Donegal will be a big test for us — Fitzmaurice

KERRY boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice believes his players will know a lot more about themselves by tomorrow evening once they have come through the ‘unique challenge’ that Donegal will provide in Austin Stack k Park. Fitzmaurice (right) claims Donegal have shown they are still ‘one of the top teams in the country’ with their early League form and he knows thatat his side need to be firing ring on all cylinders. ‘Donegal test you in a lot of regards,’ Fitzmaurice said. ‘They will test you physically, they will test you with their football and they will also test your concentration levels because of the type of game they play. ‘But that is the kind of challenge we want and the type of challenge we need. It tests all of us and we will have a very good idea of where we are at on Sunday evening.’

÷ KILKENNY veteran Jackie Tyrrell returns to the Cats team for tomorrow’s Division 1A game against Galway in Nowlan Park, the ninetime All-Ireland winner’s first start since last year’s Leinster final against the same opposition. Tyrrell’s recall is one of five changes that Brian Cody has made from the team that started the win over Tipperary two weeks ago. Richie Reid replaces the injured Eoin Murphy in goals, while Tyrrell takes Paul Murphy’s place. Both Kieran Joyce and Cillian Buckley return to the half-back line, replacing Robert Lennon and Diarmuid Connolly while Richie Hogan replaces John Power. Dublin manager Ger Cunningham has kept the faith with the same team that beat Galway for tonight’s clash with Cork but Rebels boss Kieran Kingston has made six changes, with Mark Ellis returning to the defence and Seamus Harnedy coming back from his hamstring injury to start in attack. Meanwhile, Denis Daly will make his senior competitive debut for Kerry against Donegal tomorrow afternoon. Mayo manager Stephen Rochford has made two changes for tomorrow’s trip to Clones while Cork make four changes for tonight’s clash with Dublin.

KILKENNY (SH v Galway): R Reid; S Prendergast, J Holden, J Tyrrell. P Walsh, K Joyce, C Buckley; L Ryan, C Fogarty; C Fennelly, TJ Reid, J Maher; W Walsh, K Kelly, R Hogan

CORK (SH v Dublin): A Nash; K Burke, C Joyce, S McDonnell; D Cahalane, M Ellis, C Murphy; D Kearney, B Lawton; B Cooper, S Harnedy, P Cronin; C Lehane, S Moylan, P Horgan.

DUBLIN (SH v Cork): C Dooley; E O’Donnell, C O’Callaghan, O Gough; C Crummey, L Rushe, J McCaffrey; D O’Connell, D Plunkett; S McGrath, N McMorrow, E Dillon; D O’Callaghan, D Treacy, M Schutte.

KERRY (SF v Donegal): B Kelly; M Ó Sé, M Griffin, S Enright; P Crowley, A O’Mahony, F Fitzgerald; K Donaghy, B Sheehan; D Daly, P Murphy, D Walsh; D O’Sullivan, A Fitzgerald, S O’Brien.

MAYO (SF v Monaghan): R Hennelly; B Harrison, G Cafferkey, C Barrett; L Keegan, C Boyle, S Nally; T Parsons, J Gibbons; D O’Connor, A O’Shea, K McLoughlin, E Regan, J Doherty, C O’Shea.

CORK (SF v Dublin): M A Martin; C O’Driscoll, E Cadogan, J Loughrey; T Clancy, J O’Sullivan, B O’Driscoll; K O’Driscoll, I Maguire; S Kiely, P Kerrigan, L Connolly; D Goulding, P Kelleher, B Hurley.

CAVAN (SF v Armagh): R Galligan; P Faulknert, K Clarke, J McLoughlin; C Brady, C Moynagh, K Brady; T Corr, L Buchanan; D McVeety, G McKiernan, M Reilly; D Givney, M Argue, S Johnston.

TIPPERARY (SH v Waterford): D Gleeson; C Barrett, T Hamill, M Cahill, B Heffernan, R Maher, Padraic Maher; B Maher, M Breen ; N McGrath, T McCormack, Patrick Maher; J O’Dwyer, S Callanan, J McGrath.