GAA:Eoghan O'Gara has won a surprise recall to the Dublin starting line-up for Sunday's Leinster football semi-final against Kildare. O'Gara impressed off the bench against Laois in the last round but manager Pat Gilroy was not expected to tinker with his front line of Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard and Alan Brogan.
Instead, Kevin McMenamon was dropped from the attack when Gilroy named his team this morning with Alan Brogan moving out to the half forward line and O’Gara handed the number 14 jersey.
Elsewhere, Paul Conlon will make his first championship start in place of the injured Philly McMahon with Paul Brogan overlooked on this occasion. Midfielder Michael Dara MacAuley has been passed fit and will take his place alongside Denis Bastick with Barry Cahill making way.
The main news coming from intercounty squads across the country last night was the return of two famous Tyrone brothers and the possible reappearance of the best Galway forward yet to be recognised with an All Star.
Tyrone, the defending Ulster champions, are inching closer to a full strength line-up as Joe McMahon returns from a two month lay-off ahead of Sunday’s semi-final against Donegal in Clones. This sees Cathal McCarron dropped to the substitutes as McMahon regains the number three jersey.
Although Conor Gormley was named at centre back in the 1-13 to 1-11 defeat of Monaghan on June 5th, he actually operated at full back, with Ryan McMenamin positioned in the heart of the Tyrone defence.
McMahon, who had his jaw smashed playing for Omagh in a club game, is joined in the panel by brother Justin after his recovery from a hamstring problem. The only other change seems injury enforced as Aidan Cassidy, having picked up an ankle injury in a club game, is replaced by veteran midfielder Kevin Hughes.
Owen Mulligan and Tommy McGuigan are notable figures amongst the replacements as they await an opportunity, mainly due to the resurgence of Tommy’s elder brother Brian and former footballer of the year Stephen O’Neill.
Meanwhile, Galway, the last team out in the championship a full 11 weeks after their league campaign ended, could turn to Michael Meehan if things go sour against Mayo on Sunday in Castlebar. Meehan has been plagued by knee and more recently an ankle injury but the 27-year-old has been back running for several weeks now.
Seán Armstrong’s continued absence, due to a torn hamstring, means a heavy reliance remains on 34-year-old Pádraic Joyce to deliver scores if Galway are to progress to the Connacht final against Roscommon on July 17th.
DUBLIN(SFC v Kildare): S Cluxton; P Conlon, R O'Carroll, M Fitzsimons; J McCarthy, G Brennan, K Nolan; D Bastick, MD MacAuley; P Flynn, A Brogan, B Cullen; D Connolly, E O'Gara, B Brogan.
TYRONE(SFC v Donegal): P McConnell; M Swift, Joe McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, P Harte; M Penrose, S O'Neill, M Donnelly.
GALWAY(SFC v Mayo): A Faherty; A Burke, C Forde, J Duane; G O'Donnell, G Higgins, G Sice; J Bergin, F Hanley; O Concannon, M Hehir, G Bradshaw; P Joyce, P Conroy, C Bane.
CARLOW(SFC v Wexford): T O'Reilly; A Murphy, C Lawlor, B Kavanagh; P Cashin, S Redmond, K Nolan; B Murphy, D Foley; P Hickey, T Walsh, E Finnegan; B Murphy, S Gannon, D St Ledger.
WEXFORD(SFC v Carlow): A Masterson; J Wadding, G Molloy, B Malone; A Flynn, D Murphy, A Doyle; R Quinlivan, D Waters; S Roche, C Lyng, B Brosnan; C Morris, E Bradley, R Barry.
ANTRIM(SFC v Westmeath): S ONeill; C Brady, R Johnston, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, A Healey; M McCann, A Gallagher; C Murray, T McCann, M Sweeney; P Cunningham, B Herron, K Niblock.
ANTRIM(SHC v Carlow): C O'Connell; C McGuinness, C Donnelly, K McGourty; A Graffin, M Herron, N McAuley; P Shiels, K Molloy; S McCrory, K Stewart, E McCloskey; C McCann, D Hamill, N McManus.
FERMANAGH(SFC v London): J McGrath; J Woods, B Owens, M Jones; M OBrien, N McGovern, K Cosgrove; R Jones, R OCallaghan; J OFlanaghan, N Cassidy, B Óg Maguire; S Quigley, D Kille, T Corrigan.
LOUTH(SFC v Meath): S Connor; D Byrne, A Hoey, D Finnegan; R Finnegan, L Shevlin, S Fitzpatrick; P Keenan, B Donnelly; D Crilly, D Reid, A Reid; D Maguire, S Lennon, JP Rooney.