Dublin make three changes for Rebels
Friday March 19 2010
DUBLIN footballers may be reeling from the loss of Paul Griffin for the entire season, but the show must go on and Pat Gilroy has made three changes for tomorrow night's intriguing NFL collision with Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn (7.30).
St Vincent's duo Paul Conlon and Hugh Gill are recalled to the right flank of defence, both players having started against Mayo two weeks ago, while their clubmate Michael Savage takes over from Stephen Cluxton in goals.
They replace Rory O'Carroll and James McCarthy, who both featured from the start against Monaghan last Saturday but were not considered this weekend because of their U21 involvement. The pair played the full 80 minutes, including extra-time, when the Sky Blue U21s edged past Carlow.
While Dublin are chasing their first league victory on Leeside since 1981 (they won there in the championship two years later), the latest pre-match build-up has been dominated by the news that team captain Griffin has torn his cruciate ligament.
The player is rarely injured but, having missed the Mayo game with a back problem, he came off the bench at half-time in the Monaghan game only to collide with Paul Finlay while taking a mark and jar his knee.
Scans have now confirmed the worst, so Gill gets the call this weekend although Barry Cahill is sure to come into the half-back reckoning pretty soon. He is rated "very near a return", according to Dublin's latest team bulletin.
DUBLIN (SF v Cork): M Savage; P Conlon, M Fitzsimons, P McMahon; H Gill, C O'Sullivan, G Brennan; E Fennell, R McConnell; A Hubbard, M MacAuley, P Flynn; D Henry, B Brogan, K McManamon.
- Frank Roche
