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Mayo's Cathal Carolan. INPHO/James Crombie
GAA 2013

Mayo hand Cathal Carolan and Darren Coen senior championship debuts

James Horan has revealed his starting fifteen for the provincial tie in Pearse Stadium.

CATHAL CAROLAN AND Darren Coen are set to make their senior championship debuts for Mayo in Sunday’s Connacht clash against Galway.

Manager James Horan has named Crossmolina’s Carolan at wing-forward and Hollymount/Carramore clubman Coen at corner-forward.

Experienced attacking duo Alan Dillon and Andy Moran are both named on the bench as they continue their recovery towards match fitness while Michael Conroy (shoulder) and Jason Doherty (achilles) are both ruled out through injury.

As a result both Carolan and Coen have been drafted in to fill positions up front. Carolan was a member of the panel last year yet did not feature during the championship. He has impressed in this season’s league campaign and established himself in the half-forward line.

Coen, a member of the county’s U21 side this year, is the most eye-catching selection as he only featured briefly in one league game this spring when he came on as a substitute in the last round victory over Cork.

In all there are 11 members of the side that contested last September’s All-Ireland final loss to Donegal, included in the line-up for this game in Pearse Stadium. With midfielder Barry Moran also ruled out with an ankle injury, Seamus O’Shea comes in to replace him in a sector where he will partner his brother Aidan.

Carolan, Coen and Alan Freeman are the new faces in attack instead of Dillon, Doherty and Conroy. Injury also ruled defender Chris Barrett out of the equation due to injury.

MAYO: David Clarke (Ballina); Kevin Keane (Westport), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Lee Keegan (Westport), Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Colm Boyle (Davitts); Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), Cathal Carolan (Crossmolina); Enda Varley (Garrymore), Alan Freeman (Aghamore), Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore).

Along with Moran and Dillon, a notable inclusion on the bench is James Burke. The wing-back caught the eye for Dublin club Ballymun Kickhams on route to their All-Ireland final loss to St Brigid’s on St Patrick’s Day. Burke is a Mayo native and a former Ardnaree club man, who was drafted in to the county squad last month after his exploits with Ballymun Kickhams.

Subs: Kenneth O’Malley (Ballinrobe), Tom Cunniffee (Castlebar Mitchels), Alan Dillon (Ballintubber), Shane McHale (Knockmore), Michael Walsh (Ardnaree), James Burke (Ballymun Kickhams), Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber), Richie Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels), Alan Murphy (Ballinrobe), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen), Conor O’Shea (Breaffy).

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