BY JACKIE CAHILL
CORK manager Ephie Fitzgerald has reacted to last weekend’s shock defeat at the hands of Armagh by making five changes in personnel for Saturday’s TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship quarter-final against Tyrone at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe (3pm).
Despite losing out to the Orchard County, Cork had still done enough in their previous outing against Cavan to top their group on scoring difference.
Hannah Looney returns to take up station at full-back, Orlagh Farmer is back at midfield, while there are starting berths in attack for Eimear Scally, Libby Coppinger and Saoirse Noonan, who were all introduced as subs against Armagh.
In a reshuffled team, Meabh Cahalane, Daire Kiely, Chloe Collins, skipper Doireann O’Sullivan and Rhona Ní Bhuachalla drop to the bench for the clash with the Red Hands.
Tyrone, meanwhile, have made just the one change in personnel to the team that stunned Donegal in the group stages, a victory that ultimately sent Gerry Moane’s side through to the last eight. It’s a significant change, as captain Neamh Woods returns from netball duty at the World Cup with Northern Ireland. TG4 All Star Woods, who skippered Tyrone to the 2018 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate title, is named in the half-forward line in place of Niamh Hughes.
Saturday’s game, and the All-Ireland Minor B Final between Longford and Roscommon that precedes it, is live on the LGFA’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LadiesGaelicFootball/
Cork (v Tyrone): M O’Brien; E Meaney, H Looney, M Duggan; E Spillane, S Kelly, A Hutchings; M O’Callaghan, O Farmer; Á O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan, E Scally; L Coppinger, S Noonan, O Finn.
Tyrone (v Cork): S Lynch; C Hunter, J Barrett, C Conway; E Brennan, T McLaughlin, N McGirr; E.J. Gervin, S McCarroll; N Woods, M Canavan, A McHugh; N O’Neill, C Kelly, C McCaffrey.