Carlow carry on regardless

Life goes on for Carlow footballers, as does the hunt for a new manager. Stand-in manager Brendan Hayden Jnr will finalise his team tonight for Sunday's O'Byrne Cup match with Wicklow at Dr Cullen Park - the county team's first game in over two months - in the knowledge that it could be the first and only time he undertakes such a duty.

Hayden has been forced to delay his team selection as he has to check on the availability of a number of players who are currently undergoing college examinations. But one player unfortunately ruled out of his plans is Eire Og's Colm "Rooster" Hayden who suffered neck injuries in a car accident shortly before Christmas. Rooster, indeed, is likely to miss most of the season because of his injuries.

County Board secretary Tom O'Neill has stated that he expects the search for a new manager to be finalised within the next fortnight. Carlow have been without a manager since early December when Bobby Miller stood down over a decision to disband the Supporters' Club and the players' then refused to play.

A solution to the problem was only found last week with the players' returning to the fold, but Miller insisted he wouldn't come back as manager. Louth will field a much-changed side from the one that beat Kildare last weekend for their O'Byrne Cup encounter with Wexford at Gorey. There are seven changes in the starting lineup - including an entirely new full-back line - due to a combination of work commitments, injuries, holidays and the selectors' desire to "look at one or two players".

Niall Flynn, Ciaran Nash and Christy Grimes make up the fullback line, while Declan O'Sullivan, Gerry Curran, Ollie McDonnell and Stefan White all return to the side.

Cork, meanwhile, feature just four members of the team that lost to Clare in last year's Munster championship for their McGrath Cup semi-final with Tipperary in Fermoy. Goalkeeper Kevin O'Dwyer, defender Owen Sexton and forwards Pat Hegarty and Fachtna Collins are the survivors in what is otherwise an experimental side.

Newly-installed Cavan manager Liam Austin, the former Down player, has re-called Aidan Connolly to the squad. Austin has also appointed Hugo Clerkin as trainer, replacing athlete Catherina McKiernan's coach Joe Doonan.

Meanwhile, Lorcan Redmond and Chris Kane will act as jointmanagers of the Dublin under-21 team this year. The pair were appointed by the Dublin County Board after their first target Dr Pat O'Neill, who led Dublin to the All-Ireland senior title in 1995, turned down the position.

Redmond and Kane were selectors under Mickey Whelan's managerial reign of the senior team and, with some 14 of that senior squad available for under-21 duty this season, it was felt they were in the best position to prepare the side the Leinster Championship. With hurling league champions, Limerick, sunning themselves in Grand Canaria, some of their former players and those on the fringe have an opportunity to impress stay-at-home Eamon Cregan in Sunday's challenge against UCC, who are preparing for the Fitzgibbon Cup.

Leo O'Connor, out of favour for the past two years, and Damian Quigley, who was not considered at his own request for the last 12 months, are in the panel, as is 17year-old Paul Carey, younger brother of Pa and Ciaran.

The system whereby the defeated Leinster and Munster hurling finalists are readmitted to the All-Ireland series has not won favour with Limerick. At the reconvened County Board meeting the Monaleen club were successful in their motion that readmission to the beaten finalists be abolished.

Louth (SF v Wexford): C Nally; N Flynn, C Nash, C Grimes; J Finnegan, G O'Neill, D O'Sullivan; K Reilly, G Curran; O McDonnell, J Donaldson, M Stanfield; S White, P Kelly, J Moroney. Subs: D Brennan, R Rooney, J Levins, A Hoey, E Carr, A Doherty, M Farrelly, N Callan.

Cork (SF v Tipperary): K O'Dwyer; M O'Donovan, D Wiseman, O Sexton; M O'Donovan (Mallow), M Hayes, J O'Connell; N Murphy, M Monaghan; B Walsh, F Collins, M Harrington; F Murray, P Hegarty, A O'Regan.