Connacht SFC Team News: Replication is the theme of both the Mayo and Galway teams for Sunday's Connacht football final at Pearse Stadium. All the players that started their respective semi-finals hold their positions for Sunday, with the exception of Mayo goalkeeper Peter Burke, who was ruled out because of injury.
Burke's loss, however, is Fintan Ruddy's gain, as the Chill Comain Gaels player gets his first championship start. But he has senior experience with Mayo as he started in goals for the league games against Cavan and Kildare earlier this year. For Burke though the season is over no matter what happens on Sunday, the result of a torn cruciate ligament in his knee suffered in training two weeks ago.
There was no reason for manager John Maughan to tamper with any other position on the team as the three-point win over Sligo in the semi-final was largely satisfying. It means forwards Stephen Carolan and Brian Maloney, plus midfielder Fergal Kelly, all hold their places despite being substituted in the Sligo game back on June 8th.
For Galway, who head into Sunday's final without any competitive action since June 1st, the equally satisfying nine-point semi-final win over Leitrim meant that any possible changes would also only be enforced. So with a panel free from injury, manager John O'Mahony has stuck with the same formula.
That means a vote of confidence is given to Michael Donnellan for the centre back position, despite his somewhat shaky start against Leitrim. Yet it was the first time Donnellan wore the number six jersey in championship action, and as the game wore on he managed to exert his usual influence on the Galway team.
Despite the strong presence of under-21's on the Galway team, only two players are starting their first Connacht final: Goalkeeper Brian Donoghue and young forward Michael Meehan.
For Mayo, who lost a golden chance of beating Galway in last year's Connacht semi-final after leading 1-7 to 0-4 after 10 minutes of the second half, only seven members of last year's clash start again on Sunday.
Elsewhere, the Roscommon team for Saturday's third round All-Ireland football qualifier against Offaly shows one change from the one that slipped past Leitrim. With left half back Paul Noone dropped from the panel along with John Nolan and David O'Connor for disciplinary reasons, Eamonn Towey gets his chance in the starting line-up.
As expected the Dublin team to play Armagh in their third round qualifier will not be released until just prior to Saturday's throw-in. Dublin did train last night, but manager Tommy Lyons simply submitted a list of 30 players for the match programme.
GALWAY (SF v Mayo): B Donoghue; K Fitzgerald, G Fahey, R Fahey; D Meehan, M Donnellan, S Og de Paor; K Walsh, J Bergin; P Clancy, M Clancy, J Fallon; M Meehan, P Joyce, D Savage.
MAYO (SF v Galway): F Ruddy; A Higgins, D Heaney, G Ruane; G Mullins, J Nallen, F Costello; F Kelly, J Gill; T Mortimer, D Sweeney, A Dillon; C Mortimer, B Maloney, S Carolan.
ROSCOMMON (SF v Offaly): S Curran; R Cox, D Casey, J Whyte; M Beirne, F Grehan, A Towey; S O'Neill, S Lohan; G Cox, G Lohan, D Connellan; J Dunning, K Mannion, F Dolan.
TIPPERARY (SF v Donegal): P Ryan; R Costigan, S Collum, L Cronin; AN Other, D Fanning, N Fitzgerald; F O'Callaghan, E Hanrahan; A Fitzgerald, K Mulryan, P Cahill; D O'Brien, D Browne, B Hickey.
