ANDREW Murnin is named at full-forward with Ciaran Higgins making his first Championship start of the season in the number five jersey and Stefan Campbell dropping to the bench for Armagh’s clash with Galway in Sligo on Sunday.
St Paul’s forward Murnin missed Armagh’s resounding victory over Derry in Celtic Park in round two but has been passed fit for this top-of-the-table shootout with Padraic Joyce’s Tribesmen. The game is a repeat of the round three showdown in Carrick-on-Shannon last year which Armagh won meaning they topped the group.
The winner on Sunday will do likewise and go straight through to the quarter-final stage while the loser and the winner of the Derry-Westmeath meeting in Newry will have to navigate the more difficult preliminary quarter-final route.
Maghery clubman Higgins started against Galway last year and comes into the team for the trip to Markievicz Park. Niall Grimley retains his place in midfield alongside Ben Crealey after his impressive return against Derry while Connaire Mackin hasn’t been named in the squad. The GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) carried out an investigation into an incident involving Mackin and Conor Glass during Armagh’s win over Derry.
Tyrone referee Sean Hurson will be the man in charge. Hurson’s last Championship game involving Galway was last year’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final at Pearse Stadium against Mayo.
Armagh: B Hughes; B McCambridge, A McKay, P McGrane, C Higgins, T Kelly, A Forker; N Grimley, B Crealey; J McElroy, R O’Neill, O Conaty; R Grugan, A Murnin, C Turbitt
Subs: E Rafferty, P Burns, G McCabe, R McQuillan, D McMullan, S McPartlan, O O’Neill, J Duffy, A Nugent, S Campbell, J Og Burns
