THE contenders for the final eight places in the Compromise Rules squad have been named, with five more Ulstermen battling for a place against Australia in tomorrow’s charity match at Omagh.
As expected Tyrone goalkeeper Finbarr McConnell mans the nets for the Ulster/Galway Select, managed by Sligo boss Mickey Moran, which will take on Colm O’Rourke’s Rest of Ireland team at Healy Park.
Down’s Miceal Magill and Gary Coleman of Derry are in the running for defensive slots, while Donegal midfielder Jimmy McGuinness is selected in the half-forward line alongside Tyrone’s Eoin Gormley.
Six members of the All-Ireland-winning Galway team are in the squad of 19 with the Ulster players, though surprisingly goalkeeper Martin McNamara is not among them, and O’Rourke has picked seven from the defeated Kildare side in his opposing 22.
Seventeen members of the 25-strong Compromise Rules squad have already been nominated, eight of them from Ulster counties, and all but Mayo’s James Nallen and Seamus Moynihan of Kerry will appear at Omagh.
Ulster/Galway: F McConnell (Tyrone), M McGill (Down), G Fahy (Galway), S M Lockhart (Derry), T Mannion (Galway), G Coleman (Derry), K McGeeney (Armagh), S Og de Paor (Galway), A Tohill (Derry), J McGuinness (Donegal), E Gormley (Tyrone), P Brewster (Fermanagh), D Marsden (Armagh), B Devenney (Donegal), D McCabe (Cavan); Peter Canavan (Tyrone), K Walsh, M Donnellan, and J Fallon (all Galway).
Rest of Ireland: E O’Hara (Sligo), B O’Donovan (Wicklow), D Fay (Meath), D Donlon (Roscommon), J Kenny (Offaly), G Ryan (Kildare), F Cullen (Offaly), J McDermott (Meath), D Foley (Tipperary), C McMenamon (Mayo), B Stynes (Dublin), B Cummins (Tipperary), K O’Brien (Wicklow), M Daly (Clare), E McCormack (Kildare); N Buckley (Kildare), P Christie (Dublin), C Parkinson (Laois), A Rainbow, D Earley, D Kerrigan, and J Finn (Kildare).
TYRONE champions Ardboe must tackle Antrim kingpins St John’s at Pomeroy without two key players. Midfielder Michael Coleman is suspended after being sent off in the county final against Omagh, while left hal-fback Sean Doris is on a fortnight’s holiday.
Doris’s position will be filled by either Sean Barry Coney or Eamon Donnelly, and All-Ireland winning Minor forward Brian McGuigan is likely to come in to the starting line-up, meaning positional changes in Coleman’s absence.
Crossmaglen Rangers boss Joe Kernan still has a complete panel to choose from for the home meeting with Mullahoran of Cavan after last night’s training, apart from the anticipated injury-enforced absence of county player Tony McEntee.
Mullahoran backboned by the Bradys, nephews of the famous gunner Brady, bridged a 35-year gap when they defeated Cavan Gaels in the Breffni decider. Rangers’ only defeat over the past three years has been in the Ulster series when they lost last year’s semi-final to Errigal Ciaran.
EXPERIENCED internationals Gerry Taggart and Jim Magilton have been surprisingly named in the Northern Ireland standby list for the vital Euro 2000 qualifying game against Finland on Saturday week.
Although Lawrie McMenemy’s side are expected to gain full qualifying points in the game, the north need to ensure that maximum talent and educated internationals are on display at Windsor Park.
