The Mayo management have continued their rotation policy for Sunday’s game against Derry in round four of the National Football League. Mayo have made a total of five changes from last weeks starting 15.
This is the third game in a row that Mayo have announced a team ahead of the game with five changes from the one that lined out in the previous round in this years league.
Kenneth O’Malley comes in between the posts for Mayo in place of Robert Hennelly. O’Malley is the third goalkeeper to start for Mayo this year in the league, with Hennelly starting two games (Kerry and Monaghan ) and David Clarke (Tyrone ) one in the previous rounds.
Mayo will not have u21 players Diarmuid O’Connor, Patrick Durcan or Stephen Coen on board this weekend as Niall Heffernan’s side step up their preparations for next Wednesday’s u21 championship meeting with Leitrim in Elvery’s McHale Park.
All Star winner Ger Cafferkey will replace Coen two time All Star Colm Boyle coming in for Durcan. Cafferkey’s positioning at centre-half back where he will be the third man to wear the number six shirt for Mayo this season in the league with Chris Barrett (Kerry ) and Coen (Tyrone and Monaghan ) already starting the game in that shirt and it will be an area that many observers will be keeping an eye on. Danny Kirby has got the nod to start at midfield on Sunday alongside Seamus O’Shea in place of the injured Donal Vaughan. This will be the Castlebar man’s first national league start for Mayo after he impressed last weekend against Monaghan.
In the half-forward line Ballycastle’s Michéal Forde will wear the number 12 shirt, with Diarmuid O’Connor away on u21 duty. Forde who has been in around the Mayo senior panel for a number of years will be hoping to impress Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly on Sunday as the Mayo management ponder the final make up of their panel over the coming few weeks.
