Moloney set to make debut for Waterford

GAA: Former Tipperary hurler Andy Moloney will make his debut for Waterford in Saturday's National Hurling League meeting with Meath. Moloney last year transferred from his Tipperary club Cahir to Ballygunner and within the last few days was cleared by the Munster council to play his county hurling with Waterford.

GAA:Although he still held out some hope of getting recalled into the Tipperary panel, Moloney decided the time had come to commit to Waterford. Before Christmas he played a significant role in Ballygunner's winning run in the Munster club championship and has been resident in Waterford for the last number of years.

Now 27, this transfer represents something of a second coming for Moloney. He played with the Tipperary minors in 1993, then with their All-Ireland winning under-21 side in 1995. He also appeared for the seniors later that summer and in subsequent league matches, but was dropped from the senior panel in recent years.

Following Ballygunner's defeat to Clarinbridge in the All-Ireland club semi-final last month, Moloney started training with the Waterford seniors, and manager Justin McCarthy has named him at centre forward for Saturday's game in Dungarvan - although he mostly played at wing forward with Ballygunner.

Interestingly, he now joins up with Brian Flannery, another former Tipperary under-21 player, in the Waterford team. Moloney's introduction is one of three changes from the team that lost to Kilkenny in their opening game, with Seán Cullinane returning to full back and Stephen Frampton to wing back.

There is also a vacancy at full forward, meant originally for the injured Sean Daly. Instead it looks like Ken McGrath, who was intending to rest, will now start.

Elsewhere, Barry Lambert will get his first senior start for Wexford in their Division 1B meeting with Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, also on Saturday. From the St Martin's club, Lambert is named at left corner forward, due in part to his positive display in last Sunday's Walsh Cup victory over Kilkenny.

Lambert was also a member of last summer's breakthrough under-21 side, which won the Leinster title. He then made a brief appearance with the seniors in the All-Ireland semi-final replay against Tipperary.

Larry Murphy, who scored the winning point against Kilkenny last Sunday, has recovered from a knee injury and starts at full forward, though fellow forward Barry Goff was ruled out with an ankle problem.

New team captain Larry O'Gorman returns to midfield, while two recent newcomers, Eddie Doyle and David O'Brien, retain their places at centre back and midfield respectively.

Galway have called on another goalkeeper for the meeting with Kilkenny at Ballinasloe on Sunday. Peter Commins from Gort takes over from Liam Donoghue of Clarinbridge, who became the regular number one following the dropping of Michael Crimmins, but this weekend is being rested ahead of his club's All-Ireland final on St Patrick's Day. Otherwise, the team remains unchanged from that originally selected to play Dublin earlier this month - a game now re-scheduled for March 30th.

Dublin hurling manager Kevin Fennelly has handed league debuts to four players for Sunday's game with Clare at Cusack Park. The side is slightly changed from the one selected to face Galway, with O'Tooles duo Philip Brennan and Kevin Ryan taking the corner-back positions while in attack Kilmacud's Pat Maguire and Ballyboden's David Curtin also get first starts.

Brennan and Curtin played in Dublin's league relegation play-off victory over Antrim last year. Curtin now comes in at left corner-forward for Kevin Flynn, who is away.

Clare, who recorded a comprehensive win over Meath in the opening game, welcome back defenders Frank Lohan and Seán McMahon. Lohan was rested for the first round win, while McMahon was on the injured list. They replace Ken Kennedy and Conor Harrison.

DUBLIN (SH v Clare): B McLoughlin; P Brennan, S Perkins, K Ryan; C Meehan, L Ryan, S Martin; D Sweeney, T Moore; C Keaney, D Spain, S Hiney; G Ennis, P Maguire, D Curtin.

CLARE (SH v Dublin): D Fitzgerald; C Forde, B Lohan, F Lohan; D Hoey, S McMahon, C Plunkett; C Lynch, J Considine; T Griffin, O Baker, J O'Connor; N Gilligan, T Carmody, D Forde

WATERFORD (SH v Meath): S Brenner; T Feeney, S Cullinane, B Flannery; S Frampton, J O'Connor, J Murray; P Queally, T Browne; D Shanahan, A Moloney, P Fitzgerald; E Murphy, AN Other, P Flynn.

WEXFORD (SH v Cork): D Fitzhenry; D O'Connor, D Ryan, R Mallon; K Furlong, E Doyle, D Ruth; D O'Brien, L O'Gorman; D Stamp; A Fenlon, R McCarthy; M Jordan, L Murphy, B Lambert.

GALWAY (SH v Kilkenny): P Commins; G Kennedy, C Moore, O Canning; J Culkin, B Higgins, J Hodgins; R Murray, R Gantley; D Tierney, O Fahy, K Broderick; F Healy, E Cloonan, D Hayes.

WATERFORD (MF v Cork): S Kett; D Hickey, S Prendergast, B Franey; M Prendergast, J Collins, L Lawlor; E Walsh, K Millea; S McGrath, L Lonain, B Prendergast; S Power, M Cummins, D Fives.

TIPPERARY (SF v Wexford) P Ryan; B Hahessy, N Kelly, M Sheahan; S Maher, S Collum, W Morrissey; K Maguire, M Tarrant; P Cahill, F O' Callaghan, D O' Brien; T Ormond, L England, B Hickey.

TIPPERARY (U-21F v Limerick): B Enright; N Sheehan, S Maher, M Phelan; R Costigan, N Fitzgerald, P King; M Peters, E Kearney; D Gleeson, K Mulryan, T Doyle; G Burke, P Foley, E O' Brien.

LOUTH (SF v Antrim): S Reynolds;S Gerard, D Shevlin, D Brennan;A Page, A Hoey, J Neary; S O'Hanlon, M Farrelly (Capt);B Clarke,C Grimes, O McDonnell; D Reilly, M Stanfield,JP Rooney.