Horan drops Mortimer for Mayo opener

IT MAY be a sign of either their confidence or just the competition for places but either way, Mayo will start Sunday’s Connacht football semi-final against Leitrim without their all-time top-scorer Conor Mortimer.

As the last team to enter the football championship there was plenty of time to consider their options and, in the end, manager James Horan decided on three changes after the comprehensive defeat to Cork in the football league final back on April 29th, with two further players making their championship debuts.

Danny Geraghty is named at midfield in place of Ballintubber club-mate Jason Gibbons, while Alan Freeman and Jason Doherty are named in full-forward line – with Mikey Conroy and Mortimer the players to miss out.

Mortimer’s omission wasn’t expected, given his reportedly rich vein of form in training since the league final – more so, his league form itself was as good as it’s ever been, the highlight being the heavy 0-20 to 0-8 defeat inflicted on Dublin on April 1st, during which Mortimer broke the Mayo football record scoring tally by bringing his overall account to an amazing 14-372 in 94 games.

Mortimer won’t be starting in MacHale Park, but the expectation is he will see action at some stage. Whether Horan doesn’t want to risk injury for perhaps bigger challenges ahead is unclear, but both Freeman and Doherty have also been in good form in recent weeks. There is no room either for midfielder Aidan O’Shea, who had been sidelined for the latter stages of the league with a lower back injury.

There are championship debuts for Westport club-mates Kevin Keane (at corner back) and Lee Keegan (at wing back), who both held those positions for the league final.

Leitrim joint managers Barney Breen and George Dugdale have made three changes to the team that sneaked past London. Daniel Beck comes in for James Glancy at corner back, Enda Williams takes the centre back position (with Fabian McMorrow moving to full back) in an indirect swap with Ciarán Egan, and Shane Moran lines out at midfield in place of Daniel Lowe.

Egan’s omission was expected, given he was reportedly dropped from the panel for disciplinary reasons following the London game – and his absence does weaken the Leitrim defence.

Despite their proximity, Sunday’s game marks only the third meeting between Mayo and Leitrim in the last 17 years.

They last met in 2006 when Mayo won by a point, while Leitrim’s last win was their historic Connacht final of 1994.

Meanwhile, both Dublin and Kilkenny will this evening announce their teams to play in Saturday evening’s Leinster hurling semi-final in Portlaoise.

What is certain is Kilkenny will not be at full strength: Michael Fennelly and Michael Rice will definitely miss out, there are fresh injury concerns about Richie Hogan and Richie Power, and it remains to be seen what role Henry Shefflin will play given his extended lay off with a shoulder injury. There is better news for Eoin Larkin, as he has recovered from an eye injury, with Brian Hogan also fit after a leg injury.

MAYO (SF v Leitrim): D Clarke; K Keane, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; L Keegan, D Vaughan, C Boyle; B Moran, D Geraghty; K McLoughlin, C O’Connor, A Dillon; A Freeman, A Moran, J Doherty.

LEITRIM (SF v Mayo): C McCrann; D Beck, F McMorrow, P Maguire; C Clarke, E Williams, W McKeon; D Sweeney, S Moran; P Brennan, E Mulligan, P McGowan; R Cox, J Glancy, A Croal.

Model Kerry man: Mick O'Dwyer statue

A life-size bronze statue of Mick O'Dwyer will be unveiled in his home village of Waterville this Saturday. The statue was designed by sculptor Alan Hall.

One of O’Dwyer’s former Kerry footballers, Jimmy Denihan TD Minister for the Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs will be present along with retired RTÉ radio commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, acting as master of ceremonies.

The statue is in recognition for O’Dwyer’s 57 years as a Kerry footballer then manager, followed by stints over Kildare, Laois and Wicklow.