Murphy gets the call to face Clare

Team newsWaterford hurling manager Justin McCarthy has resisted making any sweeping changes for Sunday's Munster hurling championship clash with Clare. Defeat to Galway in the National League final last Sunday prompted rumours of a major rethink but McCarthy settled on one change in personnel along with his trademark positional switches.

Eoin Murphy is called in at left-corner back, clearing Eoin McGrath for a return to the half-forward line. As a result, Andy Moloney misses out on a starting place, with Dave Bennett and Eoin Kelly forming the midfield partnership.

Otherwise the team follows a similar line to last Sunday. James Murray and Tom Feeney complete the full-back line, while Brian Phelan, Tony Browne and Ken McGrath will fill the half-back line in that order. It is understood, however, McGrath will play at centre back, with Browne moving out to the wing.

There's more moving about in the forward line as Michael Walsh is named at centre forward, Seamus Prendergast at full forward and Paul Flynn in the left corner. But with the exception of goalkeeper Stephen Brenner further positional switches are expected with the throw-in in Thurles on Sunday.

In the Leinster hurling championship the Laois team to play Meath in Portlaoise includes the return of forward James Young, who missed their hammering of Carlow in the first preliminary round with a leg injury.

Though manager Paudie Butler is still without the suspended David Cuddy, Laois' recent fine form - exemplified by their league win over Offaly - means they'll still start as favourites.

In football, the first of the Ulster quarter-finals, involving Cavan and Down, is set for Casement Park. Down will be without their influential midfielder and captain Seán Ward, still suffering the effects of an ankle injury.

Cavan are notably redesigned under new manager Eamonn Coleman, though partly because of injury. Dermot McCabe and Peter Reilly are ruled out with knee injuries, and Anthony Forde at centre back is the only player to retain his position from the similar stage of last year's championship.

Five players will make their debuts - goalkeeper Eoghan Elliott, defenders Trevor Crowe and Anthony Gaynor, and forwards Micheál Lyng and Seanie Johnston. Handball star Paul Brady, recently named All Star handballer of the year for 2003, is named at left corner back.

Ironically, Down earned Cavan's place in Division One league football next year. Yet Cavan do boast the better championship record, winning 13 and losing 10 of their previous meetings.

Meanwhile, confusion still surrounds the reasons behind Seamus Kiernan's decision to resign as secretary of the Longford County Board. An executive meeting was held on Tuesday night where Kiernan expressed dissatisfaction with some of the operations of the county board, including the work of some of his fellow officials, and that was followed on Wednesday with his letter of resignation.

An emergency executive meeting was held last night and a longer statement is expected today. The ongoing court case surrounding footballer David Barden wasn't an influence in Kiernan's decision.

It's also been confirmed Meath forward Joe Sheridan will miss the first-round match against Wicklow on Sunday week after the Leinster Council stood by their decision to impose an eight-week suspension following an incident in an under-21 match last month.

WATERFORD (SH v Clare): S Brenner; J Murray, T Feeney, E Murphy; B Phelan, T Browne, K McGrath; D Bennett, E Kelly; D Shanahan, M Walsh, E McGrath; J Mullane, S Prendergast, P Flynn.

LAOIS (SH v Meath): K Galvin; C Cuddy, Patrick Cuddy, M McEvoy; J Fitzpatrick, Paul Cuddy, R Conroy; D Rooney, J Walsh; R Jones, J Young, E Meagher; T Fitzgerald, L Tynan, D Culleton.

CAVAN (SF v Down): E Elliott; E Reilly, D Rabbit, P Brady; A Forde, T Crowe, A Gaynor; P McKenna, C Collins; L Reilly, M Lyng, M McKeever; G Pearson, J Reilly, S Johnston.