Offaly ring the changes for Joe McDonagh Cup opener

THE Offaly senior hurling team has been named for Saturday's Joe McDonagh Cup opener against Antrim in Belfast.

Team manager Michael Fennelly and selectors have made a few significant positional and personnel changes from the team which were beaten by Antrim in the National Hurling League Divsision 1 relegation play off a few weeks ago.

Offaly had a bad day of the office in that game as they suffered a heavy defeat and both positional and personnel changes have been made.

Ben Conneely returns to centre half back after being played at full back in recent games while David King is the full back. Jack Screeney is switched from corner back to midfield while Padraig Cantwell , Eimhin Kelly and Eoin Parlon have been handed starting roles in the defence.

Leon Fox will partner Screeney at midfield with David Nally moving to corner forward. Sean Cleary is starting in the attack while three players that started in the relegation play off are on the bench: Liam Langton, John Murphy and Luke O'Connor – O'Connor is carrying an injury and Michael Fennelly stated this week that he would not last seventy minutes but he is likely to come on at some stage.

As usual with announced teams, pre-match positional or personnel changes can't be ruled out, though the Offaly senior hurling management have tended not to play the games with this that some counties do. The game has a 2.00pm throw in and is the start of a busy, condensed programme of games for Offaly.

OFFALY: Stephen Corcoran (Coolderry); Joey Keenaghan (Clodiagh Gaels), David King (Coolderry), Padraig Cantwell (Shamrocks); Eoin Parlon (Coolderry), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's), Eimhin Kelly (Lusmagh); Jack Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Leon Fox (Belmont); Adrian Cleary (Shinrone), Eoghan Cahill (Birr), Brian Duignan (Durrow); Sean Cleary (Shinrone), Jason Sampson (Shinrone), David Nally (Belmont). Subs – Conor Clancy (St Rynagh's), John Murphy (Ballinamere), Killian Sampson (Shinrone), Luke O'Connor (St Rynagh's), Liam Langton (Clodiagh Gaels), Dara Maher (Shinrone), Rory Carty (Birr), Conor Butler (Belmont), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Paddy Clancy (Belmont), Padraig Guinan (Drumcullen).