Down call on Fitzpatrick

Peter Fitzpatrick will start for Down in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Kildare at Croke Park (throw-in 3.30pm), manning the midfield alongside Kalum King.

Fitzpatrick replaces team captain Ambrose Rogers who has been ruled out by the cruciate knee ligament injury he sustained in a recent club game.

Rogers looks set for a cameo role, however, having been included among the substitutes.

Fitzpatrick's inclusion the only change to the Down side that overcame last year's champions Kerry at the quarter-final stage.

The Ballymartin clubman scored a point as a substitute in that 1-16 to 1-10 victory, and there are no starting roles again for the likes of Conor Maginn, Aidan Carr, James Colgan and Ronan Murtagh.

Down boss James McCartan is hoping to guide his county through to their first All-Ireland final since 1994. Back then, his own displays at wing forward were crucial in seeing Down lift the Sam Maguire Cup for the second time in four years.

This weekend's game will mark the current side's seventh Championship outing since late May.

McCartan's men have beaten Donegal, Longford, Offaly, Sligo and Kerry along the way, with an Ulster semi-final defeat to Tyrone their only slip-up.

DOWN (SFC v Kildare): Brendan McVeigh; Daniel McCartan, Dan Gordon, Damien Rafferty; Declan Rooney, Kevin McKernan, Conor Garvey; Peter Fitzpatrick, Kalum King; Daniel Hughes, Mark Poland, Paul McComiskey; Benny Coulter, John Clarke, Martin Clarke.