Any word on the Offaly team for Saturday ?

[HairyHole]

I see Gooch is ok for Kerry....

Cooper gets starting spot after injury

COLM COOPER'S swift recovery has been rewarded with a starting place against Offaly in Saturday's televised Allianz NFL clash.

The Kerry ace was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury in last weekend's league opener against Cork.

But fears that he could be laid up for a long spell were allayed earlier in the week and Jack O'Connor was happy to name him in his team last night.

Cooper was thought to have done damage to his hip, but it transpired to be no more than bruising and his availability will boost the reigning league and All-Ireland champions who need to win this weekend to have a realistic chance of retaining their title.

There are seasonal recalls for both Willie Kirby and Paul Galvin who did not start the Cork game.

Galvin comes in for Noel Kennelly at right half-forward, with Kirby resuming his midfield partnership with Darragh Ó Sé as the towering Micheal Quirke loses out.

O'Connor has kept faith in a Kerry defence that leaked scores badly in the closing 20 minutes against Cork.

Mike Frank Russell is still out of action after a minor facial operation, but Tom O'Sullivan has been included among the substitutes.

Meanwhile, Trevor Mortimer has answered an SOS call from Mayo manager John Maughan to return home for Sunday's key Division 1A match against Donegal in Ballina.

Mortimer, who is based in Leeds where is studying at the local university, was not expected to feature much for Mayo in the league because of important exams.

But the Shrule-Glencorrib man has agreed to return for the Donegal game as the Connacht champions seek their first league points.

Mortimer hasn't been given a starting place, but can expect to see some action as Maughan looks to add badly required power to his full-forward line.

Maughan has not bothered to name David Brady on the team this week and Ronan McGarrity is also missing, but there is a Ballina player selected as David Clarke takes over in goals from Fintan Ruddy.

Clarke's selection so close to Ballina's AIB All-Ireland club semi-final against Munster champions Kilmurray-Ibrickane constitutes a risk.

With Peter Burke unavailable for the foreseeable future, Clarke will be anxious to put pressure on Ruddy who looks like the number one choice at the moment.

David Heaney has been ruled out with a dead leg he sustained early in the second half of last Saturday's thrilling match with Dublin.

Heaney was replaced by Keith Higgins from Ballyhaunis and Higgins is retained at corner-back, with Pat Kelly moving into Heaney's regular position.

Maughan expressed himself dissatisfied with the performance of his midfield after last weekend's game and Billy Joe Padden, who came on as a substitute, has been retained.

James Gill, who bore the brunt of Maughan's criticism in that department, moves into the half-forward line as Andy Moran loses out.

Another U21 player from last year, Damien Munnelly, has also been dropped as Alan Dillon returns after a groin injury to take his place at full-forward.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has no major injury worries as he prepares to sit down tonight to finalise his team for the visit of Dublin.

What is concerning Harte however is the persistent talk of a rift between himself and Peter Canavan who announced last week that he was withdrawing from the squad for the league.

Harte has once moved to quell those rumours by insisting that there is no rift with his former captain and that the decision was taken with complete harmony.

Cavan, meanwhile, have left a vacancy at corner-back for their Division 2B clash with Wicklow as they await a fitness report on Keith Fannin who was taken off in last weekend's away win over Tipperary.

TG4 will show four matches this weekend, starting with the AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final between Athenry and Toomevara on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Kerry and Offaly Allianz NFL tie in Tralee. Armagh and Galway in Crossmaglen is the main attraction on Sunday followed by deferred coverage of Tyrone and Dublin in Omagh.

KERRY (SF v Offaly) - D Murphy; M Ó Sé, A O'Malley, M Lyons; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; D Ó Sé, W Kirby; P Galvin, E Brosnan, P Kelly; D Quill, R O'Connor, C Cooper. Subs: K Cremin, T O'Sullivan, B Guiney, M Quirke, N Kennelly, K Donaghy, D Doona, L Hassett, B Sheehan.

MAYO (SF v Donegal) - D Clarke; K Higgins, P Kelly, L O'Malley; G Mullins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; B J Padden, J Kilcullen; J Gill, C McDonald, A Kilcoyne; C Mortimer, A Dillon, J Prenty

CAVAN (SF v Wicklow) - J Reilly; M Hannon, C Hannon, AN Other; Paul Brady, P Reilly, A Gaynor; Patrick Brady, P McKenna; M McKeever, M Lyng, S Brady; S Johnson, J Reilly, A Forde.

[The Biff]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/s ... 8498454&x=

From the Examiner's Breaking News

Kilmurray keeps faith for Offaly

Offaly boss Kevin Kilmurray has kept faith with the side that shocked Leinster champions Westmeath last weekend for their trip to Tralee on Saturday night to face All-Ireland champions Kerry.

Tullamore teenager James Keane is rewarded for his successful debut last weekend with the centre-back role.

Former International Rules player John Kenny is also retained as leader of the attack.

OFFALY (SF v Kerry); C McNamara; N Grennan, C Evans, S Brady; B Mooney, J Keane, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; N Coughlan, J Kenny, J Reynolds; C Quinn, N McNamee, J Coughlan.

[azoffaly]

shocked Leinster champions Westmeath

Hardly shocked them.

I heard Niall Mac was carrying a groin injury. Good to see he's fit.

[HairyHole]

I suppose its a good thing to keep the same 15 alright .

It'll be interesting to see how young Keane gets on against a better team.

I hope he brings on a few more players earlier as well if we start to lose it around the middle of the park . If we fall asleep for 20 minutes against the likes of Kerry we'll be hammered out of sight by the time they wake up....

[Lone Shark]

While I can respect the wish not to change a winning team, I do think a little bit of experimentation would be no harm in the league. You don't want to get to the summer and be bringing in lads from the cold - I'd prefer to see a few others that might be needed get a run.

Certainly if Niall Mac is even remotely doubtful, I'd like to see David Egan get another run up front. Equally, players like Neville Coughlan, who we know what he brings and will start in the summer, but will also be suffering from over-use due to his dual status with club and county, could possibly use a week off, or someone like Slattery who again is a nailed on starter but doesn't look like he's as up for it lately as he can be.

Certainly if we have lads like Mark Daly, Jim Grennan, Ciarán Kiely, etc who would benefit from the game, I'd like to see them get a good run. Certainly with the new system where a manager will be reluctant to make early changes in case he gets a raft of late sin bins and is left a player short.