Sport

Cork bring in Murphy for Meath encounter

Cork and Meath have each made one selection change for their National Football League semi-final meeting in Croke Park on Sunday…

By SEAN KILFEATHER
Wed Apr 21 1999 - 01:00

Cork and Meath have each made one selection change for their National Football League semi-final meeting in Croke Park on Sunday. As expected, Cork line out without Liam Honohan who was injured against Derry. He is replaced by Nicholas Murphy from Carrigaline.

For Meath, Nigel Nestor, who was injured in their victory over Kerry, is replaced by Richie Kealy. Jim McGuinness will take over Nestor's midfield role, with Kealy lining out at right half forward.

Armagh have postponed selection for their clash with Dublin as they await fitness tests on Diarmuid Marsden and Cathal O'Rourke. Dublin, with some minor injury worries, have also postponed selection until tonight.

Marsden missed the victory over Sligo in Longford in the quarter-final, while O'Rourke was injured in that match, having scored four crucial frees in the first half.

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In the meantime, Joe Kernan has stepped down as team manager of the Crossmaglen Rangers team he guided to two All-Ireland club championships.

In Mayo, the saga involving Kieran McDonald and his relationship with the county team took another turn yesterday when team manager John Maughan confirmed that McDonald was no longer a part of his panel.

Maughan, however, insisted that McDonald and the squad had parted on "amicable terms".

Rumours of a rift between Maughan and the Crossmolina forward spread after McDonald dropped out of the squad late last year. He returned to the panel some weeks ago and appeared as a substitute in two Mayo matches.

Yesterday, Maughan announced that McDonald, who is only 24, dropped out again because he was unable to give a commitment to take a full part in Mayo's training programme.

Maughan also denied yesterday that there was friction between himself and Mayo midfielder Liam McHale. "Reports that there was a conflict between me and Liam are news to me. He has had a problem with his back and that is why he was not included in recent matches in the National League," Maughan said.

CORK (SF v Meath): K O'Dwyer; M O'Donovan, S O hAilpin, A Lynch; C O'Sullivan, O Sexton, M Cronin; M O'Sullivan, N Murphy; A Dorgan, J Kavanagh, P O'Mahony; P Clifford, M O'Sullivan, A O'Regan.

MEATH (SF v Cork): C Sullivan; M O'Reilly, D Fay, C Murphy; P Reynolds, H Traynor, D Curtis; J McGuinness, J McDermott; R Kealy, J Devine, G Geraghty; R McGee, N Crawford, O Murphy.