OFFALY HAVE BEEN boosted by the return of Rory Hanniffy for Saturday’s Leinster SHC quarter-final against Wexford in O’Connor Park.
The Birr clubman has been out of action since late March with a broken thumb but was named last night alongside Diarmuid Horan and James Rigney in Ollie Baker’s starting XV.
“He’s put in a lot of work to come back,” Baker told Midlands Sport after last night’s training session.
It was a serious enough injury and it took a look time where the break was for it to come back and knit on but he’s in good form. Certainly come match day he’ll be fit as a fiddle.
Wexford boss Liam Dunne has named four championship debutants for the trip to Tullamore. Willie Devereux and Stephen Murphy come into a new-look full-back line, Shaun Murphy starts alongside Diarmuid Lyng in midfield while Jack Guiney’s impressive league form earns him the full-forward jersey.
The familiar faces of Darren Stamp, Stephen Banville and Harry Kehoe all start from the bench.
Offaly: James Rigney; Derek Morkan, David Kenny (c), David Fracks; Diarmuid Horan, Rory Hanniffy, James Rigney; Conor Mahon, Kevin Brady; Joe Bergin, Colin Egan, Brendan Murphy; Shane Dooley, Cathal Parlon, Brian Carroll.
Wexford: Eanna Martin; Willie Devereux, Keith Rossiter, Stephen Murphy; David Redmond, Matthew O’Hanlon, Ciaran Kenny; Shaun Murphy, Diarmuid Lyng; Garrett Sinnott, Eoin Quigley, PJ Nolan; Rory Jacob, Jack Guiney, Paul Morris.