GAA:Pat Gilroy has adjusted the Dublin backline ahead of their NFL Division One clash with Down at Croke Park on Saturday. The Dubs manager has expressed concern over the amount of scores his side has conceded this season and has made five changes to the side that beat Mayo, but shipped 3-13 in the process.
Ballinteer St John’s clubman Nicky Devereux will make his first league start at corner back, while goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton, Philip McMahon and Kevin Nolan are also included among four changes to the defence.
Bryan Cullen returns to the half-forward line, with Michael Savage, Darren Daly, Seán Murray, Paul Casey and Michael Darragh MacAuley the players to miss out.
Alan Brogan retains his position at corner forward but there is no place for his brother, Bernard, who missed the Mayo game having been a guest at the White House for St Patrick’s Day.
Tomás Quinn will captain the side as the Dubs go in search of the point they need to qualify for their first Division One final since in 12 years.
Elsewhere, two former footballers of the year are poised to reappear on the intercounty scene this weekend as Paul Galvin is named in the Kerry team to face Monaghan, while Pádraic Joyce is back in the Galway team for their clash with Armagh.
Galvin, the 2009 footballer of the year, has already made one appearance off the bench, against Armagh, and now makes his first start for Kerry in Inniskeen this Sunday, but Eoin Brosnan, Tomás Ó Sé and Donnchadh Walsh are rested while Bryan Sheehan and Tom O’Sullivan are unavailable.
Meanwhile, the Tipperary hurling team to play Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday shows three changes from the team which drew with Cork last Sunday.
Darren Gleeson comes into goals in place of Brendan Cummins; John Coghlan has his first league start in place of the injured Paddy Stapleton and, up front, John O’Brien starts in place of Noel McGrath.
DUBLIN (FL v Down):S Cluxton; P McMahon, P Brogan, N Devereux; K Nolan, G Brennan, D Nelson; D Bastick, B Cahill; P Flynn, K McManamon, B Cullen; A Brogan, D Connolly, T Quinn.
KERRY (FL v Monaghan):T Mac a t'Saoir; P Reidy, M Ó Sé, A O'Connell; A O'Mahony, K Young, D Bohan; D Moran, A Maher; D O'Sullivan, D O'Sullivan, P Galvin; K O'Leary, K Donaghy, D Geaney.
WEXFORD (FL v Tipperary):A Masterson; N Murphy, G Molloy, A Doyle; B Malone, D Murphy (Capt), A Morrissey; R Quinlivan, D Waters; S ONeill, R Barry, G Sunderland; C Lyng, P Byrne, B Brosnan.
TYRONE (FL v Kildare):P McConnell; M Swift, Joe McMahon, D McCaul; D Harte, C Gormley, R McMenamin; K Hughes, A Cassidy; C Cavanagh, B McGuigan, S Cavanagh; M Penrose, Stephen O'Neill, O Mulligan.
CORK (FL v Mayo):K O'Halloran; R Carey, J O'Sullivan, M Shields; S Kiely, N O'Leary, E Cadogan; A O'Connor, J Fitzpatrick; F Goold, P Kelly, P O'Neill; D Goulding, F Lynch, D O'Connor.
FERMANAGH (FL v Clare):J McGrath; J Woods, B Owens, M Jones; C Quigley, B Mulrone, K Cosgrove; H Brady, M O'Brien; T O'Flanaghan, N Cassidy, R Jones; P Ward, J O'Flanaghan, S Quigley.
OFFALY (FL v Waterford):A Mulhall; B Darby, S Brady, S Pender; S Sullivan, K Slattery, J Keane; R Dalton, B Connor; G Guilfoyle, N McNamee, C McManus; T Deehan, J Reynolds, K Casey.
CORK (HL v Wexford):A Nash; S O'Neill, E Dillon, C O'Sullivan; M Ellis, R Curran, J Nagle; B Murphy, T Kenny; B O'Connor, B Cooper, C Naughton; P O'Sullivan, M Cussen, P Horgan.
TIPPERARY (HL v Galway):D Gleeson; J Coghlan, P Curran, M Cahill; D Young, P Maher, J OKeeffe; G Ryan, S McGrath; B Dunne, P Maher, P Bourke; S Bourke, J OBrien, L Corbett.
KERRY (HL v Limerick):B Rochford; E Fitzgerald, T Murnane, C Harris; P O'Grady, M Conway, J Casey; P Costello, D Dineen; S Nolan, L Boyle, D Fitzell; J Egan, A Boyle, D O'Connell.
MAYO (HL v Sligo):K Jordan; S Connell, D McConn, S Morley; B Higgins, P Connell, M Morley; B Hunt, K Higgins; N Murphy, D McDonnell, S Hoban; R Cullinane, S Broderick, D McTighe.