Sport

Tohill returns centre stage

ANTHONY TOHILL returns to start his first competitive match for Derry since last June's championship defeat by Tyrone

By SEAN MORAN
Wed Apr 17 1996 - 01:00

ANTHONY TOHILL returns to start his first competitive match for Derry since last June's championship defeat by Tyrone. The twin distractions of soccer with Derry City and serious injury have kept the high regarded midfielder out of action.

His selection for Sunday's National Football League semi final against Mayo is one of three changes in personnel from the team that squeezed out Cavan by a point in the quarter final. Gary McGill makes way for Tohill, while the returning Kieran McKeever displaces young Sean Lockhart and, Damien Cassidy comes in for Declan Bateson.

A catalogue of positional changes include Karl Diamond moving to wing back from corner back and Dermot Heaney taking over at centre forward after playing midfield against Cavan.

Cork make three two forced changes for their semi final against Donegal. Injuries to Niall Cahalane and Steven O'Brien bring about the introduction of Brian Murphy at left corner back and Paudie O'Regan at left wing back. Don Davis regains his wing forward position at the expense of Michael Moran.

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John O'Driscoll, scorer of the winning goal against Kerry, remains on the substitutes bench where he joins Teddy McCarthy who is named despite a wrist injury, sustained during a hurling match.

Opponents Donegal name their team tonight. Manager PJ McGowan confirmed that James McHugh is "doubtful" while Declan Bonner is in hospital and will miss the entire championship. McGowan believes that his team's progress this season had been at a steadier pace than last year. "We're still more or less targeting everything for the game against Down. This time, we've avoided the play off games (it took them two extra fixtures to reach the same stage last year). "last year we'd 11 matches in 12 weeks and hadn't much time to look at other things."

Mayo, meanwhile, won't name their team until later in the week. Problems with the availability of a number of central players necessitate the delay, according to manager John Maughan. Full back Kevin Cahill is suspended, full forward John Casey "90 per cent unlikely" and midfielder Liam McHale "extremely doubtful".