It’s a week before Christmas and the All-Ireland SFC final is here. It’s a final like no other, but familiar foes Dublin and Mayo are facing off once again.
Here’s how the teams are named to start. No news of late changes as of yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells — captain)
2. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)
3. Davy Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
4. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
5. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)
6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
7. Robbie McDaid (Ballyboden St Endas)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny)
9. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
10. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
11. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
12. Seán Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)
15. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
Mayo
1. David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites)
2. Chris Barrett (Clontarf, Dublin)
3. Oisín Mullin (Kilmaine)
4. Lee Keegan (Westport)
5. Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)
7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport)
8. Conor Loftus (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
9. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)
12. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber)
13. Tommy Conroy (The Neale)
14. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy — captain)
15. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber)
And for the day that’s in it, here are the substitutes of both sides.
Dublin
16. Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams)
17. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St-Enda’s)
18. Aaron Byrne (Na Fianna)
19. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
20. Brian Howard (Raheny)
21. Tom Lahiff (St Judes)
22. Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s)
23. Michael Darragh MacAuley (Ballyboden St-Enda’s)
24. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes)
25. Philip McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
26. Kevin McManamon (St Judes)
Mayo
16. Robert Hennelly (Breaffy)
17. Padraig O’Hora (Ballina Stephenites)
18. Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber)
19. Rory Brickenden (Westport)
20. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
21. Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
22. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina)
23. Fergal Boland (Aghamore)
24. James Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
25. James Carr (Ardagh)
26. Darren Coen (Hollymount-Carramore).
It’s prediction time, who do you fancy to lift Sam Maguire?
Poll Results:
Some pre-game reading for you ahead of the 5pm throw-in:
Mayo have won the toss and they’ll play into Hill 16 in first-half. Both sides are unchanged. Just a few minutes to go before throw-in.
GOAL! Dean Rock palms into the Mayo net inside 15 seconds!
Dublin 1-0 Mayo 0-1
1 min – Oisin Mullin bombs forward and scores his first ever point in the championship. Good response by Mayo to what must have been the fastest every goal in an All-Ireland final – 13 seconds was the official time on the clock.
Dublin 1-0 Mayo 0-3
3 mins – Mullin wins the kick-out, Ryan O’Donoghue takes it forward and is fouled. Cillian O’Connor converts the free. From the next kick-out, Mullin again wins it, O’Donoghue feeds O’Connor to level the game. What a response!
Mattie Ruane is marking Brian Fenton by the looks of things.
Dublin 1-1 Mayo 0-3
4 mins – Paddy Small runs at Mayo and is fouled. Dean Rock applies the finish.
Oisin Mullin is marking Con O’Callaghan.
Rock’s goal arrived after a powerful solo run by James McCarthy past Aidan O’Shea.
Tommy Conroy is being tracked by Eoin Murchan, while Chris Barrett is on Rock.
Here’s a look at Rock’s early goal:
It took less than 15 seconds for Dublin to score the first goal of the All-Ireland SFC final #DUBvMAYO
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) December 19, 2020
Follow updates right here: https://t.co/GgvUsjcTXn@RTE2 @RTEplayer #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/R5gjqPIXul
Ciaran Kilkenny is being marked tightly by Paddy Durcan.
Dublin 1-2 Mayo 0-3
8 mins – Bright opening as Rock brings his tally to 1-2 with another free. Mayo are doing well on their own kick-outs, with Aidan O’Shea playing deep in midfield.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-3
10 mins – Lovely finish by Sean Bugler extends the Dublin lead to three. It’s been eight minutes since Mayo have scored.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-4
11 mins – Dublin give away a sloppy ball in defence and Cillian O’Connor capitalises to score. Then Kilkenny wins a mark but kicks it wide.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-5
13 mins – Conor Loftus fists over the bar from a tight angle.
BLOCK! Diarmuid O’Connor makes a good stop on Con O’Callaghan as he went for goal.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-6
15 mins – A superb score from Ryan O’Donoghue brings Mayo level. That’s just his second score in the championship. He’s started his first All-Ireland final very well so far.
We’re at the first-half water break now. Cracking start to this game and Mayo are right in it.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-7
20 mins – Lovely catch from Conor Loftus into O’Connor for an advanced mark that sends Mayo into the lead for the first time.
O’Connor won that ball well over his marker Davy Byrne. It’s 10 minutes since Dublin last scored.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-8
21 mins – A lovely pass from Kevin McLoughlin flies into O’Connor for his second mark in as many minutes.
Another huge catch from Mullin on Stephen Cluxton’s kick-out. He’s been phenomenal so far.
GOAL! Con O’Callaghan punches in Dublin’s second goal of the game.
Dublin 2-3 Mayo 0-8
23 mins – Dublin are back in the lead after a move started and finished by O’Callaghan. Niall Scully, who has been lively so far, with the assist to the back post to the Cuala man.
Dublin 2-3 Mayo 0-9
24 mins – O’Connor slots over another free to draw Mayo level.
Excellent play from Con O'Callaghan finished in a super GOAL for @DubGAAOfficial in the All-Ireland Football Final! pic.twitter.com/ajSrmwINEY
— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 19, 2020
Dublin 2-4 Mayo 0-9
28 mins – 1-1 now for O’Callaghan after a fleet-footed turn and score off his left.
Dublin 2-4 Mayo 0-9
29 mins – McLoughlin is fouled but O’Connor kicks Mayo’s first wide of the game.
Dublin 2-4 Mayo 0-10
30 mins – A fine run forward by Keegan who slips it to O’Donoghue for the levelling score.
Dublin 2-5 Mayo 0-10
31 mins – Fine sidestep and point by John Small after he was put through by his brother Paddy.
Dublin 2-6 Mayo 0-10
34 mins – Mullin is doing really well on Kilkenny but the Castleknock man persists and curls over a lovely point. Dublin lead by two.
BLACK! Dublin’s Robbie McDaid is in the sin bin for 10 minutes.
HT – Dublin 2-6 Mayo 0-10
So Mayo will have a spare man for the opening 10 minutes of the second period. How will they use it? It could be the winning or losing of the game.
There was a scrap in the tunnel between Philly McMahon and Keith Higgins after the former said something to Cillian O’Connor when they walked back in. Aidan O’Shea looked to be involved too.
Brian Howard has come on for Dublin, replacing Sean Bugler.
Paddy Durcan is replaced by Michael Plunkett.
And we’re back underway for the second period.
Dublin 2-7 Mayo 0-10
39 mins – The first score of the half arrives from the boot of Niall Scully.
Dublin 2-7 Mayo 0-11
40 mins – O’Shea is fouled and O’Connor swings over the free from close range.
Watch the Half-Time Highlights of @DubGAAOfficial v @MayoGAA in the All-Ireland Senior Football Final here on GAANOW!
— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 19, 2020
Half-Time Score:
Dublin: 2-06
Mayo: 0-10 pic.twitter.com/tiqewfjoGF
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-11
41 mins – Brian Fenton pops over Dublin’s second score of the half. McDaid will be returning to the fray in the next three minutes.
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-12
42 mins – Stephen Coen wins an advanced mark and slices it between the posts from a tight angle.
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-13
44 mins – Aidan O’Shea is taken down by Jonny Cooper in front of the posts. The Na Fianna man gets a tick and O’Connor puts over the free to reduce the arrears to a point.
Mick Fitzsimons nails Lee Keegan with a shoulder into the chest but gets away with it. Meanwhile, McDaid has returned to the action.
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-13
49 mins – Cooper fouls Keegan and is booked for persistent fouling. O’Connor fires over the free to level us up for the fifth time.
James Carr has come in for Tommy Conroy on the Mayo team.
Dublin 2-9 Mayo 0-14
50 mins – Rock curls over another free after Scully was fouled by Eoghan McLaughlin.
Collie Basquel has come in for Cooper, who has been booked.
We’re at the second-half water break, with Dublin leading by a point.
Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-14
57 mins – Ciaran Kilkenny bursts through and kicks a really important score for Dublin.
Dublin 2-11 Mayo 0-14
60 mins – Brian Howard shows his value by putting Dublin three clear.
Dublin 2-12 Mayo 0-14
61 mins – Mannion swings over a vital score from a free. Mayo are running out of time now.
Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-14
62 mins – Dean Rock splits the posts from a free. Mayo need a goal now.
Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-15
63 mins – Mayo work the ball and Darren Coen reduces the gap to four.
Dublin 2-14 Mayo 0-15
67 mins – Byrne bursts forward and Kilkenny slots over another score.
We’ll have five minutes of additional time.
Cormac Costello has come in for Niall Scully on the Dublin team, while James Durcan replaces McLaughlin for Mayo.
Dublin are playing keep ball now as the look to wind down the clock.
Dublin’s game management has been excellent in the last 10 minutes. Not long to go now…
Late goal chance for Kevin McLoughlin but it’s blocked for a 45.
FT - Dublin 2-14 Mayo 0-15
Six-in-a-row for Dublin.
