Fringe players to get Irish chance

Ireland’s fringe midfielders have the perfect opportunity to stake their claim at the Celtic Cup later this month, after senior men’s coach Paul Revington was forced to name an experimental squad for the three-game series in France.

Of the five changces from the squad that contested the World Cup qualifier last year, four come in the middle of the park, with defender Tim Lewis also missing out due to injury. Glenanne duo Graham Shaw and Stephen Butler have retired from the international scene, while Cork C of I duo David Hobbs and John Jermyn are on a summer sabbatical. It leaves David Ames and Geoff McCabe — who remain from the WCQ squad — as the frontrunners, with Pembroke duo Andy McConnell and Alan Giles next in line. David Harte’s injury gives Iain Walker a rare chance as the number one choice goalkeeper while David Fitzgerald could make his international debut. The back four and front line retain more settled look for the tournament in Le Touquet, and the squad still has an average of 40 caps per man. Ireland are reigning champions despite using an experimental side last time around. Ireland senior men’s squad for Celtic Cup, Le Touquet, France, June 25-27 (club/caps): I Walker (GK, YMCA; 20; D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown; 0); R Gormley (Pembroke W, capt; 97); J Jackson (Loughborough; 42); J Brennan (Glenanne; 33); C Harte (Pembroke W; 40); P Gleghorne (Loughborough; 11); G McCabe (Dragons; 62); D Ames (Cookstown; 14); A McConnell (Pembroke W; 13); A Giles (Pembroke W; 7); C Cargo (Reading; 5); E Magee (Dragons; 103); T Cockram (Lisnagarvey; 95); M Darling (Leuven; 41); A Sothern (Pembroke W; 37); P Caruth (Annadale; 16); P Maguire (Leuven; 77) Reserves: B Lynch (Cork C of I); A Pritchard (Pembroke W); B McCandless (Banbridge); G Watkins (Monkstown); P Blakeney (Three Rock Rovers/Roma); J Lynch (Lisnagarvey); Gary Shaw (Glenanne) Unavailable: D Harte (Pembroke W); M Watt (Dragons); T Lewis (Pembroke); J Jermyn (Cork C of I); M Maguire (Three Rock Rovers); D Hobbs (Cork C of I).