Back from the sun, Meath feel the cold

WHILE Mattie Kerrigan resisted the temptation to conscript a large contingent of Meath's All-Ireland winning side when the Leinster team was finalised last night, he did, nevertheless, opt to elevate Graham Geraghty to a place on the starting team for the Railway Cup final against Connacht at Castlebar on Sunday.

Geraghty, proficient in either defence or attack, has been drafted in at left-half forward on the Leinster team at the expense of Dublin's Ciaran Whelan. This is the only change from the starting 15 who enjoyed a semi-final win over Ulster, last Sunday week.

Team boss Kerrigan had planned for the semi-final without the Meath squad, who were away in the Canaries, and decided not to tinker with a winning formula, despite their availability on this occasion. Geraghty was introduced as a substitute in the semi-final.

Fears that Wicklow attacker Kevin O'Brien would miss Sunday's decider were allayed at last night's training session when he was deemed fit enough to be named.

Another Wicklow player, Hugh Kenny, also keeps his place on the team, ahead of Louth's Gareth O'Neill who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring strain last Sunday. The selectors felt it was more prudent to stick with Kenny.

It's an indication of the current strength of football in the province that the Leinster selectors have used players from seven different counties to complete Sunday's team, with Louth and Kildare (three apiece) best represented. Tommy Dowd, one of just two Meath men in the starting line-up, will fill the captain's role.

Meanwhile, Connacht captain Pat Holmes - who sustained an ankle injury in Mayo's National League encounter last Sunday has been passed fit to lead out the host team.

There is just one change to the team which accounted for Munster in extra-time in the semi-final. Galway's Damien Mitchell comes in at centre-half back, a move facilitated by no less than five positional changes. Mayo's James Horan, who lined out at left-half forward in the semi-final, is relegated to the substitutes bench to make way for Mitchell's elevation.

The widespread positional changes see James Nallen shift from the pivotal defensive position to partner fellow Mayoman Liam McHale at centrefield; Declan Darcy moves from full-forward to centre-half forward; Tom Ryan switches from centrefield to left-half forward; Colm McManamon is moved from centre-half forward to right-corner forward and Nigel Dineen is changed from right-corner forward into the full-forward position.

Mayo and Galway have the largest representation on the team - five - as Connacht attempt to claim the title for the first time since 1969.

All-Ireland hurling champions, Wexford, have seen their new management team wield the axe, with no fewer than six of last year's winning panel being omitted from their new-look squad.

New team manager Rory Kinsella and his two selector colleagues have surprisingly omitted under-21 stars Declan Ruth and Jim Byrne. Also out in the cold are: Liam Turley; Tomas Codd; Joe Kearns and M J Reck.

The newcomers include reserve goalkeeper Brian Ivers, Eugene Furlong, Ciaran Roche, Michael O'Leary, Martin Byrne, Austin Codd, James Purcell, and Robert Hassey.