Afternoon all and we’re turning our attention to Gaelic football matters on this league final Sunday. It’s a showdown between Kerry and Mayo here in Croke Park with throw-in at 4pm as the Division 1 title is up for grabs.

So for the first time since 2012 there’s no sign of Dublin at this stage of the spring. Kerry are the only team in the last six seasons to have prised the trophy away from Dublin with that victory in 2017. Mayo have to go back a little longer for their last taste of league success when they won out in 2001.

The referee for this one is Longford’s Fergal Kelly.

Here’s the teams named to start on Friday night. We’ll let you know of any late changes.

It’s a huge day for Mayo’s James Carr, making his first senior start this afternoon having been named at corner-forward. He replaces Conor Diskin, one of five changes from last Sunday’s win over Monaghan. Rob Hennelly, Keith Higgins, Lee Keegan and Donal Vaughan all come into side with David Clarke, Eoin O’Donoghue, Stephen Coen and James McCormack making way.

Kerry are unchanged from the team that took care of Roscommon in their final round-robin fixture last Sunday.

Mayo

1. Robert Hennelly (Breaffy)

2. Chris Barrett (Belmullet)
3. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)

5. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
6. Lee Keegan (Westport)
7. Donal Vaughan (Castlebar Mitchels)

8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
9. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)

10. Fergal Boland (Aghamore)
11. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
12. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber — captain)

13. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
14. Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)
15. James Carr (Ardagh)

Kerry

1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)

2. Peter Crowley (Laune Rangers)
3. Jack Sherwood (Firies)
4. Graham O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh na Dromoda)

5. Gavin Crowley (Templenoe)
6. Paul Murphy (Rathmore — captain)
7. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)

8. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
9. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil)

10. Dara Moynihan (Spa Killarney)
11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare)
12. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)

13. David Clifford (Fossa)
14. Tommy Walsh (Kerins O’Rahillys)
15. Kevin McCarthy (Kilcummin)

So all set for throw-in here, who’s your tip to be crowned 2019 Division 1 league champions?

Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-0
And we’re underway, Kerry launch an attack straight away. Tommy Walsh feeds Sean O’Shea who is fouled and he taps over the resultant free.

Mayo off target through Jason Doherty with their first shot on goal, then Diarmuid O’Connor launches in a speculative kick for Kerry that almost evades Rob Hennelly but he manages to flick it out for a ’45.

Hennelly fields the ’45 struck in by Sean O’Shea and Mayo are able to clear.

Poor stuff as Mayo should be level but Jason Doherty’s 20-yard free is underhit and Kerry clear their lines.

Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-1
But now Mayo are level. Fergal Boland tearing in from the right and fisting over a point.

Goal chance for Mayo! A team move sees them prise Kerry apart with Stephen Coen cutting through but when he eventually shoots, it’s close to Shane Ryan and the advancing Kerry goalkeeper blocks the ball. At the other end Kerry do have the ball in the net through David Clifford but it’s blown for an earlier push on the Mayo defence.

Mayo 0-2 Kerry 0-1
A high hanging shot from Patrick Durcan drops over to nudge Mayo in front. Kerry raid at the other end but superb Mayo defending crowds out first Kevin McCarthy and then Stephen O’Brien close to goal.

Mayo 0-3 Kerry 0-1
A move started and finished by Matthew Ruane, one of the brightest sparks in the league this year for Mayo, as he punches over a point.

Goal for Kerry from Gavin Crowley!

Kerry 1-1 Mayo 0-3
We were just praising that Mayo point when Ruane exchanged passes with Keith Higgins when Kerry come downfield and rattle the net. David Clifford makes the ground in from the left wing and then palms a pass to Gavin Crowley. It looks like he’ll pop over a point but he steps inside and picks out the bottom corner of the net. Brilliantly drilled shot by the Templenoe man.

Kerry 1-2 Mayo 0-3
Brendan Harrison handles the ball on the ground under pressure from Clifford and O’Shea converts the free to send Kerry two clear. 

Kerry 1-3 Mayo 0-3
Kerry’s first point from play arrives and it’s courtesy of the left boot of David Clifford, a swift exchange of handpasses with Tommy Walsh engineering the opening.

Gavin Crowley hit the first goal of the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Attacks breaking down on both sides. Mayo have been turned over in their last three forays upfield towards Hill 16 while Peter Crowley sees Kerry’s latest effort caught under the bar by Hennelly.

Goal for Kerry from Stephen O’Brien!

Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-4
Jason Doherty clips over a neat Mayo point but that good work is undone with Kerry’s next attack. It’s a quick sequence of play, Dara Moynihan applying the pass that sees Stephen O’Brien scythe through the Mayo cover. He goes straight down the middle and finishes with aplomb past Hennelly. Five in it now.

Here’s the first Kerry goal that Gavin Crowley provided.

What a super goal by Gavin Crowley for @Kerry_Official !! pic.twitter.com/OZdGwbxbLk

— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 31, 2019

Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-5
Kerry are turned over on their own kickout and when the ball is punted through, Fergal Boland gets to it before goalkeeper Shane Ryan. He takes it around him but is coming in from a tight angle and with defenders on the line, elects to punch over his second point of the day.

And here’s the second goal for Kerry.

Stephen O'Brien scores a second goal for @Kerry_Official ! pic.twitter.com/Oz6MfN6ueX

— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 31, 2019

Mayo's James Carr and Kerry's Peter Crowley. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Yellow card for Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor, joining his namesake from Mayo in the book.

Three minutes of injury time to be played at the end of this half.

Half-Time: Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-5

Second-half about to get underway here, Kerry in control at the moment with a four-point cushion.

Sub: James O’Donoghue in for Kerry for Dara Moynihan.

Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-6
Beautiful left-footed shot floated over for Mayo by newcomer James Carr. He was fed by Kevin McLoughlin who did well to dart forward.

Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-7
And another for Carr, this time off his right near the Cusack Stand after he made a mark.

Kerry 2-3 Mayo 0-8
The gap is down to one, Darren Coen shooting over the bar but Mayo could have netted before that. Aidan O’Shea sent in a glorious long-range pass that found Carr near goal but he couldn’t get away a clean strike under pressure with Shane Ryan able to deflect it clear.

Sub: Kerry bring in Jason Foley for Jack Sherwood.

Super block down by Paul Murphy to deny Patrick Durcan when a point looked to be on for Mayo. Yellow card for Mayo’s Lee Keegan after a separate incident.

Kerry 2-4 Mayo 0-8
A foul on Stephen O’Brien yields a free for Kerry that O’Shea knocks over.

Yellow cards for Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea and Kerry’s Jack Barry.

Sub: Mark Griffin is in for Kerry for Kevin McCarthy.

It’s a glaring statistic that Kerry have only hit one point from play to date, a David Clifford effort in the first half.

Kerry 2-5 Mayo 0-8
Now Kerry do add to that point tally from play. Well-struck over by wing-back Gavin Crowley with Jack Barry, David Clifford and Tom O’Sullivan all involved in the build-up.

Goal for Mayo from Matthew Ruane!

Kerry 2-7 Mayo 1-8
Kerry go four clear initially when Stephen O’Brien is fouled and O’Shea pops over the free. The Mayo response is telling and it’s Matthew Ruane, who netted in Tralee a fortnight ago when these two met, that steps inside the Kerry cover and keeps his cool to net. Kerry have just pointed again, O’Brien fouled once more and it’s his Kenmare club-mate O’Shea who scores.

Sub: Andy Moran on for Mayo for Darren Coen.

Kerry 2-7 Mayo 1-9
Marvellous kick arced over by Diarmuid O’Connor for Mayo cuts the deficit to a single point.

James O’Donoghue gets a sight of goal but his left-foot effort goes across the goal and wide when a point looked on.

Sub: Paul Geaney is on for Kerry for Tommy Walsh.

Mayo fans howling for a penalty after James Carr goes down but the referee is not interested. Fergal Boland sees his attempt to level the game denied by the upright.

Kerry 2-7 Mayo 1-10
And now Mayo do draw level as Doherty boots over a free, Peter Crowley having fouled Lee Keegan and booked for his troubles.

Mayo 1-11 Kerry 2-7
And Mayo are in the ascendancy now as they hit the front. Brilliant kick by Diarmuid O’Connor for his second point of the game. Colm Boyle comes on for them for Donal Vaughan.

O’Connor tries again for another Mayo score but this time Shane Ryan fields it under his crossbar.

Mayo 1-11 Kerry 2-8
We’re all square as Kerry fightback, Jack Barry pointing from close-range.

Sub: James Carr is withdrawn for Mayo as Evan Regan comes into the fray.

Graham O’Sullivan fires in a point effort for Kerry that Hennelly grabs under the bar and Mayo counter again. Still level with six to go in normal time.

Goal for Mayo from Diarmuid O’Connor!

Mayo 2-11 Kerry 2-8
What a decisive blow that could be in deciding the course of this game! It’s Diarmuid O’Connor how fists home an attempted point effort from Durcan that looped short but Kerry will wonder about Shane Ryan’s decision to come off his line to try to gather that.

Sub: Gavin O’Brien in for Kerry for Gavin Crowley.

Sub: Ciaran Treacy comes on for Mayo for Jason Doherty.

Mayo 2-11 Kerry 2-9
Paul Geaney swings over a good point, Kerry cut the gap to two.

Aidan O’Shea sent-off, Mayo down to 14 men!

Second yellow for O’Shea as he is withdrawn, then Kerry have a golden chance for a goal but Hennelly denies a palmed effort from David Clifford!

We’re into injury-time.

Mayo 2-11 Kerry 2-10
And it’s a one point game, Clifford scores for Kerry.

Goal for Mayo from Ciarán Treacy!

Mayo 3-11 Kerry 2-10
And that will surely seal the title for Mayo! Andy Moran pops a through pass into Treacy who is able to run unimpeded and he keeps his cool to roll a shot in underneath the body of Shane Ryan.

Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor is sent-off!

Full-Time: Mayo 3-11 Kerry 2-10

And Mayo are Division 1 football league champions for the first time in 18 years!

Very impressive second-half showing by Mayo as they turned this game around and bagged three goals en route to victory. 

Impressive fightback by Mayo in that second-half, outscored Kerry 3-6 to 0-7. Diarmuid O’Connor, Matthew Ruane and Fergal Boland all put in really big shifts.

A moment to savour for a county and a group that had plenty of tough days in this stadium of late. They’ll enjoy this one, Diarmuid O’Connor is crowned the man-of-the-match.

And so that’s all from us here with our football league final coverage, thanks for joining in.