Martin Storey has been named at left corner forward in the Wexford team to play Offaly in the Leinster hurling championship semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday. There are three additions to the team which narrowly beat Dublin, with Rod Guiney, Gary Laffan and Robert Hassett coming in.
Storey, more noted for a leading position in attack, particularly at centre half forward, has been suffering from a chest infection in recent days and his inclusion in the corner would seem to suggest that his fitness is still in doubt.
It is understood that Storey regularly suffers from sinus trouble and has been on a course of antibiotics for the past week. He was involved in a car crash last year where he broke several ribs and suffered a punctured lung, while he has also been hit by the flu and a groin strain recently. Because of these problems, he has missed a considerable amount of training.
Guiney has recovered from injury and is included at right half back instead of Declan Ruth, while Hassett has come in for Darragh Ryan at centre forward. Ryan has a leg injury picked up in the Dublin match.
Laffan, who did not play against Dublin, is selected at full forward, Storey's position in the Dublin game, while Michael Jordan, who wore the number 15 jersey against Dublin, drops to the substitutes. Should Storey be fully fit it will almost certainly mean a reshuffle of the attack named. If he is unfit, Jordan will come in.
Guiney's return should strengthen the side and Hassett may add to the scoring potential of the attack.
The Cavan football selectors last night postponed the announcement of their team for Sunday's Ulster championship replay against Derry in Breffni Park until today. The squad trained at the venue last night.
Gerry Soden, the chairman of the Cavan county board, accepts that home advantage may give Cavan a slight advantage. "However, Derry are a very strong side and will be very difficult to beat. We still have a lot to do," he said.
The former chairman of the Ulster Council of the GAA, Fr Dan Gallogly, died yesterday in the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Born in Ballinamore in Leitrim, he was associated with the GAA for many years. He served on the GAA's management committee between 1989 and 1991 and also represented Cavan on the Ulster Council. He taught at St Patrick's College in Cavan from 1964 and was made president of the college in 1981. During his term as president, St Patrick's won the All-Ireland Colleges football championship in 1972. He also served as chairman of the St Tiernach's Park development in Clones. In recent years he was Parish Priest in Mullagh in Cavan.
Wexford (SH v Offaly): D Fitzhenry; C Kehoe, G Cush, S Flood; R Guiney, L Dunne, L O'Gorman; A Fenlon, R McCarthy; L Murphy, R Hassett, P Codd; T Dempsey, G Laffan, M Storey.
Dublin advanced to the Leinster junior football final as a result of a deserved 1-12 to 0-10 victory over Laois at Portlaoise last night. Laois started well but Dublin took complete control before half-time and a goal in injury time from Ciaran Brady saw the visitors lead 1-7 to 0-5 at half-time.
dublin: R Doolan; P Carey, B O'Toole, G Farrelly; A Farrell (0-1), K Kehilly (0-1), C Goggins (0-2); P Bohan (0-1), T White; G Dolan (0-1), J Nolan, J McNally (0-6); C Brady (1-0), M Doran, L Driver. Subs: J Oliver for L Driver; T Connolly for M Doran. LAOIS: G Dunne; JP Kehoe, B O'Reilly, P McDonald; N Collins, J Murphy (0-2), M Slevin; J Kealy (0-1), M Lambe (0-2); P Dunne (0-2), M Hovendon (0-1), J McDonald; M Fennelly (0-1), J Deegan, B Doogue (0-1). Subs: G Lalor for B O'Reilly; T Gorman for D Doogue.
Referee: J O'Reilly (Longford).
A scoring blitz at the start of the second half which yielded six points in nine minutes helped Meath to a comfortable 0-13 to 1-5 win in the second Leinster junior football semi-final at Navan. Meath had led by only a single point (0-4 to 0-3) at half-time. A goal from a penalty by Joe Fallon in the final quarter sparked a mini-revival for Westmeath but it was too little too late.
Meath: J Curry; M Briody, A Coffey, N Collier; P Curran, N Horan, A Byrne (0-1); I McManus, J Cullinane; N Walsh (0-2), J Carey (0-3), M Crampton (0-1); P Nestor (0-1), S Duff (0-1), F McMahon (0-4). Subs: J Mitchell for Nestor; S Smith for Curran; S Murphy for Byrne.
Westmeath: C McCormack; D Hynes, D Gavin, D Devine; David Molloy, J Lennon, C Coyne; A Corcoran, D Burke; Derek Molloy (0-1), A Maher, R Browne (0-1); J Fallon (1-2), L Giles (0-1), R McDonnell. Subs: V Gavin for McDonnell; P Lynn for Maher; M Fox for D Gavin. Referee: S Doyle (Wexford).
