O'Sullivan fills Kerry full back spot for Armagh game

GAA/National Football League Team news: Kerry have handed the full back position to Tom O'Sullivan for Sunday's match against Armagh in Tralee in the concluding round of the National Football league. A win for either side could edge them into the semi-final round, although Armagh are far better positioned with two points more than Kerry, and with the superior points difference.

O'Sullivan is in fact Kerry's fourth-choice full back but was moved into the position for their last game - against Tyrone - having originally been named at wing back. The Rathmore clubman did a reasonably good job in containing Peter Canavan and even with Seamus Moynihan, Michael McCarthy and Barry O'Shea still on the injured list, manager Páidí Ó Sé had enough confidence in O'Sullivan to keep him in the position.

The team named last night still shows four changes in personnel and one positional switch from that which eventually fell to Tyrone by two points. Eamonn Fitzmaurice takes over from Roibeard Mac Gearailt at centre back, Seamus Scanlon replaces Donal Daly at midfield, and Aodan Mac Gearailt and Dara Ó Cinnéide are given starting places in the attack in place of Liam Hassett and Eoin Brosnan.

Brothers Tomás and Marc Ó Sé also switch positions in the defence, with Tomás moving to right corner back and Marc named at right wing back. It means Kerry will start with just eight of the side that lost the All-Ireland final to Armagh last September - with O'Sullivan, Mossy Lyons, Scanlon, Mac Gearailt, Paul Galvin, Declan Quill and Declan O'Sullivan the seven changes.

Armagh will start without six of the side that won the title last September, but have still made several changes from the team which lost to Galway last time out. Missing from their All-Ireland side are Benny Tierney, Enda McNulty, Francie Bellow, Oisín McConville, Ronan Clarke and Diarmuid Marsden.

Paul Hearty has since taken over the goalkeeping duties from Tierney, while the other changes from last September sees starting places for Andy Mallon, Paul McCormack, Martin O'Rourke, Barry O'Hagan and Tony McEntee. McConville lost his battle to recover from a back injury in time to be considered.

Kieran McDonald will make his first league start for Mayo in the meeting with Fermanagh - thus dispelling any lingering doubts about his commitment to the county panel. Another two members of the Crossmolina team are also called back - James Nallen at full back and Peadar Gardiner to wing back.

Tyrone, who are guaranteed a semi-final place if they beat Cork, have brought Kevin Hughes into midfield to replace the suspended Cormac McAnallen. Hughes is set to partner Seán Cavanagh, but the latter is one of five injury concerns for manager Mickey Harte.

Cavanagh picked up a foot injury in a club game last weekend, while defenders Michael McGee and Philip Jordan are struggling with hamstring and wrist problems respectively. An Achilles injury dogging Brian McGuigan is responding slowly to treatment, and Owen Mulligan has a back injury.

However, all five players were named in the team last night. It is likely, however, that Harte will be forced to make alterations come Sunday afternoon.

And despite the news of Cavanagh's injury, he is due to feature for the Tyrone under-21s in an Ulster semi-final against Antrim just 24 hours before Sunday's game.

Kildare have left a vacancy at full back for the meeting with Laois, and otherwise have only a few positional switches in the attack. There is one change in the Laois team with Stephen Kelly named at full forward in place of Chris Conway.

Westmeath, practically certain of promotion from Division Two A, have made three changes for their final game against Louth. The changes see Gary Connaughton taking over from Aidan Lennon in goal, Derek Heavin returning to right corner back and James Conroy getting his first league start at wing forward. David O'Shaughnessy and Dessie Dolan are still ruled out through injury.

Limerick, also ideally positioned for promotion, have made a couple of minor alterations for their final game against Wicklow. Stephen Lucey is again ruled out with injury. Jason Stokes will partner John Galvin at midfield, with Conor Fitzgerald coming in as an indirect swap for Pat Brown.

ARMAGH (SF v Kerry): P Hearty; A Mallon, J McNulty, P McCormack; A O'Rourke, K McGeeney, A McCann; J Toal, P McGrane; P McKeever, J McEntee, M O'Rourke; S McDonnell, B O'Hagan, T McEntee.

KERRY (SF v Armagh): D O'Keeffe; T Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, M Lyons; M Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; A Mac Gearailt, D Ó Cinnéide, P Galvin; D Quill, D O'Sullivan, C Cooper.

MAYO (SF v Fermanagh): P Burke; K Mortimer, J Nallen, P Kelly; P Gardiner, G Mullins, A Higgins; D Heaney, J Gill; T Mortimer, K McDonald, AN Other; S Mangan, D Sweeney, B Maloney.

LAOIS (SF v Kildare): F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, K Fitzpatrick, D Conroy; P Clancy, N Garvan; C Parkinson, I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor; B McDonald, S Kelly, D Delaney.

KILDARE (SF v Laois): C Byrne; B Lacey, AN Other, A McLoughlin; D Lyons, D Hendy, A Rainbow; A Barry, A McHugh; K Ennis, J Doyle, R Sweeney; T Fennin, G Ryan, D McCormack.

TYRONE (SF v Cork): J Devine; R McMenamin, C Holmes, M McGee; C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; S Mulgrew, B McGuigan, S O'Neill; B Dooher, P Canavan, O Mulligan.

WESTMEATH: (SF v Louth): G Connaughton; D Heavin, D Mitchell, K Henson; D Kilmartin, D Healy, D Gavin; R O'Connell, M Flanagan; B Morley, S Colleary, J Conroy; F Wilson, G Dolan, A Mangan.

LIMERICK (SF v Wicklow): S O'Donnell; M O'Riordan, D Sheehy, T Stack; C Mullane, J Quane, D Reidy; J Stokes, J Galvin; S Lavin, M Gavin, S Kelly; C Fitzgerald, B Begley, M Reidy.

OFFALY (SF v London): D Kelly; C Daly, G Rafferty, N Slattery; J Kenny, M Mitchell, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; C Quinn, N Coughlan, P Mulhare; P Kellaghan, J Reynolds, B Malone.