Sligo make drastic changes

Sligo have named a drastically altered team to take on Tyrone in the fourth round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers, the first part of a double-bill at Croke Park on Sunday.

From the team that fell to Galway in the Connacht final last month, there are six changes in personnel and also several positional switches.

The entire full back line has been changed, with Nigel Clancy back from long-term injury to start at full back. Mark Cosgrove goes into the right corner, and Brendan Phillips moves from wing back to the left corner, a switch that was actually made in the course of the defeat to Galway.

Noel McGuire and David Durkin are both introduced in the half back line at the expense of Pádraig Doohan (injured) and Michael Langan. The midfield pairing of Eamonn O'Hara and Paul Durcan is unchanged, but there are three further switches in the attack.

Dara McGarty comes in on the wing in place of Tommy Brennan, a move that also occurred in the Galway game, while the emerging Kieran Quinn is given his big chance in the other wing forward position, in place of Brian Walsh. Up front, John McPartland is also given a starting place in preference to Seán Davey, another change that took place in the Galway game.

Opponents Tyrone have made three changes - two enforced - from the team that beat Derry in the third round. Goalkeeper John Devine (dislocated shoulder) and wing forward Gerald Cavlan (broken jaw) were both definite non-starters.

Peter Ward takes over from Devine in goal, while Declan McCrossan comes into the left wing forward position in place of Cavlan.

With Jarlath Quinn dropped from midfield, Cormac McAnallen moves back to the position he has so frequently held in the past, having started at centre forward the last day. Coming into centre forward in his place is the experienced Pascal Canavan, the 34-year-old elder brother of team captain and corner forward Peter Canavan.

Elsewhere, Donegal make just one enforced change from the team that fell to Armagh in the Ulster final last Sunday week for their meeting with Meath in the second part of the double bill. Defender and team captain Mark Crossan was ruled out with injury after suffering knee ligament damage in the second half of the Armagh game, and into his place at full back comes Eamonn Doherty.

Meath have announced an unchanged from that which brushed past Laois in the third round. Defender Hank Traynor was once again ruled out with injury, though there are a couple of positional switches in the attack, with Adrian Kenny at left corner forward and Richie Kealy at left wing forward, the positions which they actually adopted against Laois.

Doherty, who gets his first championship start this season, also replaced Crossan in the course of the Ulster final.

It was announced yesterday that Croke Park will be opening sections of the upper tiers of the Cusack and new Hogan Stands. DONEGAL (SF v Meath): T Blake; S Carr, E Doherty, N McGinley; R Sweeney, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; J Gildea, J McGuinness; C Toye, M Hegarty, B Roper; A Sweeney, B Devenney, P McGonigle.

SLIGO (SF v Tyrone): J Curran; M Cosgrove, N Clancy, B Phillips; N McGuire, D Durkin, P Naughton; E O'Hara, P Durcan; D McGarty, M Brehony, K Quinn; D Sloyan, J McPartland, G McGowan.

TYRONE (SF v Sligo): J Devine; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, C McGinley, P Jordan; C McAnallen, C Holmes; B Dooher, Pascal Canavan, D McCrossan; B McGuigan, S O'Neill, Peter Canavan.

MEATH (SF v Donegal): C Sullivan; M O'Reilly, D Fay, C Murphy; P Shankey, N Nestor, P Reynolds; N Crawford, J Cullinane; E Kelly, T Giles, R Kealy; O Murphy, G Geraghty, A Kenny.