Gooch to captain Kingdom

Colm 'Gooch' Cooper is to captain the Kerry footballers for their All-Ireland SFC fourth round qualifier against Longford at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday (throw-in 3.30pm).

The 23-year-old will take on the skipper's role in the absence of Declan O'Sullivan, who has been dropped after a less-than-impressive performance in the Munster final replay.

The Kerry management have made three changes to the side which lost out to Cork - Tommy Griffin, Mike Frank Russell and Kieran Donaghy return with O'Sullivan, Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Bryan Sheehan making way.

A regular at midfield, Donaghy is surprisingly named at full-forward. The Austin Stacks star sat out the defeat to Cork after his sending-off in the drawn game - his second in the space of 48 weeks - earned him a two-week ban.

Dingle's Tommy Griffin will partner Dara O Sé at midfield, while Russell is set for the first start of this year's championship. The Laune Rangers star, who scored a point as a substitute last time out, will line out at left corner forward.

Kerry last met Longford in the championship in 1968 - the Kingdom ran out 2-13 to 2-11 winners in the All-Ireland semi-final. But the midlanders ruined Jack O'Connor's debut as Kerry manager back in 2004 when they scored a 3-7 to 1-12 victory in the National League.

KERRY (SFC v Longford) - D Murphy; M O Sé, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T O Sé, S Moynihan, A O'Mahony; D O Se, T Griffin; Darren O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Galvin; C Cooper (capt), K Donaghy, MF Russell.

Substitutes: K Cremin, Declan O'Sullivan, E Fitzmaurice, B Sheehan, M Lyons, P O'Connor, S O'Sullivan, R O'Connor, K Young, P Reidy, B Guiney, R Hussey, K O'Leary, A MacGearailt.