Mayo don’t particularly like taking on Kerry at the best of times, but the task of beating them on Sunday looks a tad trickier after Jack O’Connor named his starting XV last night.
The Kingdom’s forward line alone contains two former Footballers of the Year – Paul Galvin and Kieran Donaghy – a nominee for the award last season – Darran O’Sullivan – and probably two of the greatest players never to win the award in the guise of a certain Colm Cooper at top of the left and Declan O’Sullivan alongside him at full-forward.
Elsewhere in the attack, Patrick Curtin is given the nod to partner Gooch and O’Sullivan in the full-forward line, while further out the field, Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher form a formidable midfield partnership and Killian Young, Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O’Mahony are all named at the back in a side which shows eight changes from the side that finished all square with Mayo in Tralee on Sunday.
Kerry’s Munster neighbours Cork, meanwhile, have made three changes to the side that beat Dublin for the second of the National League semi-finals on Sunday. Alan Quirke is back between the sticks, while Noel O’Leary and Paudie Kissane are drafted in for Eoin Cadogan and Sean Kiely.
The Rebels take on Down in a repeat of the 2010 All-Ireland Final at Croker on Sunday at 4pm, immediately after Kerry take on Mayo, which throws-in two hours earlier.
Kerry team to play Mayo: Brendan Kealy; Shane Enright, Marc Ó Sé, Killian Young; Peter Crowley, Aidan O’Mahony, Brian Maguire; Anthony Maher, Bryan Sheehan; Paul Galvin, Darran O’Sullivan, Kieran Donaghy; Colm Cooper, Declan O’Sullivan, Patrick Curtin.
Cork team to play Down: Alan Quirke; Ray Carey, Michael Shields, Eoin Cotter; Noel O’Leary, Graham Canty, Paudie Kissane; Alan O’Connor, Pearse O’Neill; Fintan Goold, Patrick Kelly, Paul Kerrigan; Colm O’Neill, Aidan Walsh, Donncha O’Connor.
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