Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the biggest day in the gaelic football calendar – the All-Ireland SFC final.
And once again, it’s Dublin and Mayo who will battle it out for Sam Maguire.
The team-line ups that have been announced:
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)
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
2. Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
3. Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)
5. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny)
9. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
10. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
11. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)
12. Niall Scully (Templeogue)
13. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes)
14. Paddy Andrews (St Brigid’s)
15. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
To get you started, here is Billy Joe Padden’s take on Mayo’s chances of ending the 66-year wait for Sam Maguire.
Speaking on The42′s Close Calls, he said:
“I think they’ve learned an awful lot and I think they’re ahead of the curve in terms of how teams should play against Dublin,” said Padden, a three-time Connacht title winner.
“I think they’re ready for the sort of mental task that it is because you have to be alert and aggressive and totally focused for the full 75 minutes. You can’t let it lapse at any stage, or else Dublin will just walk all over the top of you. I think they’ve proven that they can do that. They’ll need to do it again obviously.
“I just feel that the way Mayo are battle-hardened, the way they’re focused on this game, the way that maybe Dublin haven’t had any challenges this summer, I think that may have an impact on them — that maybe Mayo will just be that bit sharper on the day and will have enough to get the job done.”
Continue reading here:
‘If Mayo go and win I still think that Dublin are probably the greatest team we’ve ever seen’
The Dubs heading into the dressing room
‘Both sides are unchanged’, says RTÉ commentator Ger Canning.
We’ll have to wait and see when the two teams take to the field.
Tim ‘Boom-shaka-laka’ McCarthy spoke to Kevin O’Brien about them impact of basketball coach Mark Ingle on Dublin’s game, particularly on Ciarán Kilkenny.
“In a basketball team the point guard’s role in general is to get the ball to the scorers.
“To me Kilkenny is the point guard, because what he does is he surveys the whole situation. For the amount of possession he has, he doesn’t take a lot of shots. That doesn’t mean he can’t score, but he doesn’t score the big points.
“You’d think for somebody with so much possession in the offensive part of the field he’d be taking more shots, but what he does is find players.
“You take Rock or Andrews who have less possession, they take more shots. If you look at the point guard’s role, it’s to get the ball to the scorers. Ciaran Kilkenny in Dublin gets the ball to the scorers.”
Continue reading here:
Ciaran Kilkenny as point guard: How basketball has transformed Dublin’s style of play
Ask not what your county can do for you
Team changes ahead of throw-in:
Dublin
Eoghan O’Gara will start instead of Niall Scully
Mayo
Paddy Durcan is in for Diarmuid O’Connor.
There’s a lot of talk about Diarmuid Connolly’s warm-up attire. What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
Dublin 1-00 0-00 Mayo
Goal!!! Con O’Callaghan gets Dublin off the mark with a superb goal after cutting through the Mayo defence.
Dublin 1-00 0-00 Mayo
Jack McCaffrey has gone down badly. He’s in agony and holding his knee. He’s getting treatment on the pitch.
Dublin 1-00 0-02 Mayo
That change has been confirmed, as Flynn comes in for McCaffrey.
Dublin 1-00 0-02 Mayo
Dean Rock hits a free out for a 45′ from a difficult angle.
Dublin 1-00 0-02 Mayo
Rock takes the 45′ but doesn’t connect properly with the shot and it drifts out wide. Still just one point between the sides.
Dublin 1-00 0-02 Mayo
Mayo are struggling to break Dublin’s defence, and there’s been a few errors from Mayo while in possession.
Dublin 1-00 0-03 Mayo
Kevin McLoughlin levels proceedings with a super score. It came from some great defensive play from Mayo to win the ball back.
That’s what Mayo can do.
Dublin 1-01 0-03 Mayo
Eoghan O’Gara hits Dublin’s first point of the afternoon. They take the lead once more.
Dublin 1-01 0-05 Mayo
Cillian O’Connor brings it back to a level game, while Andy Moran squeezes over a shot to edge Mayo in front.
Dublin 1-02 0-05 Mayo
Paddy Andrews draws a foul from Donal Vaughan, and Rock lobs it over to level the game once more.
Dublin 1-02 0-06 Mayo
Moran scores his third point of the afternoon. Mayo are starting to assert themselves.
Dublin 1-02 0-07 Mayo
Jason Doherty adds another for Mayo, to put them two points in front.
Dublin 1-03 0-07 Mayo
John Small responds for the champions, but Mayo continue to hold their lead.
Dublin 1-03 0-07 Mayo
Here’s that goal again by Con O’Callaghan
Dublin 1-04 0-07 Mayo
Dean Rock puts another point up for Dublin to make it a drawn game again. Meanwhile, Lee Keegan and John Small have been handed yellow cards.
Dublin 1-04 0-08 Mayo
Jason Doherty hits his second point of the day on the back of some great passing in the Mayo forward line. Mayo take charge on the scoreboard again.
Dublin 1-04 0-08 Mayo
Dublin cannot get a handle on their own kickouts. Mayo’s midfield are dominating.
Dublin 1-04 0-08 Mayo
Kevin McLoughlin wins a free after a challenge from Cian O’Sullivan.
But it’s a bad miss from O’Connor. Mayo needed that one.
Dublin 1-04 0-08 Mayo
Some bad wides in the last few minutes. Paul Flynn will be disappointed with that effort.
Dublin 1-04 0-08 Mayo
We’re coming to the end of the first half, and crucially, Mayo are in front.
We have three minutes of added time to go.
Dublin 1-04 0-09 Mayo
Colm Boyle slices a shot over the bar. They stretch their lead to two with half-time looming.
Dublin 1-05 0-9 Mayo
Ciarán Kilkenny earns a free for Dublin, and Rock sends it soaring between the posts.
Colm Boyle gets a yellow card just before the break.
HT: Mayo lead Dublin by one point in the All-Ireland football final
Team changes
Dublin: Kevin McManamon on for Paddy Andrews. Diarmuid Connolly on for Eoghan O’Gara
Dublin 1-06 0-09 Mayo
Second half has just kicked off, and Paul Mannion gets a quick score to level the game.
Dublin 1-06 0-10 Mayo
Mayo are awarded a free for a tug on the jersey from the 13 metre line. Cillian O’Connor easily slots it over.
That’s their first point from a free today.
Dublin 1-07 0-10 Mayo
Dean Rock curls over a point to ensure that Mayo don’t go far.
Dublin 1-08 0-10 Mayo
McManamon announces himself to the stage with a terrific point to put them in the lead.
Dublin 1-08 0-10 Mayo
McManamon hits Dublin’s fourth wide. He’s looking lively though.
Dublin 1-08 0-10 Mayo
SAVE!! Stephen Cluxton gets down well to keep out a certain Mayo goal. Crucial moment.
Dublin 1-08 0-11 Mayo
Cillian O’Connor chips over a free from that moment to ensure they come away with something.
Dublin 1-09 0-11 Mayo
SAVE!! David Clarke keeps out a great shot from Paul Mannion, but Mannion gets a point out of it.
Dublin 1-09 0-11 Mayo
John Small is sent off for a second yellow following a challenge on Colm Boyle. Donal Vaughan is also given his marching orders.
Both teams down to 14 men.
Dublin 1-09 0-11 Mayo
Dublin 1-10 0-11 Mayo
Brian Fenton extends Dublin’s lead to two points with a nice chip over the bar.
Dublin 1-10 0-11 Mayo
Team change for Mayo: Diarmuid O’Connor is on for Seamus O’Shea.
Dublin 1-10 0-12 Mayo
Cillian O’Connor reduces the difference to just one point with a free.
Dublin 1-11 1-12 Mayo
GOAL!! Lee Keegan hits a cracking goal to respond to a James McCarthy point. They lead by one now.
Dublin 1-12 1-12 Mayo
Diarmuid Connolly sweeps over an inspirational point. Back to a drawn affair again.
Dublin 1-12 1-13 Mayo
Kevin McLoughlin hits an instant reply for Mayo as we approach the final 10 minutes of the game.
Dublin 1-13 1-13 Mayo
Dean Rock had to work to fist that point. The referee had awarded a free but he has allowed the point to stand.
Dublin 1-13 1-14 Mayo
Cillian O’Connor fires a shot high and over the bar. There might have been a goal on though. Philly McMahon gets a yellow card.
Dublin 1-13 1-15 Mayo
Diarmuid O’Connor and Lee Keegan combine well and earn a free in a very scoreable position right in front of goal.
And brother Cillian pops it over.
Lee Keegan celebrates scoring his goal right into the face of the hill.
Dublin 1-14 1-15 Mayo
Super score from Paul Mannion following confirmation from Hawk Eye. Back to a one-point game again.
Dublin 1-15 1-15 Mayo
James McCarthy curls a nice shot over the bar. Could we headed for a replay?
Dublin 1-16 1-16 Mayo
Dean Rock and Cillian O’Connor trade points. These sides are inseparable it seems.
Team change
Dublin: Con O’Callaghan has been withdrawn, with Niall Scully coming in.
Dublin 1-16 1-16 Mayo
Team change for Mayo: David Drake comes on for Jason Doherty.
Dublin 1-16 1-16 Mayo
MISS!! Cillian O’Connor earns a free which he takes. It’s a similar position to where he missed that crucial free last year.
But it comes off the post.
Dublin 1-16 1-16 Mayo
Diarmuid Connolly has just sent a shot wide. A replay is very much on the cards.
Dublin 1-16 1-16 Mayo
Team change for Dublin: Cormac Costello comes on for Paul Mannion.
Dublin 1-17 1-16 Mayo
And Dean Rock nails it! Dublin are in front with added time already played.
FT: Dublin 1-17 1-16 Mayo
Dublin have completed the three-in-a-row following a dramatic finish in the All-Ireland final.
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“The Aviva Stadium is expected to be at a reduced capacity for the game, in the region of 27,000, although that could change in the event of exceptional demand” surely that’s how it is with moat teams? I’d imagine there will be a lot more of a demand than the 27,000 capacity anyway.
@Dave Murray: I would have thought that certain sections will not be used with restricted capacity, resulting in a smaller staff requirement. If they put all 52k tickets on sale, all sections will have to be available and therefore full match day costs applied.
@Paul Ennis: I get that, just thought it(a little)odd that they would announce a 27,000 capacity restriction before tickets are on sale to the public and see what the demand is etc. But I guess with a short turn around and Easter weekend it could be harder to shift 50,000 tickets and get staff in like you said.
@Dave Murray: EPRC also organising the game rather than Leinster, and they’re shit at running things.
Without being presumptuous – is the semi final
Draw already planned out?
@Daithi Mc Ghiollamhairtin: Yeah. Leinster/Leicester v Toulouse/Sharks and La Rochelle/Salarycens v Exeter/Stormers
@baz dunne: many thanks
@baz dunne: Salarycens hahaha
5 day turnaround with the knock on effect of potential reduced capacity due to the limited timeframe is a great reward for going through as top seed. This is an absolute joke
@Rob Doyle: Your prize for top seed is its at “home” or at least 10mins down the road from it, so be thankful you’re not coming from Welford Rd with a week to plan it!! it does feel too near, be better if a 2 week gap but all the teams that are through are in the same scenario regardless of they seeding. 27k is an average sized rugby stadium, crucially it’s circa 10k more than full RDS capacity, and the fans all know the weekends of the semis well in advance, if not the exact day. I’m not overjoyed by a half full Aviva myself but it is what it is.
Real shame it’s not in a packed RDS, a half full Aviva sucks.
I think we’ll Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, and La Rochelle in the semis.
@Brenda Collins: 3 from URC? they’ll be due an ol restructure soon enough so.