Roe calls for lenient suspension for Casey

GAELIC GAMES/National Football League News:Offaly manager Pat Roe has called for his player Ken Casey to be spared a lengthy suspension for what he described as "a misinterpretation". Roe was commenting on the decision of the Central Competitions Control Committee to uphold Longford's objection to the player's participation in the recent National Football League Division Two A match between the counties and strip Offaly of the point earned in the drawn encounter.

Casey had been sent off in an under-21 match and was ineligible to play for the seniors. However, county officials misread new rules in force since January and advised that the player could line out. For playing while ineligible, Casey faces a 24-week suspension under Rule 146 (i).

"In picking Ken we acted on advice we got, which was a misinterpretation not anything underhand," said Roe. "We've accepted the point has been taken away but it would be grossly unfair if he has to serve more than the original month."

Meanwhile Kerry make five changes for Sunday's league match against Limerick in Tralee. Some of Pat O'Shea's alterations are forced on him with injuries to Tomás Ó Sé and Bryan Sheehan, both of whom are named on the bench, and the suspension of Kieran Donaghy.

They are replaced by Brendan Guiney, Ronan Hussey, who in Sheehan's absence also takes over the captaincy, and Séamus Scanlan. Pádraig Reidy and Killian Young make way for Mossie Lyons and Rónán Ó Flatharta.

Tyrone welcome back All-Ireland winning captain Brian Dooher for his first start in nine months, against divisional leaders Donegal. Mickey Harte makes seven changes to the team that lost its first match to Cork.

Kelvin Hughes makes his league debut at centrefield as part of a new combination alongside Peter Donnelly, the pair replacing the injured Seán Cavanagh and Gerard Cavlan. Cavanagh's brother Colm makes way for another debutant Declan Treanor. Ryan McMenamin returns to the defence after a four-week suspension, and in attack Enda McGinley make his first start of the campaign, replacing the suspended Owen Mulligan, and Martin Penrose comes in, after a spell in the half-back line.

Division One B leaders Westmeath make two changes from the side that maintained its 100 per cent record against Down. Former All Star John Keane returns from injury to replace Kieran Gavin and Martin Flanagan comes back into centrefield in place of David Duffy.

KERRY (SF v Limerick): D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, M Lyons; B Guiney, A O'Mahony, R Ó Flatharta; D Ó Sé, T Griffin; R Hussey, E Fitzmaurice, D Walsh; D Quill, S Scanlon, MF Russell. Subs: K Cremin, M Quirke, B Sheehan, P Reidy, P O'Connor, A O'Connell, S O'Sullivan , TÓ Sé.

TYRONE (SF v Donegal): P McConnell; R McMenamin, C McGinley, M McGee; D Harte, C Gormley, D Carlin; P Donnelly, K Hughes; B Dooher, E McGinley, D Treanor; M Penrose, S O'Neill, C McCullagh.

WESTMEATH (SF v Louth): G Connaughton; F Boyle, M Ennis, J Keane; A rigney, D O'Donoghue, D Heavin; D Healy, M Flanagan; F Wilson, D Dolan, J Smyth; A Mangan, P Bannon, Denis Glennon.

LOUTH (SF v Westmeath): S Reynolds; D Brennan, C Goss, A Page; J O'Brien; P McGinnity, R Finnegan; P Keenan, M Fanning; C Grimes, M Brennan, M Stanfield; A Hoey, S Lennon, D Clarke.

FERMANAGH (SF v Mayo): N Tinney; N Bogue, B owens, S Goan; S McDermott, S Lyons, P Sherry; M McGrath, J Sherry; M Little, S Doherty, E Maguire; C McElroy, M Murphy, C O'Reilly.

ARMAGH (SF v Derry): C McKinney; A Mallon, E McNulty, F Moriarty; P McCreesh, C McKeever, T McClelland; P McGrane, J Lavery; P McKeever, C Vernon, Martin O'Rourke; S McDonnell, M Mackin, P Keenan.

CORK (SF v Dublin): P O'Shea; E Sexton, M Shields, K O'Connor; N O'Leary, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Kavanagh, N Murphy; S O'Brien, D Hurley, K McMahon; J Masters, D O'Connor, K O'Sullivan.

WATERFORD (SF v Cork): C Hennessy; D Prendergast, T Feeney, A Kearney; D Coffey, K McGrath, J Kennedy; M Walsh, E Kelly; D Shanahan, K Moran, S Molumphy; S Walsh, S Prendergast, E McGrath.

CAVAN (SF v Sligo): C Anderson; M Cahill, A Forde, K Fannin; R Flanagan, E Reilly, P Brady; D McCabe, N Walsh; R Cullivan, M McKeever, M Cunningham; G Pearson, R Gallagher, J Reilly.

TIPPERARY (SF v Meath): P Fitzgerald; M O'Brien, A Foley, A Morrissey; P Halley, P King, C Maher; K Mulryan, E Hanrahan; S Moloney, H Coghlan, G Hannigan; P Austin, D Browne, B Mulvihill.

OFFALY (SF v London): P Kelly; A Keenaghan, J Quinn, N Grennan; S Casey, S Sullivan, K Slattery; C McManus, K Hogan; J Coughlan, PJ Ward, S Brady; T Deehan, N McNamee, J Reynolds.