Waterford and Cork have announced their line-ups for Wednesday night’s Munster minor hurling semi-final at Walsh Park. The Waterford team include six of the De La Salle, Waterford team that retained the All-Ireland Colleges hurling title earlier this year. They are Stephen O’Keeffe, Noel Connors, Philip Mahony, Stephen Daniels, Brian O’Sullivan and Barry O’Sullivan, while Alan O’Neill and Adam Brophy, who were members of last year’s De La Salle team, are also named. Waterford (MH v Cork): S O’Keeffe; S Kearney, B Coughlan, N Connors; O Whelan, P Mahony, S Daniels; A O’Neill, O Connors; C Curran, G Falconer, B O’Halloran; A Brophy, M Shanahan, B O’Sullivan. Cork (MH v Waterford): D McCarthy; C Smith, D Rodgers, E Moynihan; A Walsh, P O’Shea, W Egan; S Farrell, P Honohan; M Collins, C Sheehan, D Roche; J O’Dwyer, S O’Brien, P Haughnessy.

Cork’s injury crisis has worsened ahead of Sunday week’s Munster SFC final with the news that half back Noel O’Leary had been ruled out with a shoulder injury. O’Leary damaged his a/c joint while playing for divisional side Muskerry against Cloughduv in the county senior football championship on Sunday. He picked up the injury in the second half, but completed the game. However, a subsequent medical examination confirmed the damage to the shoulder joint which rules him out of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh decider. The injury is another blow to Cork manager Conor Counihan who was already planning for the Kerry game without another of his half backs, Paudie Kissane, who broke his forearm in the dramatic semi-final win over Limerick.

Cork wing-back Paudie Kissane could miss the remainder of the championship after breaking his right forearm in last Sunday's Munster SFC semi-final victory over Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. Manager, Conor Counihan, and team doctor, Con Murphy, confirmed the news after Kissane underwent surgery yesterday morning. The news is a blow to the Rebels as Kissane, on his championship debut, had performed impressively at left half-back before he came off injured after 40 minutes. Another of Cork's four debutants, midfielder Alan O'Connor, is also rated as a major doubt for the Munster final against champions Kerry next Sunday week as he limped off after 51 minutes after twisting his ankle and suffering ligament damage.

Limerick will be left wondering how they lost this Munster semi final clash as two goals by Daniel Goulding and John Hayes in the last 90 seconds saw Cork through to the provincial decider. It looked as if Limerick had done enough at the Galeic Grounds to earn a place in the final, but two errors by Limerick goalkeeper Sean Kiely gifted Cork two goals and snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. Cork manager Conor Counihan caused a major surprise during the week by dropping James Masters, Derek Kavanagh and Michael Cussen for the start of the match, while he handed four debuts to Diarmuid Duggan and Brian Regan, wing back Paudie Kissane and midfielder Alan O’Connor. Limerick counterpart Mickey Ned O’Sullivan made four changes to the side that defeated Tipperary in the quarterfinal as Shane Gallagher replaced Stephen Walsh at corner back, Jim O’Donovan came in for Thomas Cahill at midfield, while John Cooke takes over the centre forward position from James Ryan.

The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee have hit the Cork County Board with a fine for rule-breaking at Pairc Ui Chaoimh during last Sunday's Munster SHC game between Cork and Tipperary. While the issue of crowd control is still being investigated, the CCCC have asked the Rebels to fork out 1300 after they broke game regulations governing officials and sliotars. The CCCC met at Croke Park on Tuesday morning and issued the Cork County Board with the fine for contravention of match regulations six and seven. A breach of regulation 6, which saw a Cork hurley carrier supplying to goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack during the game, ensured an 800 fine. Hurley carriers may only enter the pitch to replace a hurl and they are not permitted to carry sliotars.

Although the striding, purposeful force of nature that was Seán óg ó hAilpín belied any such notion, accusatory suggestions hung in the air last Sunday evening in Cork that perhaps their current storied crop of hurlers can only see their best days in the rear-view mirror. Compounding the trauma of seeing fierce rivals Tipperary gleefully thieve an 86-year-old dominance of their backyard, some players had to endure the taunts of those who colourfully intimated that perhaps going on strike was not good for one's hurling health. Jerry O'Connor, literally a twin propeller of this generation's pre-eminence in Munster and sometimes much further beyond, takes severe issues with both theses, stridently distancing his squad from ageist allegations. "I'm sick of listening to crap like that to be honest with you, pardon the French, but to be listening to the likes of that," he puffs indignantly.

Conor Counihan has stamped his authority on the Cork football panel by dropping last year's top scorer in the championship - James Masters - and naming a new-look Rebels' team for their opening Munster SFC match against Limerick. The Leeside boss has made a total of eight changes from the side that lost last year's All-Ireland final to Kerry with Kieran O'Connor, Derek Kavanagh and Nemo star Masters all missing out. Four players have been handed their debuts in the competition: Diarmuid Duggan, Paudie Kissane, Alan O'Connor and Brian O'Regan are all named in the starting line-up, with Fintan Goold and Daniel Goulding forming the core of The Rebels' attack. Donncha O'Connor is included at full-forward with John Hayes at corner-forward.