Armagh make four changes as Canavan returns for Tyrone
Kieran McGeeney recalls Aidan Forker, Paddy Burns, Oisin Conaty and Conor Turbitt to his starting line-up for Saturday's provincial semi-final at Clones
- Published
Armagh have made four changes from their opening win over Antrim for Saturday's big Ulster SFC contest with Tyrone as Aidan Forker, Paddy Burns, Conor Turbitt and Oisin Conaty return to the starting team.
The quartet's inclusion means that eight of last July's All-Ireland Final starters against Galway are named in the Armagh 15 for the Clones contest (16:45 BST).
Injury concern Darragh Canavan has been named in the Tyrone team with Mattie Donnelly also drafted into the starting line-up as Ruairi Canavan drops to the bench and Cathal McShane is not named in the 26.
Donnelly's inclusion at centre half-forward results in Peter Harte switching to full-forward.
Corner-back Burns, who was a late cry-off from Armagh's Antrim game because of illness, takes over from Gareth Murphy, who made his championship debut at Corrigan Park.
Skipper and 2024 All-Star Forker, who usually plays at left half-back, is selected at right half-forward in place of Darragh McMullen.
The other two changes come in attack as 2024 All-Stars Conor Turbitt and Oisin Conaty take over from Tiernan Kelly and Stephen Campbell.
Murphy, McMullen, Kelly and Campbell are all named in the replacements.
The All-Ireland Final starters named by Kieran McGeeney are Burns, Forker, Turbitt, Conaty, Barry McCambridge, Connaire Macken, Rory Grugan and Andrew Murnin.
Midfielders Ben Crealey and Niall Grimley, who started against Galway last summer, are included in the substitutes after not featuring in the Antrim game.
Oisin O'Neill remains on the bench despite his impressive contribution as a substitute at Corrigan Park but his brother Rian remains an absentee after opting out of the squad prior to the beginning of the Allianz Football League.
Armagh: E Rafferty; P Burns, B McCambridge, T McCormack; R McQuillan, G McCabe, J Og Burns; C O'Neill, Connaire Mackin; A Forker (capt), O Conaty, P McGrane; R Grugan, A Murnin, C Turbitt.
Subs: B Hughes, S McPartlan, O O'Neill, J Hall, T Kelly, C McConville, D McMullen, N Grimley, B Crealey, G Murphy, S Campbell.
Tyrone: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; A Donaghy, M Donnelly, C Daly; D McCurry, P Harte, D Canavan.
Subs: O O'Kane, C Quinn, P Hampsey, F Burns, B McDonnell, S O'Hare, J Oguz, M Bradley, S O'Donnell, R Canavan, E McElholm.