LAOIS have named four players new to senior football for their National League quarter final against Derry at Croke Park on Sunday. Three of the newcomers are in the defence, including the centre half back, Derek Conroy, who played at minor level last year. Martin Delaney, who plays at left half back, is also one of last year's minor team, but he has previous senior experience.
The others who are playing for the first time are the two cornerbacks, John Deegan on the right and Colm Burke on the left, while Mark Rooney will line out at full forward.
Hugh Emerson, who played throughout the league at centre half back, moves up the more, familiar centre half forward position to make way for Conroy. Veteran Leo Tulley will play at left corner forward and Tom Bowe moves to right corner forward.
Kieran McKeever, Joe Brolly and Joe Cassidy, who missed Derry's nine points to six victory over Meath in their last league outing, are all expected to face Laois.
Anthony Tohill, who has been nursing a leg injury and missed a training session during the week, is also expected to play.
Johnny McBride comes into the team at full back and Gary Coleman moves from the right wing of the defence to the left, with Sean Lockhart coming in on the right. Karl Diamond moves from left half back to right half forward.
It seems certain now that Down will start their quarter final match against Kerry, also at Croke Park on Sunday, with three All Ireland medal winners on the bench. As already reported, Greg Blaney, James McCartan and Peter Withnell have rejoined the Down squad for the rest of their league campaign and for the championship, but none of them is include the starting line up for Sunday.
Nevertheless, Down will field a very impressive team, with players of the experience of Conor Deegan, Ross Carr, Greg McCartan, John Treanor, Gary Mason and Mickey Linden all included from the start.
The likelihood is that the previously mentioned trio will be called into action only if things are going very well or very badly.
Kerry have selected from a full panel. Maurice Fitzgerald is selected at left corner forward but 45 unlikely to spend the full hour in that position. A player of his enormous talent would seem more suited to the half forward line. Yet the Kerry full forward line of Genie Farrell, Dara O Cinneide and Fitzgerald is sure to cause the Down full back line of Finbarr Caulfield, Conor Deegan and Liam Howlett some headaches if the Kerry midfield of Dara O Se and William Kirby can get a reasonable supply of the ball.
Kildare still haven't decided on their line up for their quarter final against Offaly in Navan, and will consider their options later today, after they have received reports on the fitness of Glen Ryan and Martin Lynch. Needless to say, the absence of one or the other - or even both - would pose considerable problems for Kildare, which would require a fairly drastic reappraisal of their available forces.
Kildare are confident that, if the pair are fit, they can beat Offaly and advance to the semi final, but Offaly have shown that their sojourn in the fourth division was merely of a temporary nature, and they expect to give Kildare a stern test.
Tyrone expect to be at full strength for their vital relegation play off against Cavan at Clones. They have named a particularly potent attack, with Gerard Cavlan, Pascal Canavan and Ciaran McBride in the half forward line and Eoin Gormley, Stephen Lawn and the captain, Peter Canavan in the full forward line.
