Morgan makes four changes

Kerry and Cork have sprung a few surprises for Sunday's Munster football final in Killarney

Kerry and Cork have sprung a few surprises for Sunday's Munster football final in Killarney. Kerry give a first championship start to Paul O'Connor in their full forward line, while Cork introduce four newcomers in a much-changed line-up from their semi-final win over Limerick.

O'Connor was last night selected at left corner forward, replacing Darren O'Sullivan, who started in the other corner in the semi-final win over Tipperary.

Although O'Connor didn't play that game, the young Kenmare man did appear as a second-half substitute for Colm Cooper in the quarter-final win over Waterford, scoring once from play.

Bryan Sheehan holds on to the full-forward spot on Sunday.

READ MORE

There is one other change, Michael McCarthy returning from injury to resume at full back, with Marc Ó Sé moving to corner back and Tom O'Sullivan missing out. McCarthy had been sidelined with a wrist injury since the league and his return should help steady the Kerry defence.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice has failed to regain his place at centre forward, manager Jack O'Connor giving that role to captain Declan O'Sullivan, with Paul Galvin and Eoin Brosnan alongside him. Darragh Ó Sé and Kieran Donaghy are again named at midfield, with a half back line of Tomás Ó Sé, Séamus Moynihan and Mossie Lyons also unchanged.

Cork manager Billy Morgan gives corner back Michael Prout, wing back Michael Shields, centre forward Pierce O'Neill, and corner forward Donncha O'Connor first championship starts. Gone from the team that struggled past Limerick three weeks ago are Seán Levis, Noel O'Leary, David Niblock and Kevin O'Sullivan.

Prout and O'Connor were substitutes in the Limerick game, and Shields was on the Munster-winning under-21 team.

O'Neill's inclusion is the least expected; the Aghada man had not figured to date.

Cork are looking for their first win over Kerry since the Munster semi-final replay of 2002, while Kerry have recorded four wins since then - including the massive 13-point win in last summer's All-Ireland semi-final.

Armagh and Donegal have a few injury problems ahead of their Ulster final in Croke Park.

Joe Kernan is due to name his Armagh team after training this evening. Definitely out is Tony McEntee, who sustained a foot injury when appearing as a substitute in the semi-final replay win over Fermanagh.

Kernan is also concerned about wing forward Paddy McKeever, who scored 0-3 against Fermanagh but picked up a hamstring strain. Fellow forward Brian Mallon is back in contention having missed the last game with an ankle injury.

Donegal are set to start without their free-taker Michael Doherty, who suffered a knee injury in the semi-final win over Derry. Adrian Sweeney, Brian Roper and Colin Kelly are in line to start.

KERRY (SF v Cork): D Murphy; A O'Mahony, M McCarthy, M Ó Sé; T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, M Lyons; D Ó Sé, K Donaghy; P Galvin, D O'Sullivan, E Brosnan; C Cooper, B Sheehan, P O'Connor.

CORK (SF v Kerry): A Quirke; M Prout, G Canty, K O'Connor; M Shields, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Kavanagh, N Murphy; S O'Brien, P O'Neill, K McMahon; J Masters, F Gould, D O'Connor.

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics