A turbulent summer comes to an end this Sunday when two titans clash at headquarters in the All Ireland Final. Their journey to the final has seen them outlast 31 other teams enroute to Croke Park amid a season complimented by numerous historical incidents, ranging from London’s journey to the Connacht Final and Croke Park to the controversial introduction of hawk eye.
But now the dust has settled and only two teams remain, who will take home the illustrious Sam Maguire?
All Ireland SFC Final Preview
Dublin v Mayo
Mayo have failed to win an All Ireland since 1951 and have been coming up short in every final since. However, Mayo have been improving a lot in the last few years and I would expect that they will win All-Ireland between now and 2016, but i don’t think it will happen for them on Sunday in Croke Park.
Dublin have been impressive to date , particularly in the high scoring thriller with the Kingdom which saw them emerge victorious by seven points to claim their place in the All Ireland Final. Mayo need to prevent the Dubs from running riot in Croke Park to stand a chance of ending a 52 year silence in the west. Mayo will need to punish every mistake their opponents make and need to be ruthless when the opportunity arises. I Still fancy Dublin to score more easily than the westerners because their forwards are more suited to the occasion of winning an All Ireland. The Mayo defence will be given a real test from the direct running style of the Dubs. Dublin should edge this game on the scoreboard. This game will be fast paced, hard hitting and very physical. Mayo need to show the hunger, desire and passion that they have failed to show in the last number of years, but importantly they need to show something unique to win an All Ireland. Mayo need to be careful in their defence as Dublin will score goals especially with Bernard Brogan back to his best. Possession will be crucial in this game, but Mayo need to convert some simple chances like they failed to do in their previous games, like score a 21 yard free right in front of the post. Dublin will be rock solid when it comes to converting frees and this is one advantage that they have over Mayo.
Mayo have already names their starting fifteen for the final , fielding a team that shows no changes from their semi final victory over Tyrone. Crucially for Mayo manager James Horan he has been able to name top scorer Cillian O’Connor in his starting ranks as the forward has overcome injury.
Dublin manager Jim Gavin has yet to name his team.
Mayo team : R Hennelly; T Cunniffe, G Cafferkey, C Barrett; L Keegan, D Vaughan, C Boyle; A O’Shea, S O’Shea; K McLoughlin, K Higgins, A Dillon; C O’Connor, A Freeman, A Moran (Capt).
Verdict: Dublin
*Read Danny Morrissey on three key battles which could define Sunday’s final here.*
All-Ireland MFC Final Preview
Mayo v Tyrone
This game will be extremely interesting because you have two very different brands of football being played here. Tyrone will try control the pace of the game and try to keep up with Mayo for most of the game and then turn the game in their favour. I think Mayo will emerge from this game as winners as they have been putting up big scores and have been scoring goals more at will than their northern counterparts. Tyrone have plenty of ability to prevent Mayo from scoring a lot and pulling away in this game. Mayo have shown more promise than previous years with most of their forwards scoring goals. Mayo will need to find the back of the net on Sunday to claim a minor title, something which they haven’t achieved since 1985. Tyrone will keep the game as tight as possible by deploying a structured defensive system , commonly referred to as a blanket defence. Mayo’s young guns should come through this showdown as they have shown more resolve this year than in previous attempts. This curtain raiser may not set the tone for the senior final but one thing is for sure, the future of Mayo GAA is destined for success.
Verdict: Mayo
Image courtesy of Inpho.ie
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