The tinkering goes on, and Tyrone manager Mickey Harte – continuing a revolving door policy aimed at utilising his panel – has made three changes from the team that suffered a first defeat in the National Football League Division One campaign against Cork for tomorrow’s trip to face unbeaten Dublin at Croke Park.
Ciarán McGinley and Mark Donnelly have been drafted back into the attack in place of Patrick McNiece and Ronan O’Neill. In defence, Justin McMahon has been brought back into the team – at centre-half-back – to replace Ryan McKenna.
McGinley and Donnelly both made appearances as substitutes in the home defeat to Cork.
Laois changes
Justin McNulty has made three changes in defence to the Laois team for the Division Two meeting with Galway in Portlaoise: Kieran Lillis, Pádraig McMahon and Darren Strong have been brought in for a game which the home side must win to reinvigorate their campaign.
McNulty has completely revamped the half-back line from that which featured against Westmeath, with McMahon and Strong joined by John O’Loughlin, who moves back from midfield.
Brendan Quigley, who was sent off for receiving two yellow cards against Westmeath, is partnered in midfield by Conor Boyle. Louth pair Dessie Finnegan (shin) and Conor McGuinness (wrist) are doubts for the trip to Armagh.
Earley to miss out
Kildare midfielder Dermot Earley – who suffered a back spasm in the warm-up prior to his side's defeat to Dublin last Sunday – will miss out on his team's trip to face Cork tomorrow but hopes to return to training next week.
“It’s still quite painful . . . it just happened, your back kind of tightens in a certain area and you’re not mobile. It is painful and obviously can have an effect on nerves,” said Earley, speaking at the Cadbury’s Hero of the Future Award in Croke Park yesterday.
Earley, who has been dogged by injury in recent years, suffering a cruciate knee injury in 2010 and undergoing further surgery on cartilage in the knee last September, claimed the spasm was typical of the kind of niggling injury that came during the recovery period following more serous injuries.
“It just hasn’t eased out on me this week at all. I’ve been trying to, as best I can, but you really can’t do anything with it until it does ease out,” he said.
Earley, who has played only one full club game since recovering from his latest knee surgery, said: “You forget about why you’re doing it sometimes, why you’re working hard at rehab and that. It’s because we enjoy playing football. There was a great sense of satisfaction coming off the field that day after that game with the club.”
Ballymun change
Ballymun Kickhams manager Paul Curran has made one change from the team that overcame Dr Crokes in the semi-final for the All-Ireland club football championship final with St Brigid's of Roscommon in Croke Park on Sunday.
Elliot Reilly, who made an appearance as a substitute in the semi-final, replaces Conor Weir in the Dublin team’s attack.
