Jim Gavin has made four changes to his Dublin side for their Leinster Senior Football Championship opener against Longford tomorrow afternoon, with three Championship debuts being handed out.
David Byrne, John Small and Brian Fenton will all make their bows. Fenton did start in Dublin’s last outing – against Cork in the Allianz league final – but Byrne and Small’s inclusion form half of the changes from that day.
Paul Flynn and Darren Daly bring to four the number of alterations to the Leinster champions’ lineup as Tom Brady, Rory O’Carroll, James McCarthy, and Cian O’Sullivan all miss out.
The full Dublin side to face Longford in Croke Park at 4pm tomorrow:
- Stephen Cluxton (Parnell's)
- Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
- David Byrne (Nh Olaf)
- Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
- Darren Daly (Fingal Ravens)
- John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
- Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)
- Brian Fenton (Raheny)
- Denis Bastick (Templeogue Synge St)
- Paul Flynn (Fingallians)
- Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
- Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent's)
- Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
- Kevin McManamon (St Jude's)
- Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunektt's/Eoghan Ruadh)
The team was announced last night in the wake of the news that Jim Gavin has extended his stay at the helm until the end of the 2017 season.
Longford, meanwhile, were in action the weekend before last in a comeback win against Offaly, but they’ve made two changes ahead of tomorrow’s uphill battle. Peter Foy and Ross McNerney are both handed starts as Shane Doyle and Francis McGee miss out:
- Paddy Collum (Fr. Manning Gaels)
- Dermot Brady (Longford Slashers)
- Barry O’Farrell (Carrickedmond)
- Cian Farrelly (Killoe Young Emmets)
- Colm P. Smyth (Abbeylara)
- Barry Gilleran (Longford Slashers)
- Diarmuid Masterson (Dromard)
- Kevin Diffley (Ballymahon)
- Michael Quinn (Killoe Young Emmets)
- Rory Connor (Kenagh)
- Ronan McEntire (Dromard)
- Peter Foy (Longford Slashers)
- Barry McKeon (Colmcille)
- Brian Kavanagh (Kilmacud Crokes)
- Ross McNerney (Dromard)
