KENNEDY HANDED TIPP’S No3 SHIRT

THE crisis-hit Offaly footballers have turned to former Kildare star Johnny Doyle in their hour of need. In the wake of Stephen Wallace’s removal as senior manager by the county board following last weekend’s Leinster Championship exit at the hands of Wicklow, Doyle took training last night before an interim manager is officially put in place. In team news, Seamus Kennedy has been handed the troublesome No3 spot for Tipperary in a left-field move by manager Michael Ryan. With Walter Walsh making hay on James Barry in the Allianz Hurling League final, the All-Irelandwinning wing-back, who was named at midfield that day, now finds himself on the edge of the square. The player who scored 19 points in his last outing for Clare – Peter Duggan — has been handed the No14 shirt for the Munster Championship opener against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Eleven of the starting 15 from last year’s provincial final defeat by Cork make the cut again. A shoulder injury rules Conal Keaney out of Dublin’s Leinster championship game against Wexford at Innovate Wexford Park, Fiontán McGibb replacing him at centre-forward. Kilkenny’s four-time All-Star corner-back Paul Murphy is back in the starting team after making a big impression from the bench last Sunday against Dublin — after only rejoining the panel in April after a six-month tour of the Lebanon with the Irish army. Tiernan McCann, Lee Brennan and Colm Cavanagh all start for Tyrone in tomorrow’s Ulster SFC quarterfinal clash with Monaghan at Healy Park. McCann has been named in the half-back line after a knee injury sidelined him during the League. Cavanagh has been named at midfield alongside Mattie Donnelly. Conor McManus is selected in his familiar corner-forward spot for Monaghan.