Dublin hurling manager Marty Morris has moved Conal Keaney from midfield to centre back for Saturday's Leinster hurling championship preliminary final against Laois. The game has been confirmed for a 7.0 throw-in at Kilkenny's Nowlan Park.
Keaney has been the outstanding Dublin hurler of the season so far, and one of his strengths is his ability to play in several different positions. For Saturday, however, Keith Wilson returns from injury to partner Carl Meehan at midfield, and Keaney moves back to join Stephen Hiney and Kevin Ryan in the half back line. It is expected that Wilson will undergo a fitness test closer to the game as doubts still surround the full recovery of the knee injury which flared up on the morning of Dublin's win over Westmeath last Saturday week.
In the meantime Darragh Spain, who played at centre back the last day, misses out on a starting place. Meehan's move into midfield also marks a direct swap with Keith Elliott, who reverts into the corner back position.
Otherwise there is just one change from the team which started in the 16-point win over Westmeath. Tomas McGrane comes back into a starting role at corner forward in place of Shane Martin, who had been doubtful with a knee injury. McGrane has been named at right full-forward, with team captain Kevin Flynn moving out to wing-forward.
The Laois team also shows a couple of changes. Corner forward Brian McCormack was ruled out with a hamstring injury and starting instead is Tommy Fitzgerald. Dual player Darren Rooney also returns to midfield at the expense of defender Robert Delenay, with Pat Mahon reverting to the defence to fill the vacancy.
Saturday's game is expected to be extremely tight, and marks the third meeting this season between Dublin and Laois, with one victory apiece (Dublin defeating Laois in Croke Park on their successful Walsh Cup campaign, but then suffering a heavy loss in the league).
More importantly they also have one victory each (with one draw) from their three most recent championship meetings since 2000. That year they drew 0-18 apiece before Dublin won the replay, but a year later, however, Dublin have particularly bad memories.
Coincidentally that game also took place in Nowlan Park, and where Laois stunned Dublin with a late goal to win 1-15 to 2-11. The winners on Saturday get to play Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final on June 7th.
It has also been confirmed that the curtain raiser for Saturday's game will be provided by the Kilkenny senior hurling championship meeting between Young Irelands (Gowran) and Graigue Ballycallan, with a 5.15 throw-in. The Young Irelands team will includes the likes of DJ Carey and Charlie Carter, while Graigue also have county players in Eddie Brennan, John Hoyne and James Ryall.
DUBLIN (SH v Laois): B McLoughlin; P Brennan, S Perkins, K Elliott; S Hiney, C Keaney, K Ryan; K Wilson, C Meehan; S McDonnell, D Russell, K Flynn; T McGrane, L Ryan, G Ennis.
LAOIS (SH v Dublin): J Lyons; L Mahon, Pakie Cuddy, P Mahon; C Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, M McEvoy; J Young, D Rooney; J Phelan, R Jones, E Maher; D Culleton, L Tynan, T Fitzgerald.
