NEWS ROUND-UP:THE SLOW BURN GAA football championship, Cork excluded as they can never be accused of under-performing in June, is set to continue this weekend with the only tough call coming on Saturday evening in Tullamore as Kieran McGeeney's rejuvenated Kildare face Seán Dempsey's promising Laois, GAVIN CUMMISKEYreports
Dempsey has kept faith in the side that showed glimpses of a new and fruitful era in an unsure defeat of Louth recently but established defenders Joe Higgins and Tom Kelly could both make a substantial impact off the bench.
For now, championship debutants the last day, Rory Stapleton at corner back and the impressive Ger Reddin at centre back, are retained.
A notable aspect of the new Laois style is the roaming brief handed to Brendan Quigley. A midfielder by trade, he swept in front of the half-back line against Louth but is named again at wing forward.
A long held view of Laois football is they are a county packed full of skilful, yet lightweight footballers can now be dismissed.
Darren Rooney is joined in the half-back line by the powerful John O’Loughlin, while teenager Donie Kingston brings essential steel to the full-forward line to offset the footballing talent of MJ Tierney and Ross Munnelly. Centre forward Bruno McCormack is another to be respected in the contact stakes.
Kildare have been impressive this summer with competent victories over Offaly and Wexford. McGeeney is due to release a team tonight after training, but all their injury concerns have subsided so a decision needs to be made regarding the inclusion of Mikey Conway and Kevin O’Neill.
Mick Foley is expected to retain the fullback slot but Conway will push hard to come back into the half-back line.
Ever the innovators, McGeeney and his assistants Paul Grimley and Niall Carew, were disappointed with the free count against them in the Wexford game but instead of complaining they invited the referee from that match, Meath man Cormac Reilly, to adjudicate in a training game so they could learn from their mistakes.
Their reaction to the refereeing on Saturday night should prove interesting after a number of contrasting displays by officials in the championship to date.
Connacht football champions Galway will also select this evening ahead of their semi-final meeting with Sligo in Markievicz Park on Sunday, but wing forward Damien Dunleavy is definitely ruled out with a groin injury.
Joe Bergin is expected to return to midfield after a knee injury, but it is unlikely he will be partnered by Barry Cullinane who has a similar complaint. Fiachra Breathnach remains the other injury concern.
The game marks Sligo’s first championship outing under new manager and former Galway midfield anchor Kevin Walsh. The two time All-Ireland winner and three time All Star has handed debuts to midfielder Tony Taylor and corner forward David Kelly, but more important is the return of Sligo football legend Eamonn O’Hara and full forward Mark Breheny.
Both men missed out on the division four final win over Antrim with O’Hara named at right-half forward although he is expected to feature around midfield.
Although there are several fresh faces in the line-up and panel, 11 of the men who featured against Galway in the 2007 Connacht final will take the field again. That famous 1-10 to 0-12 victory was their first provincial title since 1975.
Cavan remain unchanged for Saturday’s Ulster football semi-final against Antrim in Clones. Paul Brady and Micheál Lyng are available for selection but both men have been held in reserve. Brady missed the Fermanagh game as he was claiming a fifth consecutive US National handball title in California, while the potentially influential Lyng appears to have recovered from persistent hamstring problems.
Antrim manager Liam Bradley will announce a team tonight but it became apparent this week that their leading young midfielder, Niall McKeever, is to join AFL club the Brisbane Lions in November. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year rookie contract.
In other news, Mike Frank Russell has left the Kerry football panel after reports suggest his frustration with the lack of game time this season. The 31-year-old Laune Rangers forward has won five All-Ireland between 1997 and 2007.
LAOIS (SFC v Kildare): M Nolan;C Ryan, M Timmons, R Stapleton; D Rooney, G Reddin, J O'Loughlin; P Clancy, K Meaney; B Quigley, B McCormack, P O'Leary; MJ Tierney, R Munnelly, D Kingston.
SLIGO (SFC v Galway):P Greene; C Harrison (Capt), N McGuire, R Donovan; M McNamara, N Ewing, J Davey; T Taylor, E Mullen; E O'Hara, A Costello, S Davey; D Kelly, M Breheny, A Marren.
CAVAN (SFC v Antrim):J Reilly; M Hannon, D Sheridan, M Brides; J McCutcheon, E Keating, P O'Reilly; N Walsh, C Galligan; S Brady, R Flanagan, C Mackey; M Reilly, R Cullivan, S Johnston.
