Offaly footballers name unchanged team for crunch game in Belfast

OFFALY have named an unchanged team for Sunday's crunch National Football League Division 3 game against Antrim in Belfast.

Manager Declan Kelly stuck to the same team that lost to Westmeath in their opening game on Sunday last, though it remains to be seen if any late changes will be unveiled before the 2pm throw in at Corrigan Park, just off Belfast's famous Falls Road.

Offaly didn't play well enough to beat Westmeath, even though there was a golden opportunity there and there is a case to be made for some changes. In particular Peter Cunningham has come back earlier than expected from injury and he has to be very close to starting while the vastly experienced Ruari McNamee is also in contention. Jack Bryant and Keith O'Neill will also be in contention for starting places in the attack.

Having said that, management will be conscious of the need to give younger players time to bed in and adapt, to grow their confidence and they won't be leaving any of them off without serious thinking.

Offaly are still without defensive lynchpin Declan Hogan and forward dynamo Dylan Hyland – Hogan has a calf injury that will rule him out for a few weeks while Hyland has one more match of a three match suspension to serve.

After last Sunday's loss, the visit to Antrim is a very important one. Offaly won up there last year and a repeat win would ease early pressure but Antrim had a good win in Limerick last Sunday and will be very tough to beat.

The Offaly squad are travelling up on Saturday evening and Sunday's game has a 2pm throw in. There is one change on the subs bench with Nathan Poland of Erin Rovers replacing Ballinagar's Diarmuid Finneran.

OFFALY: Ian Duffy (Walsh Island); Aiden Bracken (Ballycommon), David Dempsey (Ballycommon), Lee Pearson (Edenderry); Rory Egan (Edenderry), John Furlong (Tullamore), Jack O'Brien (Durrow); Eoin Carroll (Cappincur), Jordan Hayes (Edenderry); Cathal Donoghue (Oughterard), Cathal Flynn (Ferbane), Cormac Egan (Tullamore); Cian Farrell (Edenderry), Anton Sullivan (Rhode), Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks). Subs – Mikey Cunningham (Bracknagh), Nathan Poland (Erin Rovers), Adam Bolger (Daingean), Daire McDaid (Tullamore), Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar), Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh), Kevin McDermott (Tullamore), Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode), Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue), Ruari McNamee (Rhode).