Loughnane makes shock changes for Antrim clash

THE Galway senior hurling team management pulled a couple of rabbits out of the hat when revealing their line up for Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Antrim at Casement Park (3.30pm).For two players who weren’t even on the National League panel – Eugene Cloonan and Padraig Pearses’ Cyril Donnellan – have been chosen in the central attacking positions for Galway’s low key championship debut.With Fergal Moore named at full back, a position he has virtually no competitive experience of, and the versatile David Forde handed the number seven jersey, there is no shortage of talking points from the selectors’ deliberations.The most notable casualties are Niall Healy, Richie Murray, Tony Og Regan and Conor Dervan as Ger Farragher and Eoin Lynch were both ruled out of contention due to hamstring injuries.Sarsfields’ Kevin Hynes, who had made a big impression in the league, is a long term absentee after sustaining a fractured jaw in the county championship. A combination of blood poisoning and flu had been expected to delay the long awaited championship debut of Joe Canning for at least another week, but hurling’s rising star came through the squad’s last two training sessions and is named at top of the left.But the big surprise will be the inclusion of Donnellan on the forty. The LIT student was only called up to the squad less than a month ago, but did feature in a recent challenge outing against Limerick at Loughrea.With Galway lacking a .............................