Offaly football team named for league opener
Declan Kelly has named his starting team as he prepares for his first Allianz Football League match in charge of Offaly against neighbours Westmeath in Tullamore tomorrow (Sunday).
Influential defender Declan Hogan (injured) and attacker Dylan Hyland (suspended) are two notable absentees from the Offaly team.
As might be expected, Kelly has handed starting berths to a number of players whom he guided to a memorable All-Ireland U-20 success in 2021.
New team captain Lee Pearson is joined on the starting XV by Rory Egan, John Furlong, Cathal Flynn, Cormac Egan and Cathal Donoghue, who now plays his club football with Oughterard in Galway. The dashing Egan lit up many of Offaly displays in their march to All-Ireland glory in 2021, while Furlong was a key figure in Tullamore's Dowling Cup success last year.
Morgan Tynan, Aaron Kellaghan, Jack Bryant and Keith O'Neill are among the subs, as is the experienced Peter Cunningham who has battled back from a serious knee injury. See below for full match-day panel.
For their part, Westmeath are without three key players from last year's team - Kevin Maguire, John Heslin and Sam Duncan - see team list below. In that light, this is a game where Offaly will definitely fancy their chances on home turf.
Offaly manager Kelly will be very familiar with many of the Westmeath players, having guided St Loman's, Mullingar to two senior football titles in recent years. The throw-in for the Division 3 clash at Glenisk O'Connor Park is 2pm.
Offaly team (v Westmeath):
1. Ian Duffy (Walsh Island)
2. Aidan Bracken (Ballycommon)
3. David Dempsey (Ballycommon)
4. Lee Pearson (Edenderry, captain)
5. Rory Egan (Edenderry)
6. John Furlong (Tullamore)
7. Jack O'Brien (Durrow)
8. Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)
9. Jordan Hayes (Edenderry)
10. Cathal Donoghue (Oughterard, Galway)
11. Cathal Flynn (Ferbane)
12. Cormac Egan (Tullamore)
13. Cian Farrell (Edenderry)
14. Anton Sullivan (Rhode)
15. Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks).
Subs:
Mikey Cunningham (Bracknagh)
Diarmuid Finneran (Ballinagar)
Adam Bolger (Daingean)
Daire McDaid (Tullamore)
Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar)
Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh)
Kevin McDermott (Durrow)
Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode)
Jack Bryant (Shamrocks)
Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue)
Ruairi McNamee (Rhode).
Westmeath team (v Offaly): Jason Daly; Jack Smith, Charlie Drumm, Jamie Gonoud; James Dolan, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Ray Connellan, Andy McCormack; David Lynch, Ronan O'Toole, Jonathan Lynam; Luke Loughlin, Senan Baker, Stephen Smith. Subs: Trevor Martin, David Giles, Kieran Martin, Matthew Whittaker, Eoin Mulvihill, Nigel Harte, Daniel Scahill, Lorcan Dolan, Robbie Forde, Sean Leech, Conor Dillon.