Doohan replaces Durkin

CHAPIONSHIP 2002/News: Pardaig Doohan replaces the suspended David Durkin in the Sligo team to face Armagh in Sunday's All-Ireland…

CHAPIONSHIP 2002/News: Pardaig Doohan replaces the suspended David Durkin in the Sligo team to face Armagh in Sunday's All-Ireland football quarter-final replay. Durkin got word yesterday of his four-week suspension arising from his sending-off in the drawn match last Sunday week, and Doohan was last night handed left-wing back role.

The significant impact Doohan made in helping Sligo draw back the deficit on Armagh when appearing as a substitute the last day always made him the obvious replacement. He contributed one of the five unanswered points that helped draw Sligo level on the 2-9 to 0-15 scoreline.

There is one other change in personnel - and several more positional switches - from the team that started last Sunday week. Seán Davey starts in attack in preference to Mark Brehony, who drops to the substitutes' bench. Though Brehony started at full forward the last day, Davey has been selected at centre forward. Moving up to full forward is Dara McGarty, who previously played at left wing forward.

It means only Dessie Sloyan and Gerry McGowan - the two corner forwards - hold on to the positions they had in attack the last day. Kieran Quinn goes to right-half forward, and John McPartland to the left wing.

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Though the rest of the team is unaltered, and numbers one to seven are listed as they played the last day, it still contrasts a little with opponents' Armagh who named an unchanged line-up.

Sligo manager Peter Ford is no stranger to such adjustments. He made eight changes to the side that lost to Galway in the Connacht final and that which beat Tyrone in round four of the qualifiers. Four different substitutes were also introduced during the drawn game and two of those - Doohan and Davey - now keep their places.

SLIGO (SF v Armagh): J Curran; P Naughton, N Carew, B Phillips; N McGuire, N Clancy, P Doohan; P Durcan, E O'Hara; K Quinn, S Davey, J McPartland; D Sloyan, D McGarty, G McGowan.

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics