Surprise team news in advance of final replay

Despite his substitution because of injury in the early throes of last weekend’s Mayo SFC final, Westport have named Lee Keegan to start today’s replay of the Connacht Gold Mayo SFC Final. In an equally interesting move, Padraig O’Hora, whose tackle resulted in both he and Keegan departing the action at the same time, has not been named to start for Ballina Stephenites.

The participation of either won’t of course become fully clear until the ball is thrown in but Ballina, at least, have offered the strongest suggestion that O’Hora won’t feature by naming Sean Regan at centre-back instead, in what would be the dual player’s first start of the season.

It also remains to be seen whether Jack Irwin and Luke Doherty retain their places in the Ballina attack. Brendan Collins and Ciaran Treacy had been named to start last weekend’s drawn final but were replaced before throw-in by Irwin and Doherty, and while Collins played no part in the match, Treacy was sprung as the early replacement for the injured O’Hora. However, manager Niall Heffernan has again named Collins and Treacy in his starting team.

Westport, in contrast, are unchanged from the side which started last Sunday.

Throw-in at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday is at 3pm.