Jackies make one change for All-Ireland semi-final duel

Fri, 13th August 2021

TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Dublin v Mayo; Croke Park, 3.45pm

It all started for Dublin against Mayo and the Sky Blues will hope that the journey continues against their opponents from the West in Saturday’s TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship semi-final.

In what was then a record 46,286 attendance for an All-Ireland Ladies decider in 2017, Dublin got the better of Mayo to record just their second Senior title win, and first since 2010.

It was a victory that helped to erase the memories and hurt of three successive Final defeat to Cork from 2014-2016 – and it was the launchpad for a period of sustained dominance.

Dublin have been untouchable in Senior Championship football since then and victory would propel them into an eighth successive Final.

Under the guidance of Mick Bohan, Dublin are chasing a fifth successive title but they’ll receive a stern examination from a Mayo side under the stewardship of former county star Michael Moyles.

Dublin make one change to their starting team from the last day with Siobhan Killeen getting the nod in attack ahead of Caoimhe O’Connor, as Dublin aim for an eighth successive senior final appearance.

Mayo will need a reversal of recent fortunes against Dublin if they’re to make it through to a first All-Ireland Final since 2017.

It’s the first Championship meeting between Dublin and Mayo since 2018, a game won by the Metropolitans, and their most recent clash was a 2021 Lidl National League Division 1 semi-final, when Dublin prevailed by 4-15 to 0-10.

Dublin went on to win the competition and have shown good form to date in the Championship.

Comfortable victories over Tyrone and Waterford in the group stages saw Dublin through to the knockout phase, and they recovered from a slow start to defeat Donegal by five points.

Carla Rowe, who has emerged as a totemic leader up front for Dublin, was superb in that game, while Hannah Tyrrell’s return from rugby has provided Bohan with another brilliant option in attack.

Tyrrell made a sensational impact in the League and has carried that form into the Championship – as she’s Dublin’s current leading scorer with 0-14.

Mayo's confidence is high in their camp following a four-point quarter-final victory over Connacht rivals Galway. That win followed victories over Cavan and Monaghan in the group stages, the latter in a dramatic free-taking shoot-out.

Mayo slipped up against Armagh in Round 3 but had already secured a safe passage to the quarter-finals by then.

Moyles will look to the scoring power of Shauna Howley (0-20 to date), Rachel Kearns (1-11) and Grace Kelly (0-12) if Mayo are to cause what would be a big upset.

Dublin (v Mayo): C Trant; M Byrne, N Collins, L Caffrey; O Carey, S McGrath, O Nolan; J Dunne, L Magee; H Tyrrell, L Davey, C Rowe; S Killeen, N McEvoy, S Aherne (capt.).

Mayo (v Dublin): L Brennan; S Lally, D Finn, C McManamon (capt.); T O’Connor, C Whyte, K Sullivan; F McHale, S Cafferky; N Kelly, R Kearns, L Cafferky; G Kelly, S Howley, S Rowe.