Gavin McCoy will make his championship debut for Meath on Sunday.

One change for championship opener

Published: Sat 11 May 2019, 5:59 AM

Ronan Ryan is the surprise absentee from the Meath team to face Offaly in Sunday's Leinster SFC opener at Pairc Tailteann, 3pm.
Ryan was a revelation throughout Meath's successful NFL Div 2 promotion drive and was expected to fill one of the wing back positions for his championship debut.

Ronan Ryan will have to wait for his championship debut for Meath

However, manager Andy McEntee has opted to go with Gavin McCoy from the start in the only change to the side from the team that started the NFL Div 2 final against Donegal.
There is also one positional changes with Bryan McMahon, who has recovered from the hamstring problem picked up in the Croke Park final, set to line out at centre forward with Ben Brennan shifting to wing forward.

Bryan McMahon has recovered from the hamstring issue picked up in the NFL Div 2 final

McCoy, Barry Dardis and Shane Gallagher will also make their championship debuts against the Faithful men.
Offaly manager John Maughan also makes one change from the side that secured their place in NFL Div 3 with victory over Sligo as St Brigid's Cian Donohoe comes in for Paul McConway in defence.
Offaly will be backboned by five players from Rhode with Anton Sullivan and Niall and Ruairi McNamee hoping to provide the inspiration in attack while captain Niall Darby is sure to be a threat raiding from wing-back.

Meath (v Offaly) - Andrew Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Shane Gallagher; James McEntee, Donal Keogan, Gavin McCoy; Bryan Menton, Shane McEntee; Cillian O'Sullivan, Bryan McMahon, Ben Brennan; Barry Dardis, Michael Newman, Thomas O’Reilly.

Offaly (v Meath) - Paddy Dunican; Declan Hogan, Eoin Rigney, David Dempsey; Cian Donohoe, Johnny Moloney, Niall Darby; Eoin Carroll, Peter Cunningham; Shane Horan, Anton Sullivan, Cathal Mangan; Bernard Allen, Niall McNamee, Ruairi McNamee.