The Monaghan starting team for Sunday’s opening game of the Dr. McKenna Cup Section B against St. Mary’s University, Belfast in Clones features three debutants. Tyholland’s Karl O’Connell has been named in the unfamiliar position of corner-back, Thomas O’Neill of Ballybay is listed at wing-back and Donaghmoyne man Ciarán Daly has been handed the number eight jersey. Elsewhere, Matthew McKenna and Ciarán Hanratty make their first competitive inter-county senior starts since 2009, while Darren Hughes, Vincent Corey, Paul Finlay and Stephen Gollogly make up the spine of the team. Seven other players yet to make their debuts – James Bellew, Ronan McNally, David Millar, Peter O’Hanlon, Pete Dooney and Fintan Kelly – have to settle for a place among the substitutes. Six counties are represented in the St. Mary’s team, which is backboned by a half-dozen from Tyrone.

Throw-in at St. Tiernach’s Park on Sunday is at 2pm and updates from the game will be available on the official Monaghan GAA twitter page.

Monaghan starting XV v St. Mary’s: Mark Keogh (Seán McDermotts); Karl O’Connell (Tyholland), Darren Hughes (Capt., Scotstown), Dermot Malone (Castleblayney); Conor Galligan (Monaghan Harps), Vincent Corey (Clontibret), Thomas O’Neill (Ballybay); Ciarán Daly (Donaghmoyne), Paul Finlay (Ballybay); Matthew McKenna (Inniskeen), Stephen Gollogly (Carrickmacross), James Turley (Scotstown); Ciarán Hanratty (Castleblayney), Shane Smyth (Monaghan Harps), Bernard O’Brien (Latton).

Subs: Rory Beggan (Scotstown), Mark Downey (Carrickmacross), Owen Duffy (Latton), Donal Morgan (Scotstown), James Bellew (Emyvale), Ronan McNally (Tyholland), David Millar (Drumhowan), Peter O’Hanlon (Carrickmacross), Pete Dooney (Aughnamullen), Owen Lennon (Latton), Fintan Kelly (Clones).

St. Mary’s starting XV: Niall Morgan (Edendork, Tyrone); Michael Slane (Carrickmore, Tyrone), Daniel McBride (Strabane, Tyrone), Eoin McArdle (Cullyhanna, Armagh); Conor O’Hara (Dromore, Tyrone), Gavin Teague (Ardboe, Tyrone), Michael Murray (Cullyhanna); Niall Donnelly (Tullylish, Down), Richard O’Callaghan (Enniskillen Gaels, Fermanagh); Declan McCusker (Ederney, Fermanagh), Ronan Sexton (Mayobridge, Down), Niall Sludden (Dromore); Christopher Conaghan (Termon, Donegal), Oisín McKeever (Annaghmore, Armagh), Brian Doyle (The Loup, Derry).