Kildare have named the team which finished the replay against Dublin for the Leinster semi-final against Laois at Croke Park next Sunday. This means that Shay Dowling, who came on for Ken Doyle early in the Dublin match, will retain his position at left half back.

There had been some speculation about the fitness of Dowling before the drawn match but, after he had come on for Doyle in the first 10 minutes against Dublin and lasted the match his fitness ceased to be a problem. Laois, who will not name their side until today, have a number of injury worries. Ian Fitzgerald is definitely out of contention with a medial ligament injury but Declan Rooney and Derek Conroy are both strongly in the reckoning for places in the side. Rooney, a dual player, and Conroy, a prominent member of the under-21 squad, are confidently expected to make the side as they have been doing very well in training.

Donegal have named the same 15 who played against Cavan in the semi-final for Sunday's Ulster final against Derry at Clones. They have, however, made two positional alterations to the line-out. Noel Hegarty moves from centre half back to midfield while Martin Coll switches from midfield to centre back. The other change sees corner backs Barry McGowan and Mark Crossan switching positions, with McGowan going to the right corner. Derry have named a reasonably predictable team for the match. Gary Coleman comes in at left corner back for Paul Diamond and Joe Cassidy returns after suspension to take his place in the left corner forward position.

Enda Muldoon, who occupied the corner forward position in the semi-final win over Armagh, reverts to his best position at midfield and the man to lose out is Dermot Heaney, who started at midfield against Armagh. The last time the teams met in the championship was in the provincial final also. That was in 1993 when Derry won by 0-8 to 0-6 on a farcical day when the pitch at Clones was water-logged after a downpour which lasted for an hour.

Many felt that the match should have been postponed and this view was confirmed when a young player in the minor match sustained a broken leg which could be attributed to the conditions. Donegal and Derry have remarkably similar records in championship fare. Derry have won six provincial Ulster titles while Donegal are one behind on five and both are level on All-Ireland titles with one each.