Walsh opts for five changes in first outing

GAELIC GAMES TEAM NEWS:CORK'S NEW hurling manager Denis Walsh has named his first selection for Sunday's trip to Nowlan Park to take on All-Ireland champions Kilkenny. The side shows five changes from the one that defeated Limerick to round off two wins from two for interim manager John Considine.

Wing backs John Gardiner and Seán Ó hAilpín are injured and their places are taken by Joe Jordan and Ciarán McGann. Jordan is a newcomer, who is enjoying fine form. Man of the tournament last month in UCC’s exciting Fitzgibbon Cup victory in Dublin, he also played a key role for his club, Blarney, as they won the All-Ireland club intermediate title. McGann has come on as a replacement in both of the recent victories over Limerick and Clare.

Other changes see Cathal Naughton give way at centrefield to Kevin Hartnett, who also played well as a replacement for Ó hAilpín in the Clare match and Neil Ronan, who came on last week to hit the injury-time point that saw off Limerick, is rewarded by being restored to full forward in the absence of Kieran Murphy, the Sarsfields player who sustained leg and shoulder injuries last week.

Graham Callanan, a panellist for the past two matches, gets a run at wing forward as an indirect replacement for Paudie O’Sullivan whose place in the left corner of the attack goes to Jerry O’Connor, switched there from the wing where he started last week.

Kilkenny know victory will seal their place in the final whereas Cork need one more point to copper-fasten their Division One status for next year.

Meanwhile, holders Tipperary make five changes to the side that struggled past Dublin last weekend for Sunday’s trip to Salthill to play Galway in a vital NHL Division One encounter. Lar Corbett makes his first start of the campaign having been kept out by injury since the Munster Cup in January. He comes in for Gearóid Ryan. Darren Gleeson gets his first start of the campaign in goal in place of Brendan Cummins, as manager Liam Sheedy continues his policy of rotation. Elsewhere Paddy Stapleton, Patrick Maher and Tony Scroope come in for Brendan Maher, Séamus Hennessy and Noel McGrath.

The competition finalists could be decided this weekend. Should both Kilkenny and Tipperary win, neither can be overtaken in the first two places in the table. Galway and Dublin are in a position to challenge but both must win on Sunday, Galway because they are playing Tipp in a replay of last year’s final and Dublin because they are unlikely to make up any lost ground in their final fixture against Kilkenny.

Six Portumna players have been included in the Galway team for Sunday’s match with Tipperary at Pearse Stadium. Ollie and Joe Canning, Eugene McEntee and Andy Smith all featured in last weekend’s win over Waterford, and they have now being joined in the side by fellow All-Ireland club winners Eoin Lynch and Niall Hayes.

Lynch replaces David Tierney, who is getting married on Saturday, at midfield, while Hayes comes in for the injured Ger Farragher at right corner forward.

Seán Clerkin has signalled his intention to step down as manager of the Donegal Under-21s following Wednesday night’s Ulster semi-final defeat to Armagh, saying clubs in the county urgently need to start “looking past their own gates”.

CORK (NHL v Kilkenny):D Cusack; S O'Neill, E Cadogan, C O'Sullivan; J Jordan, R Curran, K McGann; T Kenny, K Hartnett; B O'Connor, K Murphy (Erin's Own), G Callanan; P Horgan, N Ronan, J O'Connor.

TIPPERARY (NHL v Galway):D Gleeson; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; P Stapleton, C O'Mahony, S Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; P Maher, S Callanan, L Corbett; T Scroope, M Webster, J O'Brien.

GALWAY(SH: C Callanan; D Joyce, E McEntee, O Canning; R Murray, M Ryan, F Moore; E Lynch, A Cullinane; A Smith, C Donnellan, A Callanan; N Hayes, J Canning, N Healy.