Hello, and welcome to The42′s live coverage of today’s All-Ireland semi-final replay between Kerry and Mayo.
Kevin O’Brien is on duty in Croke Park, but we’ll be bringing you updates from base as the two sides go again following last Sunday’s 2-14 a-piece thriller.
We’re hoping for more of the same and as always, we want to know what you think. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below.
Throw-in at GAA HQ is 3pm, and the game is live on RTÉ 2 and Sky Sports Arena.
Here are the starting sides, as they were announced last night. We’ll have any late changes.
Kerry
1. Brian Kelly (Killarney Legion)
2. Shane Enright (Tarbert)
3. Mark Griffin (St Michaels-Foilmore)
4. Killian Young (Renard)
5. Peter Crowley (Laune Rangers)
6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
7. Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
8. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
9. Anthony Maher (Duagh)
10. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare Shamrocks)
11. Johnny Buckley (Dr Crokes – captain)
12. Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane)
13. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
14. Kieran Donaghy (Austin Stacks)
15. James O’Donoghue (Killarney Legion)
Mayo
1. David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites)
2. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
3. Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
5. Lee Keegan (Westport)
6. Chris Barrett (Belmullet)
7. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
8. Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy)
9. Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)
12. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber)
13. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
14. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber – captain)
15. Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen)
Half time respect GoGames today between Ballintubber & Dr Crokes GAA clubs.For school, club &county, One GAA family. pic.twitter.com/KYMuX3i0ld
— Uachtarán CLG (@uachtaranclg) August 26, 2017
Big news coming from the Kerry camp:
James O’Donoghue, Mark Griffin and Anthony Maher are out of the starting side with Tom O’Sullivan, Jonathan Lyne, Jack Barry coming in.
Mayo start as named.
As the parade gets underway, here’s some pre-match talking points to feast your eyes on before throw-in:
Referee David Gough has thrown the ball in, and we’re off.
Aidan O’Shea wins the throw-in. Croker is looking immaculate and the atmosphere is electric, as expected.
Kerry 0-0 Mayo 0-1
1 min – First chance falls to Lee Keegan, but his effort is sent wide. A free is awarded though, as he appears to be fouled and O’Connor nails it.
Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-1
3 mins – Lyne responds at the other end. Early signs show this is going to be physical, as expected, with some off-the-ball scuffles.
Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-1
5 mins - Peter Crowley is shown the game’s first yellow card for a high tackle on Vaughan. O’Shea is definitely playing an attacking role so far, and well involved in the action.
Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-2
6 mins – O’Connor hits his second free-kick of the day.
Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-3
7 mins – The Kerry defence are under pressure as Andy Moran opens his account.
Kerry 0-2 Mayo 0-3
9 mins – O’Shea and Donaghy come face-to-face for the first time today. Gough deems that the Breaffy man fouls, and he’s shown a yellow card. Geaney slots the resulting free over.
Kerry 0-3 Mayo 0-3
11 mins – We’re level. Geaney ties matters with a great score from play. Good work from late introduction Jack Barry in the build-up.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-3
12 mins – Buckley edges the Munster champions in front, but Andy Moran has been fouled at the other end and O’Connor has the chance to cancel it out.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-5
13 mins – Another textbook free from the Ballintubber forward. Enright sees yellow for the foul on Moran. McLoughin with a super effort as Mayo steal the lead again.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-5
15 mins – O’Shea tracks back to sniff around Donaghy, and he wins the ball to huge cheers from the Mayo crowd. O’Connor’s effort from play is sent wide.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-6
17 mins – Mayo are looking dangerous on the attack, the Kerry defence aren’t dealing with the threat accordingly. Great run from Boyle as he gets the shot off, but his advantage is called back for another free, and O’Connor does it again.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-6
18 mins – What’s going on with the Kerry kickouts? Kelly, between the posts, ends up kicking it out for a Mayo 45. O’Connor’s effort goes wide though.
Looks like there’s going to be more of this this week……
Not too sure what happened there, but there looked to be some verbals and Donaghy is shown a yellow card.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-6
22 mins – Cillian O’Connor was down receiving treatment but he’s up and at it again. Kerry are struggling to create decent opportunities so far, and the RTÉ commentators are saying that the scoreline doesn’t reflect Mayo’s dominance.
Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-7
25 mins – O’Connor’s fifth of the day so far as he splits the posts with a 40-meter free. The pressure Mayo are putting on Kelly’s kick-outs are paying dividends.
Kerry 0-5 Mayo 0-7
26 mins – Geaney pulls another back.
GOAL! Its in the back of the Kerry net.
Kerry 0-5 Mayo 1-7
28 mins – A ball is sent in on the Kerry keeper, and Diarmuid O’Connor got a touch to grab the first goal of the game.
Kerry 0-5 Mayo 1-8
30 mins – In a crazy few seconds, Kerry have a goal-chance at the other end but it’s rattled wide and out for a 45. Nothing comes off it. Barrett hits another Mayo point.
Kerry 0-6 Mayo 1-8
32 mins – Barrett is the latest to see yellow, and Geaney raises another white flag with the free in. Four for the Dingle man.
Kerry 0-6 Mayo 1-8
34 mins – Boyle is making some super runs through the middle and sparking the Mayo attack to life. Rochford’s men are well in control here as the clock runs down to half-time.
There will be three additional minutes before the break.
Kerry 0-6 Mayo 1-8
37 mins – Parsons win the ball in the Mayo defence. Another threatening attack, as the ball is sent in high with Diarmuid O’Connor lurking. They’ll be disappointed nothing came off it.
Parsons’ name is also scribbled in the referee’s notebook and that’s three yellow cards a-piece.
Paddy Durcan replaces Donie Vaughan.
Half-time: Mayo 1-8 Kerry 0-6
“From a neutral point of view, it’s been a very disappointing first-half of football,” Pat Spillane says on The Saturday Game.
What do you make of it?
Kerry inviting Mayo's running game onto them in the 1st half. David Clarke going short with ease, building a platform for Mayo to attack.
— Kevin O'Brien (@Kevobrien7) August 26, 2017
Mayo spooked Kerry last week. This week Kerry have spooked themselves. #GAA
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) August 26, 2017
And we’re underway again, as O’Shea wins the throw-in.
Kerry 0-6 Mayo 1-9
36 mins – James O’Donoghue is on, we’ll have full changes in the next update. O’Connor draws first blood of the second half with another free.
GOAL! Andy Moran with the final say.
Kerry 0-7 Mayo 2-9
37 mins – Great ball in from the newly-introduced Conor Loftus, and O’Connor and Moran combine for the goal.
Beforehand, O’Donoghue pointed with his first piece of action.
So, back to the changes:
Loftus is in for Diarmuid O’Connor on the Mayo side. And Kerry — O’Donoghue for Walsh, O’Sullivan for Buckley and Fitzgerald for Enright.
Kerry 0-8 Mayo 2-9
41 mins – Colm Boyle clears Geaney’s effort off the line, moments after a pointed free-kick from the same player.
Darran O’Sullivan is shown a black card, much to his frustration.
Kerry 0-9 Mayo 2-9
44 mins – Jack Savage is his replacement. Geaney puts six between the sides with another free.
Kerry 0-9 Mayo 2-9
46 mins – Goal chances at each end. The best falling to Kerry — super, super save from Clarke and first-class defending from Mayo to keep O’Brien out.
Kerry 0-9 Mayo 2-10
47 mins – Mayo settle themselves, and take control of the tempo yet again. Doherty sends a point over, much to the crowd’s delight.
Black card for Cillian O’Connor.
Kerry 0-10 Mayo 2-10
51 mins – Change for Kerry: Mark Griffin is in for Young, while Jack Barry pulls one back. Conor O’Shea is O’Connor’s replacement.
Kerry 0-10 Mayo 2-11
53 mins – Loftus and Fitzgerald exchange points. Six in it yet again.
Kerry 0-12 Mayo 2-11
56 mins – Yellow for Paddy Durcan. Geaney clocks his seventh of the match. David Moran fields well around the middle for a mark, but the aerial ball in isn’t working. Mayo are all over it.
Kerry 0-12 Mayo 2-11
57 mins – Moran is fouled, and Doherty steps up to take over from the black-carded O’Connor. He makes no mistake, and the Mayo crowd are loving this. Barry is shown yellow.
Kerry 0-13 Mayo 2-12
59 mins – O’Donoghue slots over his second from a free-kick. The Mayo defence are working like trojans, doing anything to avoid a Kerry goal.
Kerry 0-14 Mayo 2-12
60 mins - O’Donoghue’s effort from play is a lovely one, and there’s four in it. Stephen Coen is in for Seamie O’Shea. Barry John Keane looks to be preparing for action too.
Peter Crowley is handed his marching orders for a foul on Boyle, it’s his second yellow.
Kerry 0-14 Mayo 2-13
63 mins – Doherty adds a 45. Mayo are within touching distance here.
Kerry 0-14 Mayo 2-14
66 mins – Keane has replaced Tom O’Sullivan, and with his first attack, he sends a looping ball in towards goal. It goes wide. Blood sub – Maher is in for Barry.
At the other end, McLoughlin sends over a huge score.
Kerry 0-14 Mayo 2-15
67 mins – Massive block from Higgins on O’Donoghue, and Boyle intercepts. The Mayo fans are loving this. Loftus tags on his second. It looks very much like the Westerners will march on.
Kerry 0-15 Mayo 2-15
69 mins – Geaney brings his tally to eight, to a tame cheer from Kerry fans. Danny Kirby is on for Boyle and straight into the action, tussling with Maher.
Rings of ‘Mayo, Mayo’ as they eagerly await the final whistle.
There’ll be five minutes of additional time.
Kerry 0-16 Mayo 2-16
72 mins – Another wrestle, this time between Coen and Maher and both see yellow. Durcan adds another point for Mayo after some lovely build-up play. Croker is loud.
Durcan then sees his second yellow card, and he’s off.
Colm Boyle is named Man of the Match for an exceptional display.
Straight red card for Donaghy for an off the ball incident — he throws O’Shea to the ground. His frustration shone through in the end.
Kerry 0-17 Mayo 2-16
75 mins – The game just turns to scraps. Shouts for the final whistle.
Full-time: Mayo 2-16 Kerry 0-17
MAYO HAVE DONE IT!
Huge, huge result for Stephen Rochford and his Mayo side. They’re in the All-Ireland final again. A first win over Kerry in the championship in 21 years.
That’s all from me, but you can read Kevin O’Brien’s on-the-whistle report here:
It’s onto the third Sunday in September for Mayo, while Kerry are left to lick their wounds. Of course, we’ll discover their opposition tomorrow as Dublin and Tyrone face off. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your evening.
Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:
