), D. Morrissey; D. O’Donovan, C. Lynch; G. Hegarty, K. Hayes, T. Morrissey; P. Casey, A. Gillane, G. Mulcahy. Subs: B. Hennessy, D. Dempsey, S. Dowling, S. Flanagan, R. Hanley, B. Murphy, B. Nash, W. O’Donoghue, P. O’Loughlin, W. O’Meara, D. Reidy.
TIPPERARY (SHC v Waterford): B. Hogan; C. Barrett, J. Barry, R. Maher; B. Maher, Pádraic Maher, A. Flynn; N. McGrath, M. Breen; J. Forde, Patrick Maher, N. O’Meara; J. O’Dwyer, S. Callanan (c), J. McGrath. Subs: Paul Maher, G. Browne, W. Connors, T. Fox, B. Heffernan, S. Kennedy, D. Maher, D. McCormack, J. Morris, S. O’Brien.
WATERFORD (SHC v Tipperary): S. O’Keeffe; C. Lyons, C. Prunty, N. Connors (c); Philip Mahony, T. de Búrca, K. Moran; J. Barron, C. Gleeson; T. Ryan. A. Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; J. Prendergast, P. Curran, Stephen Bennett.
KILKENNY (SHC v Carlow): D. Brennan; P. Murphy, H. Lawlor, T. Walsh; C. Fogarty, P. Walsh, P. Deegan; A. Murphy, R. Leahy; A. Mullen, W. Walsh, T.J. Walsh; B. Sheehan, C. Fennelly, G. Aylward. Subs: R. Reid, E. Morrissey, J. Cleere, C. Browne, M. Carey, R. Hogan, J. Donnelly, M. Keoghan, L. Blanchfield, B. Ryan, G. Malone.
LIMERICK (MHC v Cork): J. Franklin; R. Lyons, M. Keane (c), F. O’Connor; J. Quilty, E. Hurley, C. Coughlan; A. Murrihy, P. Kirby; P. Reale, D. Hegarty, C. O’Neill, A. O’Connor, A. English, P. O’Donovan. Subs: T.J. Kelly, M. Cremin, S. Mortell, D. Casey, O. O’Dwyer, C. Casey, C. Hanley-Clarke, M. Ryan, L. Lynch.
TIPPERARY (MHC v Waterford): S. Gleeson, S. Loughran, C. O’Dwyer, J. Duncan; E. Marnane, M. Corcoran, C. Lloyd; L. Shanahan, C. Ryan; C. Deely, J. Campion (c), J. Leamy; C. Fogarty, T. Cahill, P. Kinane. Subs: P. Williams, S. Ferncombe, B. Loughman, C. McCormack, C. McKelvey, M. Power, K. Shelly, D. Stakelum, R. Walsh.
CAVAN (SFC v Monaghan): R. Galligan; J. McLoughlin, P. Faulkner, C. Moynagh; G. Smith, K. Clarke, C. Rehill; C. Brady, G. McKiernan; M. Reilly, D. McVeety, N, Murray; O. Kiernan, T. Galligan, C. Madden.
