KERRY MANAGER Eamonn Fitzmaurice has experimented in the starting 15 he has announced for his first competitive game in charge in next Saturday’s McGrath Cup opener against IT Tralee.
The new boss has named only seven players who featured at some stage during last August’s All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Donegal for the game which will take in Fitzgerald Stadium at 2pm.
With several players involved with colleges in this competition, along with All-Ireland club commitments ruling out other established stars, it is left to Marc Ó Sé, Shane Enright, Killian Young, Kieran Donaghy, Johnny Buckley, Darran O’Sullivan and Patrick Curtin to provide the experienced core.
Donaghy is notably named at midfield alongside Buckley who will captain the team.
The quartet of goalkeeper Brian Kelly, corner-back Fionn Fitzgerald, wing-back Jonathan Lyne and wing-forward Mikey Geaney are all named having been unused substitutes during the defeat to Jim McGuinness’s team last season.
Of the new faces, Brian Looney has been rewarded for excellent club form with Dr Crokes as he starts at corner-forward. Despite the Killarney club facing Ballymun Kickhams in their upcoming All-Ireland senior semi-final in February, the trio of Looney, Fitzgerald and Buckley have been released to play.
Fitzmaurice has also selected Paul Geaney, who starred for Dingle in their march to last year’s county senior final, Mike O’Donoghue, an All-Ireland U21 winner in 2008, and Jack Sherwood, who featured for the Kerry U21′s last year.
Both Geaney and O’Donoghue were previously involved with the Kerry team who won the McGrath Cup in 2011. Amongst the subs there is experience in the shape of goalkeeper Brendan Kealy and Tomás Ó Sé. Both Paul O’Connor and Barry John Keane have previous senior experience while David Culhane and Andrew Garnett are newcomers.
KERRY (SF v IT Tralee): 1. Brian Kelly (Legion); 2. Fionn Fitzgerald (Dr Crokes), 3. Marc Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht), 4. Shane Enright (Tarbert); 5. Jonathan Lyne (Legion), 6. Jack Sherwood (Firies), 7. Killian Young (Renard); 8. Kieran Donaghy (Austin Stacks), 9. Johnny Buckley (captain) (Dr Crokes); 10. Mikey Geaney (Dingle), 11. Darran O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh-Glencar), 12. Michael O’Donoghue (Spa); 13. Brian Looney (Dr Crokes), 14. Patrick Curtin (Moyvane), 15. Paul Geaney (Dingle). Subs: 16. Brendan Kealy (Kilcummin), 17. Tomás Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht), 18. David Culhane (Ballylongford), 19. Paul O’Connor (Kenmare), 20. Barry John Keane (Kerins O’Rahillys), 21. Andrew Garnett (Spa).
