DOWN manager Peter McGrath has enlisted three untried talents for the county’s Division 1B game against All-Ireland finalists Kildare.
Clonduff’s Paul McShane, Castlewellan’s Dean Anderson and Owen Woods of Mayobridge all start in a team which will compete for the first time since Ross Carr announced his retirement from the game.
Owen Woods makes up the other half of the Down midfield, alongside new captain Gregory McCartan. Paul McShane goes into the full-back line to team up with Brian Burns and Daniel Flynn, while David Anderson will play at left-half-back.
Down: M McVeigh, D Flynn, B Burns, P McShane, F Caulfield, M Magill, D Anderson, O Woods, G McCartan (cpt), S Mulholland, G Murdoch, A Quinn, M Linden, P Higgins, S Ward.
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FERMANAGH manager Pat King witheld confirming his starting line-up for the Erne county’s game against Tipperary in Division 2B.
Fintan Cahill has not been selected to play for Cavan for their game against Sligo at Markievicz Park. Cahill has yet to return to county training.
Keeper Paul O’Dowd has been ruled out due to injury, is replaced by Darragh McCarthy in a team which welcomes newcomers Alan Curran and Raymond Galligan.
Three players make their league debuts for Sligo among them Peter Walsh (Eastern Harps) who comes into goal for the injured Pat Kilcoyne.
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UNIVERSITY of Ulster Coleraine gained their first Ryan Cup points of the season with a morale-boosting 2-7 to 1-3 victory over Dundalk RTC yesterday.
Dundalk went into the match with five intercounty players including Monaghan quartet Glen Murphy, Colin McAree, Paddy Hughes and Cyril Ronaghan.
The Bannsiders, who included seven freshers at the start in a side much-changed from that hammered by Queen’s 11 days ago, recovered from conceding a goal in the opening minute to go in 1-5 to 1-1 up at the break.
The score of the first half and the entire match was Brendan Powell’s goal on the stroke of half-time.
The Armagh man spotted the Dundalk goalkeeper off his line and lobbed him with a precise shot from 30 yards.
Edwards hit the second clinching goal after half-time when he latched onto a glorious 60 yard ball from half-back Don Monaghan.
Crusaders Irish League goalkeeper David O’Hare lined out at midfield for the northerners.
UUC team: S Gallagher, P Rodgers, P Kelly, M Keenan, J Doran, B Ward, D Monaghan, S O’Neill, D O’Hare, S McKelvey, P McGuckin, S Sullivan, D Edwards, B Powell, G Treacy.
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QUEEN’S freshers overcame a hesitant start against DCU to register a 3-11 to 2-5 success in their opening freshers A football game of the season.
DCU led 1-3 to no score after only 10 minutes after the Belfast team conceded a first minute penalty. However, Aidan Cole, then converted a Queen’s penalty to help the northerners to go in level at 1-3 a piece at the interval.
Queen’s owned the closing stages with Karl Oakes goaling and Kevin McElvanna chipping in with a couple of nice points. Cole’s ex-St Colman’s Newry Hogan Cup team-mate Noel McElvanna was also on the scoresheet.
In addition to Cole and Kevin McElvanna, defender Paul McIvor and Philip Jordan also especially impressed in the Queen’s colours.
