MORGAN O’FLAHERTY HAS been brought into the Kildare side for Sunday’s Leinster football semi-final against Dublin in Croke Park.
O’Flaherty is named at centre-back by manager Kieran McGeeney and will be flanked by Eamonn Callaghan and Emmet Bolton.
The vacancy in defence arose due to Ollie Lyons breaking his collarbone in a challenge match against Kerry last Saturday.
And O’Flaherty, who came on as a substitute against Offaly earlier this month in their quarter-final tie, comes into the starting fifteen.
There are seven survivors from the Kildare side that lost out to Dublin in their last Leinster championship meeting in 2011.
Michael Foley, Hugh McGrillen, Eamonn Callaghan, Emmet Bolton, Johnny Doyle, Morgan O’Flaherty and Eoghan O’Flaherty all started in that game.
Goalkeeper Mark Donnellan, midfielder Daniel Flynn, wing-forward Paul Cribbin, centre-forward Niall Kelly and corner-forward Paddy Brophy were all part of the county’s U21 side that won the Leinster title this year.
KILDARE: Mark Donnellan (Maynooth); Peter Kelly (Two Mile House), Michael Foley (Athy), Hugh McGrillen (Celbridge); Eamonn Callaghan (Naas), Morgan O’Flaherty (Carbury), Emmet Bolton (Eadestown); Daryl Flynn (Moorefield), Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge); Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge), Niall Kelly (Athy), Eoghan O’Flaherty (Carbury); Johnny Doyle (Allenwood), Tomás O’Connor (Clane), Paddy Brophy (Celbridge).
