GAA: Kerry v Mayo All-Ireland football semi-final replay key battles
Thursday 24 August 2017 18:57, UK
We take a look at three key battles which could decide the outcome of Saturday's All-Ireland football semi-final replay between Kerry and Mayo, live on Sky Sports Action.
Kerry have long been known as the kings of football, having won 37 All-Ireland Championships, the last of which came in 2014.
Mayo, by contrast, have only won three, the last of which was in 1951. As is well known, Mayo have lost eight finals since then, and three since 2012 including last year to Dublin, with many pointing to a supposed Curse of '51.
However, Mayo underlined their credentials on Sunday with their thrilling draw against favourites Kerry in the initial semi-final and will believe they are well equipped to secure their place in next month's final.
Which players could decide who gets another chance at winning the Sam Maguire Cup, though? Here are three potentially crucial battles...
Aidan O'Shea v Johnny Buckley
Where better to start than the centre forwards, with Aidan O'Shea looking to drive Mayo to another shot at the holy grail and new Kerry skipper Johnny Buckley aiming to lead the Kingdom to a return to the glory days.
Instrumental in their All-Ireland quarter-final annihilation of Roscommon, O'Shea received the man-of-the-match award having been at the heart of yet another hugely important victory for the Westerners.
Both brutally and brilliantly physical, O'Shea leads the line well for Mayo and his stamina is up there with the best of them.
Quite simply, if he's not at his best, Mayo invariably lose, so to win on Saturday much of the game will have flow through him.
"We know what we're capable of," O'Shea said after beating Roscommon. "Everyone has written us off, as per usual, but we just keep going.
"We are well conditioned. We've looked at our numbers and they are getting better and better. We work really hard and the games are just a bonus.
"The way we've been performing, we've been a bit up and down, but today was a bit more consistent but that's not going to be good enough to beat Kerry."
At the other end, Kerry skipper Buckley was given the unenviable task of filling Colm Cooper's shoes from a leadership perspective this year, and on Saturday he has a chance to go out and prove his worth.
The 2014 All-Ireland and three-time Munster championship winner has been in and out of the Kerry team this summer, but was back in from the start for the quarter-final win over Galway in which they breezed through, barely having to flex their muscles.
Like O'Shea, size is on Buckley's side and his displays are often tireless. He will have to match the efforts of his counter part and avoid being outshone to ensure passage to the final.
Lee Keegan v Paul Murphy
Lee Keegan missed Mayo's quarter-final win having been injured with a foot infection, and the 2016 Footballer of the Year will be hungry to impress at Croke Park.
The right wing-back is a key cog in Mayo's exciting team and manager Stephen Rochford confirmed before Sunday's first meeting that Keegan had undergone "modified training" and would continue to "train fully" ahead of the semi-final.
"There's always a challenge thankfully in selecting what people might reference as being the right team," Rochford added.
"But look, Lee gives us more options and when we looked at the team prior to the game the last day, we had that conundrum as well...it's a good headache."
A player who can man-mark supremely while not sacrificing his forward play, Keegan is superbly skillful, capable of wonder scores and can dominate a game single-handedly if not dealt with.
Up against him down that same wing will be Kerry's excellent left half-back Paul Murphy.
Still just 26, Murphy was man of the match the last time Kerry won an All-Ireland title in 2014, in his first season no less.
The versatile footballer has tremendous energy, a huge range to his shots and never stops working. His vision is another huge asset and he's a player who has the will to try things. They may not always come off but he's a creative force.
On top of nice touches in possession, he's battle hardened defensively and who dominates that wing. Murphy or Keegan could go a long way to deciding which team will come out on top.
Kieran Donaghy v Keith Higgins
While Kerry were far from their imperious best against Galway, full forward Kieran Donaghy proved outstanding.
The archetypal target-man up top, Donaghy was impossible to mark for the Kingdom at points in that quarter-final, particularly in the first half where he plundered in the opening goal.
He may be 34, but at 6'5" with great hands and a seemingly unnatural wingspan, the ball sticks to him like glue and he is a vital link man to most of Kerry's forward forays.
Four All-Ireland titles, eight Munster Championships and three All Stars, Donaghy's pedigree is unquestionable and he must be shackled if Mayo are to advance. He could cause havoc otherwise.
Among those tasked with restricting Donaghy's involvement will be Mayo defender Keith Higgins, who put in an all-round display over Roscommon.
The left corner-back or sweeper is robust defensively but also illustrated his capabilities going forward in the quarter-final, putting in two monumental solo runs, setting up the second goal for Andy Moran with his first, and scoring a sensational goal of his own thereafter.
Remarkable acceleration with ball in hand and when tracking, Higgins' pace and reading of the game will be key on Sunday.
Will he manage the Mayo rearguard effectively enough to limit Kerry's success?
Sky Sports live GAA coverage continues on Saturday with the All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay clash between Kerry and Mayo, live on Sky Sports Arena from 2pm. Tyrone and Dublin slug it out on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Arena from 2.30pm.
For those on the move you can get updates via our live blog at www.skysports.com/GAA or @SkySportsGAA
