Mayo look to All Star Moran for leadership

Frank Roche

MAYO have confirmed All Star Andy Moran as their captain for the season - but they must plan without midfield lynchpin Aidan O'Shea for Sunday's NFL Division One decider against Cork.

Moran (28) takes over from Alan Dillon, who skippered Mayo to last year's Connacht title, with goalkeeper David Clarke named as vice-captain.

Manager James Horan has confirmed that O'Shea will be "out of action for between three and six weeks" with the groin injury that also ruled him out of their semi-final victory over Kerry.

However, his older brother Seamus could yet fill the midfield breach, with Horan declaring that the Breaffy man and Alan Freeman are "both back in contention and going well."

LOUTH have suffered a massive pre-championship blow that midfielder Brian White is departing our shores again. White did not feature last year as he spent time in Australia and the United States, and now it has been revealed that he is heading to Boston for the summer and won't be available for Louth's Leinster SFC campaign, starting against Westmeath on May 20.

THE Kerry minor footballers booked a Munster semi-final date with Clare courtesy of an ultimately emphatic 3-9 to 0-5 victory over Limerick last night.

Kerry had lost their Munster MFC opener against reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary, but have now cruised to consecutive 'back door' wins over Waterford and Limerick.

"We won't beat Clare on that performance tonight," manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan warned afterwards. "We need to up our game and get serious."

FIXTURES

TONIGHT

DUBLIN SHC 'A' ROUND-ROBIN

GROUP B

O'Toole Park: St Brigid's v St Jude's, 7.15.

GROUP D

Parnell Pk: O'Toole's v Nh Fionnbarra, 6.45.Parnell Pk: Na Fianna v Faughs, 8.15.

LEINSTER MFC LOSERS RD 1

(Extra-time if necessary)

Bellefield, Enniscorthy: Wexford v Carlow, 7.0, G Whelan (Wexford).

FRIDAY

CONNACHT JFC

(Extra-time if necessary)

Tubbercury: Sligo v Galway, 7.0, P Daly (Roscommon).

SATURDAY

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 3 FINAL

(Extra-time if necessary)

Croke Park: Longford v Wexford, 7.0, C Lane (Cork). *Live TG4.

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 4 FINAL

(Extra-time if necessary)

Croke Park: Fermanagh v Wicklow, 5.0, F Kelly (Longford). *Live TG4.

SUNDAY

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 1 FINAL

(Extra-time if necessary)

Croke Park: Mayo v Cork, 4.0, M Deegan (Laois). *Live TG4.

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 2 FINAL

(Extra-time if necessary)

Croke Park: Tyrone v Kildare, 2.0, D Coldrick (Meath). *Live TG4.

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