Mayo blend old and new

MAYO FOOTBALL manager John O'Mahony spoke this week about fielding an evolving team on Sunday against Connacht champions Sligo in Castlebar but while three debutants have made the final cut, plenty of familiar faces remain.

Colm Boyle and Tom Cunniffe freshen up the right side of defence but the latter is joined in a vastly experienced half-back line by the fit-again David Heaney and James Nallen.

Ronan McGarrity captains the side from midfield alongside the other first-time championship starter, Tom Parsons, who has the difficult challenge of filling the boots of the retired David Brady.

The Ballina man's brother Ger Brady is a notable absentee.

"If you look at our team during the league you can see the beginning of a transition period," said O'Mahony. "There is experience in the mix as well and some of the 2006 under-21 team have come in so we have a range of players.

"I think there is a sense of realism in the county. We had a poor championship last year so the challenge was to re-energise a team that was maybe suffering from a hangover from the 2006 final defeat. We felt we needed to give new players a go."

The most notable absentee from the panel is Ciarán McDonald. Considered one of the most talented players of his or any generation, the Crossmolina man did not return this season and blamed management for not requesting his presence. He recently claimed he was fit and playing well enough at club level to be considered.

Pat Harte has been named at centre forward.

Sligo captain Noel McGuire will not feature against Mayo after failing to recover from a dislocated elbow, sustained back in April.

Pádraig Naughton continues at fullback but John Davey moves into the half-forward line, with Eoin McHugh moving to defence.

Wexford football manager Jason Ryan has made three changes for the Leinster semi-final against Laois in Croke Park, with Adrian Morrissey and Thomas Howlin rewarded for decent showings off the bench against Meath while Brendan Doyle replaces Paddy Colfer at full forward.

The Dublin hurling manager Tommy Naughton and his Wexford counterpart, John Meyler, have named unchanged sides for the Leinster semi-final replay at Croke Park on Sunday.

MAYO (SFC v Sligo): D Clarke; C Boyle, K Conroy, K Higgins; T Cunniffe, D Heaney, J Nallen; R McGarrity (capt), T Parsons; P Gardiner, P Harte, T Mortimer; C Mortimer, A O'Malley, A Moran.

SLIGO (SFC v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, E McHugh; E O'Hara, K Quinn; B Curran, B Egan, J Davey; G Gaughan, M Breheny, D Kelly.

WEXFORD (SFC v Laois): A Masterson; N Murphy, P Wallace, B Malone; A Morrissey, D Murphy, C Morris (capt); T Howlin, E Bradley; PJ Banville, R Barry, A Flynn; C Lyng, B Doyle, M Forde

WEXFORD (SHC v Dublin): D Fitzhenry; M Travers, K Rossiter, P Roche; M Jacob, D O'Connor, D Stamp; MJ Furlong, C Farrell; PJ Nolan, E Quigley, D Lyng; D Redmond, S Banville, R Jacob (capt).

DUBLIN (SHC v Wexford): G Maguire; N Corcoran, S Hiney, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, J Boland; J McCaffrey, S Lambert; J Burke, D O'Dwyer, K Flynn; D O'Callaghan, J Kelly, R O'Carroll.

FERMANAGH (SFC v Derry): R Gallagher; S Goan, H Brady, P Sherry; D Kelly, R McCluskey, T McElroy; M McGrath (capt), M Murphy; C McElroy, J Sherry, R Keenan; E Maguire, L McBarron, M Little.