PAUL GEANEY RETURNS to the Kerry full-forward line for Saturday’s McGrath Cup final against Tipperary.
With James O’Donoghue unavailable for selection, Geaney’s inclusion is one of six changes made by Kingdom boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice to the side which beat Limerick last weekend.
Brendan Kealy returns in goal in place of Brian Kelly, behind an experienced full-back line which sees Marc Ó Sé, Aidan O’Mahony and Shane Enright start ahead of Fionn Fitzgerald, David Culhane and Michael Moloney.
In the half-back line Tomás Ó Sé replaces Killian Young in the half-back line.
Throw-in at Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary town is at 2.30pm on Saturday.
Kerry (vs Tipperary): Brendan Kealy; Marc Ó Sé , Aidan O’Mahony, Shane Enright; Jonathan Lyne, Jack Sherwood, Tomás Ó Sé; Anthony Maher (c), Bryan Sheehan; Michael Geaney, Darran O’Sullivan, Michael O’Donoghue; Barry John Keane, Patrick Curtin, Paul Geaney. Substitutes: Brian Kelly, David Culhane, Andrew Garnett, Barry John Walsh, Paul Murphy, Breandán Kelliher.
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MICKEY HARTE HAS made a total of eight changes ahead of Tyrone’s McKenna Cup final against Monaghan on Saturday.
Four-time All-Star Sean Cavanagh, who scored four points in the semi-final win against Fermanagh last week, is one of the few to avoid the rotation and he lines out again alongside Plunkett Kane in midfield.
The final takes place in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh, with throw-in at 7.30pm on Saturday evening.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Aidan McCrory, Conor Clarke, Barry Tierney; Ronan McNamee, Joe McMahon, Danny McBride; Plunkett Kane, Sean Cavanagh; Tiernan McCann, Peter Harte, Matthew Donnelly; Conor McAlliskey, Stephen O’Neill, Mark Donnelly. Substitutes: Pascal McConnell, Kevin Gallagher, Conor Gormley, Johnathan Lafferty, Cathal McCarron, Darren McCurry, Ryan McKenna, Justin McMahon, Dean McNally, Martin Penrose, Sean Warnock.
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JIMMY BARRY-MURPHY has reshuffled his pack for Cork’s Waterford Crystal Cup quarter-final against Waterford IT.
The Rebel hurlers had a convincing 3-20 to 1-16 win over UCC in the first round last weekend but Barry-Murphy has made seven changes as he looks to freshen things up for the clash in Páirc Uí Rinn.
Shane O’Neill, Stephen McDonnell, Tom Kenny, Pa Cronin, Stephen Moylan and Patrick Horgan all drop to the bench while Sarsfields’ Michael Cussen remains to lead the line, joined by Adrian Mannix and Jamie Coughlan in the full forwards.
Opponents WIT can call upon Déise seniors Stephen O’Keeffe, Liam Lawlor, Noel Connors and Pauric Mahony as well as Kilkenny’s Eoin Murphy, Tipperary’s Liam McGrath and Bernard Burke of Galway for their opening game in the competition.
Cork (v WIT): Anthony Nash; James O’Donovan, Mark Ellis, Pat O’Sullivan; Colm Spillane, Christopher Joyce, Stephen White; Daniel Kearney, Rob O’Shea; Brian Corry, Cian McCarthy, Cormac Murphy; Adrian Mannix, Michael Cussen, Jamie Coughlan. Substitutes: Willie McCarthy, Shane O’Neill, Conor O’Sullivan, Stephen McDonnell, Tom Kenny, Pa Cronin, Stephen Moylan, Patrick Horgan, Paudie O’Sullivan, David Pyne.
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MEANWHILE IN TONIGHT’S Waterford Crystal Cup quarter-final in Abbeydorney, there was a win for Davy Fitzgerald’s Limerick IT who beat Kerry 1-25 to 3-7.
LIT lead by 0-13 to 2-2 at half-time with Willie O’Dwyer and Darren O’Dwyer bagging the goals for Kerry.
Padraig Boyle struck Kerry’s third goal in the second-half but Clare’s Gary Guilfoyle and Limerick’s Paudie O’Brien were in freescoring form to propel LIT to victory.
LIT will now meet either Tipperary or Limerick in the semi-finals which take place on the weekend of 2/3 February.
