A look at the Kerry team sheet for this Sunday will make ominous reading for Mayo fans, due to the presence of a familiar foe in the number 13 jersey.
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper returns to captain the Kerry side against the Red and Green this weekend, having taken an extended break following Dr. Crokes’ extended run in the All-Ireland club championship, where they fell to a semi-final defeat to Crossmaglen Rangers.
Perhaps no one man has caused Mayo so much grief in recent years and his devastating performance in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, not to mention his displays in the 2004 and 2006 finals, will still linger in the memory of nervous supporters travelling to Tralee on Sunday.
James Horan’s men will fancy their chances, however, as with top spot in Division One assured, Jack O’Connor has made six changes to the Kerry side with Brian Kelly, Anthony Maher and David O’Callaghan also coming in and Kieran Donaghy moving to midfield.
Like Mayo, Cork will be assured of a semi-final place if they beat Dublin on Sunday and Conor Counihan has recalled Ken O’Halloran, Graham Canty and Paul Kerrigan at the expense of Alan Quirke, Sean Kiely and the suspended Mark Collins.
A week after they humbled Garrycastle in the All-Ireland club final replay, meanwhile, Crossmaglen contingent Jamie Clarke, Aaron Kernan and Tony Kernan have returned to the Armagh squad for the crucial clash against Donegal, with whoever comes out on the losing side destined for Division 2 football next season.
The Kernan brothers and Clarke have all been named on the bench, with Paddy O’Rourke making a number of positional and personnel changes ahead of the meeting in Ballybofey.
Check out the teams in full below:
Kerry team v Mayo: B Kelly; S Enright, K Young, B McGuire; P Crowley, E Brosnan, J Lyne; A Maher, K Donaghy; D O’Callaghan, BJ Keane, J Buckley; C Cooper, P Curtin, K O’Leary.
Subs: B Kealy, M Ó Se, P Galvin, A O’Mahony, Declan O’Sullivan, B Sheehan, Darran O’Sullivan, J O’Donoghue, M Geaney, D Casey, F Fitzgerald, D Walsh.
Cork team to play Dublin: K O’Halloran; R Carey, M Shields, E Cotter; N O’Leary, G Canty, P Kissane; A O’Connor, P O’Neill; F Goold, P Kerrigan, P Kelly; C O’Neill, A Walsh, D O’Connor.
Substitutes to be announced.
Armagh team to play Donegal: P McEvoy; A Mallon, B Donaghy, D McKenna; P Duffy, C McKeever, F Moriarty; J Lavery, C Vernon; B Mallon, BJ Padden, A Duffy; M Stevenson, C Rafferty, K Dyas.
Subs: N Geoghegan, J Kingham, D Lavery, J Clarke, A Kernan, T Kernan, M O’Rourke, G McParland, C Watters, M Shields, P Carvill.
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