Offaly manager Ollie Baker and selectors Mark Corrigan & Stephen Byrne have included one debutant in their team to face Dublin in Saturday's (February 23rd) Allianz NHL Division 1B opening round encounter at Parnell Park (throw-in 7pm).

Coolderry's David King will get his first taste of NHL action at left corner back. He also started against Wexford in the recent Bord na Mona Walsh Cup quarter-final loss at Blackwater.

The last occasion Offaly met Dublin in the NHL was on March 6th, 2011 at O'Connor Park, Tullamore with the Dubs, who went on to become league champions, winning by a comprehensive 2-23 to 1-13.

Just eight of the fifteen that started against Dublin in that 2011 fixture - James Dempsey, Derek Morkan, Rory Hanniffy, Cathal Parlon, Joe Bergin, James Mulrooney, Shane Dooley and Brian Carroll - are selected for this latest assignment against the Metropolitans. Colin Egan, who is included among the subs for Saturday, started in 2011.

Kinnitty's Odhran Kealey, introduced as a sub against Dublin two years ago, gets the nod to start at left corner forward and it will be only his second time to start an NHL tie (he also started against Tipperary on March 13, 2011).

Seir Kieran's Dermot Mooney, selected at right half back, will start an NHL game for the third time.

The Kilcormac/Killoughey sextet of Conor Mahon, Ger Healion, Daniel Currams, Conor Slevin, Ciaran Slevin and Peter Geraghty are obviously unavailable as the Double K's prepare for their AIB All-Ireland Club Final showdown with St Thomas of Galway on St Patrick's Day at Croke Park.

Stephen Wynne (St Rynagh's) and Paul Cleary (Birr) are unavailable for selection owing to a hip and ankle injury, respectively.

The Offaly subs bench includes seven young newcomers - Conor Clancy (St Rynagh's), twins Michael & Sean Cleary (Shinrone), Dan Kelliher (Brosna Gaels), Tomas Bolger (Birr), Sean Gardiner (Lusmagh) and Pat Camon (St Rynagh's) - who have never played in the NHL previously.

Saturday's game will be televised live on Setanta Ireland.

Club Faithful are also running a bus to Parnell Park on Saturday. Reasonably priced at €15 return, the bus leaves Birr at 3.45pm and stops in Kilcormac, Mucklagh and Tullamore. Check out the Club Faithful Facebook page or call 087 9289677 for more details and to book your seat.





The team is ;



1 James Dempsey (Kinnitty)

2 Chris McDonald (Brosna Gaels)

3 David Kenny (Belmont) captain

4 David King (Coolderry)

5 Dermot Mooney (Seir Kieran)

6 Kevin Brady (Coolderry)

7 Derek Morkan (Shinrone)

8 Rory Hanniffy (Birr)

9 Sean Ryan (Birr)

10 Brian Carroll (Coolderry)

11 Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran)

12 Cathal Parlon (Coolderry)

13 Shane Dooley (Tullamore)

14 James Mulrooney (Seir Kieran)

15 Odhran Kealey (Kinnitty)



SUBS;

16 Conor Clancy (St Rynagh's)

17 Michael Cleary (Shinrone)

18 Dan Kelliher (Brosna Gaels)

19 Derek Molloy (Shamrocks)

20 Sean Cleary (Shinrone)

21 Colm Coughlan (Kinnitty)

22 Thomas Carroll (Seir Kieran)

23 Colin Egan (Belmont)

24 Tomas Bolger (Birr)

25 Sean Gardiner (Lusmagh)

26 Pat Camon (St Rynagh's) Tweet

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