Mayo v Kerry - team.

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KERRY (SF v Mayo): D Murphy; M Ó Se, T O'Sullivan, K Young; T Ó Se, A O'Mahony, B Guiney; D Ó Se, K Donaghy; S O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Kelly; C Cooper, M Quirke, B Sheehan.

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O'Shea gives chances to old and new
Ian O'Riordan

New Kerry manager Pat O'Shea has announced his first team selection for Sunday's league opener against Mayo at Castlebar - the rematch of last year's All-Ireland final when Kerry proved convincing winners.

As expected for this time of the year there is a blend of old and new - partly enforced through the retirements of Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy. This helps give starting places to corner back Killian Young from the Renard club and also to wing back Brendan Guiney, while Paddy Kelly returns to the forwards, all members of last year's panel.

Also missing are forwards Paul Galvin and Declan O'Sullivan, who have taken a break from the game and are in Australia at present - although they will return in March in time for the latter rounds of the league.

Kieran Donaghy is named at midfield rather than at full forward, where he starred last summer, and instead it's fellow basketball star Michael Quirke who gets to wear the number 14 shirt.

Seán O'Sullivan and Aidan O'Mahony are also named and were both part of last week's All Star tour to Dubai, and as a result may be a little short of match fitness. Colm Cooper is named at right corner forward with Bryan Sheehan in the other corner, who has also been named as captain.

Otherwise the team has an established feel, with all three Ó Sé brothers - Marc, Tomás and Darragh starting - as well as experienced goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy and defender Tom O'Sullivan, who moves from corner back to full back to take over from McCarthy.

Opponents' Mayo look set to be without midfielder Ronan McGarrity because of injury, with Pat Harte, Keith Higgins and Liam O'Malley also carrying injuries. Definitely absent will be Ciarán McDonald, who will be sidelined for several more weeks with a back injury.

In hurling, Tipperary manager Babs Keating has restored Eoin Kelly to his customary corner forward position for Sunday's Waterford Crystal Cup hurling final against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

[joan]

Good luck to Pat and his selectors tomorrow. Best wishes to the new players especialy donnagh Walsh good to see Paddy Kelly back also. Hope this fourm takes off I really miss the craic

[joan]

ok well things did not go as planned. Did anyone go to the game. We did not get it on radio kerry either pc problems. Fill me in

[austinstacksabu]

Only heard patchy reports myself out foreign - somehow the Superbowl was getting just a little more attention.

I heard that we were patchy, that Donaghy's double yellow didn't help things with a few minutes to go, but that the fight was there which was good. Reports were good on Gooch and Bryan Sheehan.

But no word on Quirke.....anybody see it?

Also, good to be back chatting GAA. I wintered well, but need to shed a few pounds of the fingers at this stage!!

[joan]

good to have you back and thanks for getting this up and running

[joxer]

Yeah, well done ASA on getting this up and running. Quirke was...well, Quirke as he has been previously in inter-county football I'm afraid. Having the ball punched away from him too easily. No aggression in his determination to win ball...bit too obvious, none of Donaghys cuteness or ability in evidence. Don't think he'll start the next day and would be surprised if Donaghy is not restored to the edge of the square for next sat. night. Especially with Gooch and Bros likely to be rested. Tommy Griffin made a good impression when coming on at half-time. Don't know if Tomas O'Se injury will cause him to miss next saturdays match...hopefully not but Darren is out with a broken hand for much of the rest of the league. Killian Young and Brendan Guiney both did well in my opinion but Paddy Kelly failed to impress again. For Michael Quirke and Paddy Kelly, they either grab the opportunity if offered on saturday night or forget about it...time moves on and its time they realised their ability and delivered. Donnacha Walsh overdid the ball carrying and was too easily dispossessed but should get another chance. Declan Quill did ok too but I'd like to see a bit more of the sharpness but to be fair, its early february and hes been criticised before (by me among others) for being very good in the early rounds of the league and disappearing as the league progressed. That having been said, Gooch is looking sharper and hopefully that will continue. Donaghys sending off was a joke...a foul yes but yellow card??...a little common sense would suggest No.

[branch]

Limited reports also here in LA, but heard Quirke didn't impress to much. Heard Dara had a good game! Is this true? Also heard the Gooch and Brian Sheehan were impressive enough.

[joan]

Hey Joxer good to hear from you. Thanks for the reports. I am a fan of Paddy Kelly and have hoped that he would make it but I also hear he was poor enough. Quirke ......well!! Donnach Walsh I hope he get another crack at it as he played in NY for us and we were impressed with him
How did Darren break the hand and what injury did Thomas get??? what do you make of Killian Young, a bit green but has tremendous potential i think?

[falveyb2k]

Bryan Sheehan was a disaster from opne play although his frees were immaculate. He was constantly behind his man and couldn't win 50/50 balls, I think his future lies either at centre forward or midfield where his lack of pace won't curtail him as much. From 1 to 9 we were as good as always even if we did have a few problems early on under the high ball. Killian Young was excellent while Guiney was solid and commited. Up front though we couldn't win ball aoart from Cooper. O Sullivan and Brosnan had nightmares in particular and Galvin was a huge loss in this regard. It looks like we'll have to go back to Donaghy at 14 but his petulance by constantly engaging in verbals with the ref hurts the team eventually. It's something I though he matured out of but hopefully he'll learn his lesson now.

[kerrygold]

falveyb2k said:

Bryan Sheehan was a disaster from opne play although his frees were immaculate. He was constantly behind his man and couldn't win 50/50 balls, I think his future lies either at centre forward or midfield where his lack of pace won't curtail him as much. From 1 to 9 we were as good as always even if we did have a few problems early on under the high ball. Killian Young was excellent while Guiney was solid and commited. Up front though we couldn't win ball aoart from Cooper. O Sullivan and Brosnan had nightmares in particular and Galvin was a huge loss in this regard. It looks like we'll have to go back to Donaghy at 14 but his petulance by constantly engaging in verbals with the ref hurts the team eventually. It's something I though he matured out of but hopefully he'll learn his lesson now.

i agree fully as regards sheehan,its as obvious as clear as day follows night that sheehan is not a full forward line player and has being so since he made his debut v mayo in the semi final '05.
Maybe they should do the lad a favour and give him plenty of games further out the field and try and let hin establish his place on the team.Theres no point sticking him in corner forward to take the frees if he is not contributing from play.

i agree also as regards the backs,i can never understand what the national media are on about when they continiously claim that kerrys back are weak.I think its total rubbish.Theres defenders in that back line as good as anything that wore the green and gold before them.


Keiran always seems to get into trouble when playing further out the field,maybe his game is stretched out there and he is more suited to the fullforward line.

[watchdahop]

Donaghy is supsended for the next Cork game. This is because of being sent off twice for yellow Cards within a year. Its the same type of supsenion that kept him out against Cork in the MF replay last year.
Apparently its Frank Murphy who brought in the rule.
Its must be a conincidence that he is suspended twice against cork on the same rule.
The yellow cards the last day were a complete Joke. What Donaghy did either time did not merit a sending off.
Think Star should stay in the full forward line.
Agree that Sheehan and Quirke seem to lack a little of the require pace for the full foward line.
We are down in relation to forwards for next Sunday with Gooch Brosnan Darren Declan Paul Galvin and Star all unavailbable.

[seamus]

Sheehan is actually a disaster in the corner. It has not worked at all. He becomes more like a American football kicker who just comes on for the frees. Give him a run out the field to establish hmself. Remember he has played midfield for South Kerry in this years championship although he may be suited to 10 or 11 with galvin and declan away.

[branch]

Yeah, way too harsh on Donaghy!
All I'll say is two words 'Frank' 'Murphy'

[austinstacksabu]

Funny that Frank would bring it in when Fionnan Murrays antics a few years ago were one of the reasons they brought it in!!