CORK BOSS CONOR Counihan has made only one change from the side which beat Kildare for this Sunday’s All Ireland SFC semi-final against Donegal.
Ciaran Sheehan is the man who will make way, his omission allowing Patrick Kelly to line out at centre half forward.
Kelly was part of the line-up to beat Kerry last month, but missed the Munster Final through injury before doing enough with his substitute appearance against Kildare, early this month, to warrant a recall.
The full panel has not yet been finalised, with Counihan opting not to disclose his substitutes.
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Cork half-back, Noel O’Leary hailed a resurgence of drive in the county footballers as the reason for their performances in the championhsip so far.
“The bit of hunger probably wasn’t there last year. I suppose a lot of people forget that Cork are on the road a long time, in semi-finals and finals over the past seven or eight years and it probably happened to Kerry in 2010 against Down.” Said O’Leary,
“They were on a run like that and it came to a halt and they had injuries and the hunger just wasn’t there and it probably happened to us last year.”
Donegal have plenty of hunger too, though, spurred on by last year’s sniff at the big time. O’Leary, like most on Leeside, is impressed with how Jim McGuinness has plot his route to the final four.
“It’s unique what they’re doing. The system that they play brings it out in you. You have to change your style to a certain degree. It’s a very hard system to break down and Jim McGuinness has ran with it over the last two years and he’s going to run with it again the next day.
“It’s just a matter of thinking your way around it and we can’t be afraid to break the line either. A lot of teams were kind of holding back that way but you have to spray the ball around. You have to have a bit of confidence to break the line.
“Look, O’Leary adds, “we’ll be hoping that we have our homework done.”
Cork SFC semi final v Donegal: Alan Quirke (Valley Rovers): Ray Carey (Clyda Rovers, Michael Shields (St Finbars), Eoin Cadogan (Douglas); Paudie Kissane (Clyda Rovers), Graham Canty (Bantry Blues), Noel O Leary (Cill na Martra):Alan O’Connor (St. Colum’s) Aidan Walsh (Kanturk);
Fintan Goold (Macroom), Patrick Kelly (Ballincollig), Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers); Colm O Neill (Ballclough) Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond) 15. Nicholas Murphy (Carrigaline).
