O'Neill gets the nod for Mayo

Mayo manager Mickey Moran has handed the ageless Kevin O'Neill a starting role for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry (Croke Park, throw-in 3.30pm).

The 33-year-old O'Neill with line out at right corner forward as the westerners try to claim their first All-Ireland title since 1951.

O'Neill replaces Under-21 star Michael Conroy, the player he came on for during the epic 1-16 to 2-12 semi-final defeat of Dublin.

O'Neill, who plays his club football for north Dublin outfit Na Fianna, was deemed a 'super sub' against the capital men as he shot over an excellent point off his left and then sprayed a pin point ball through for Andy Moran to grab Mayo's goal.

The elder statesman of the Mayo side made his inter-county debut in 1993, winning an All-Star award - his last championship start, before this season, was in the 1995 Connacht final.

The remainder of Moran's side is unchanged - it contains eight of the Mayo team that started the 2004 final loss to Kerry. One of those is full-forward Conor Mortimer, who is the Connacht champions' top scorer with 1-33 in six games.

MAYO (SFC v Kerry) - D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney (capt), K Higgins; A Higgins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte; BJ Padden, G Brady, A Dillon; K O'Neill, C Mortimer, C McDonald.