Moran named at full-forward as Kingdom bid to take down Dubs
DAVID MORAN is a surprise inclusion at full-forward in the Kerry team to face reigning League and All-Ireland champions Dublin in tonight’s mouthwatering Division 1 clash in Tralee (7.0).
Kingdom boss Peter Keane looks set to experiment with the towering Kerins O’Rahilly’s clubman – renowned as one of the best midfielders in the game and a former All-Star – at the edge of the square in an attempt to capitalise on the new ‘attacking mark’ rule which is in force for this year’s League.
Kerry have started life under Keane in impressive fashion with victories over Tyrone and Cavan, with no goals conceded, and if they were to inflict a second defeat in three games on Jim Gavin’s side, it would dent Dublin’s hopes of back-to-back League crowns.
The addition of Moran – who makes his first start of 2019 – is one of two changes with Dara Moynihan also coming into attack as Jonathan Lyne and Killian Spillane lose out.
Meanwhile, Kieran Molloy and David Shaw have been handed a chance to feature in next weekend’s Sigerson Cup semi-finals after the last-four clash between NUIG and UCC in Cork’s Mallow GAA Complex was put back by 24 hours.
Molloy (NUIG) and Shaw (UCC) are in action next Saturday with their clubs as Molloy’s Corofin meet Ulster champions Gaoth Dobhair in Carrick-on-Shannon at 1.30, while Shaw’s Dr Crokes meet Leinster champions Mullinalaghta in Thurles at 3.30.
Disastrous
Their Sigerson Cup meeting had originally been scheduled for the same day, leaving the pair, and Molloy’s Corofin team-mate Liam Silke, in a disastrous situation, but this change alleviates the situation to some extent.
“Following a request from NUIG to Comhairle Árdoideachais, their Sigerson Cup semi-final meeting with UCC has been moved to the afternoon of Sunday, February 17,” a Higher Education statement read.
Galway defender Molloy was left in a race from Tullamore to Santry last year after helping Corofin past Moorefield in the All-Ireland club semi-final and made a shock substitute appearance in NUIG’s agonising defeat to UCD.
Molloy will be spared a similar trip next weekend but club-mate Liam Silke will have a decision to make between Carrick-on-Shannon (1.30) and Mallow (3.0) after UCD’s semi-final clash with St Mary’s College, Belfast was not refixed and will take place as planned in Mallow on Saturday, February 16.
“No request for a fixture change was received from any of the other teams involved in the Sigerson Cup semifinals,” the statement continued, which suggests that John Divilly’s UCD side did not seek a refixture.
Elsewhere, Galway manager Kevin Walsh will be without Cillian McDaid and Declan Kyne for the remainder of their Division 1 League campaign while full-back Sean Andy Ó Ceallaigh will also miss the next number of games because of injuries.
Walsh has an extensive list of injuries – and is also without the Corofin contingent including Silke, Molloy and All-Star Ian Burke – and is not expected to have last year’s captain Damien Comer back for tomorrow’s crucial tie with Monaghan in Inniskeen (2.0).
Comer has missed the first two league games with an ankle problem while Eamonn Brannigan, Paul Conroy and Michael Daly also remain on a lengthy injured list with their absentee count up to 18 for their trip to Monaghan.