Race for Sam picks up pace

Thu, 3rd December 2020

And then there were four! It’s semi-final weekend in the All-Ireland SFC, with Croke Park hosting the action on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

It’s back to the traditional semi-final system, with the four provincial winners automatically qualifying as provincial winners.

Cavan and Dublin meet in the championship for the first time in 78 years while Mayo and Tipperary last met in 2016.

SATURDAY

Cavan v Dublin, Croke Park, 5.30

SUNDAY

Mayo v Tipperary, Croke Park, 3.30

CAVAN v DUBLIN

They meet in the championship for the first time since 1942 when Dublin won an All-Ireland semi-final by three points. Their last competitive clash was in the 2019 Allianz League when Dublin won by 1-16 to 1-10 in Kingspan Breffni Park.

PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL

CAVAN

Cavan 2-15 Monaghan 1-17 (aet)

Cavan 0-13 Antrim 0-9

Cavan 1-14 Down 1-13

Cavan 1-13 Donegal 0-12

TOP SCORERS

Gearóid McKiernan......0-11 (0-6 frees)

Martin Reilly.................2-2 (1-0 pen)

Conor Madden...............1-5

Thomas Galligan............0-5 (0-1 mark)

Oisín Kiernan...................0-5

Oisín Pierson...................1-1

DUBLIN

Dublin 0-22 Westmeath 0-11

Dublin 2-23 Laois 0-7

Dublin 3-21 Meath 0-9

TOP SCORERS

Dean Rock.............1-16 (0-12 frees, 0-2 '45’)

Ciarán Kilkenny...1-13

Seán Bugler............2-4

Niall Scully............1-5

Cormac Costello....0-7 (0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45’, 0-1 mark)

PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

They meet in the championship for the fifth time, with Dublin having won the previous four.

1942: Dublin 1-6 Cavan 1-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1925: Dublin 0-6 Cavan 1-1 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1920: Dublin 3-6 Cavan 1-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1892: Dublin 3-7 Cavan 0-3 (All-Ireland semi-final)

LAST FIVE SEMI-FINALS

DUBLIN

2019: Dublin 3-14 Mayo 1-10

2018: Dublin 1-24 Galway 2-12

2017: Dublin 2-17 Tyrone 0-11

2016: Dublin 0-22 Kerry 2-14

2015: Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14 (replay)

CAVAN

1997: Kerry 1-17 Cavan 1-10

1969: Offaly 3-8 Cavan 1-10 (replay)

1969: Cavan 1-9 Offaly 0-12 (draw)

1967: Cork 2-7 Cavan 0-12

1964: Kerry 2-12 Cavan 0-6

*Dublin’s last defeat in an All-Ireland semi-final was in 2014 when they lost to Donegal.

*Cavan’s last win in an All-Ireland semi-final was in 1952 when they beat Cork.

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MAYO v TIPPERARY

It’s a second All-Ireland semi-final clash between the counties in four years, with Mayo having won by five points in 2016. They haven’t met in a competitive game since then.

PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL

MAYO

Mayo 2-15 Leitrim 0-10

Mayo 1-16 Roscommon 0-13

Mayo 0-14 Galway 0-13

TOP SCORERS

Cillian O’Connor...........1-22 (0-13 frees, 0-2 ‘45s’)

Tommy Conroy..............1-4

Diarmuid O’Connor........1-1

TIPPERARY

Tipperary 2-11 Clare 1-11

Tipperary 1-15 Limerick 2-11 (aet)

Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-14

TOP SCORERS

Conor Sweeney..........1-18 (0-9 frees, 0-2 ‘mark’)

Liam Casey...................1-4 (0-1 ‘mark)

Jack Kennedy...............0-5 (all frees)

Michael Quinlivan........0-5 (0-1 free)

PREVIOUS MAYO-TIPPERARY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

This will be the fifth championship clash between them, with the previous four ending as follows.

2016: Mayo 2-13 Tipperary 0-14 (All-Ireland semi-final)

2002: Mayo 0-21 Tipperary 1-14 (2002 All-Ireland qualifiers)

1922: Tipperary 1-5 Mayo 1-0 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1919: Tipperary 2-2 Mayo 1-4 (All-Ireland semi-final)

LAST FIVE SEMI-FINALS

MAYO

2019: Dublin 3-14 Mayo 1-10

2017: Mayo 2-16 Kerry 0-17 (replay)

2017: Mayo 2-14 Kerry 2-14 (draw)

2016: Mayo 2-13 Tipperary 0-14

2015: Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14 (replay)

TIPPERARY

2016: Mayo 2-13 Tipperary 0-14

1925: Cavan 1-7 Tipperary 0-8

1922: Sligo 1-8 Tipperary 0-7

1920: Tipperary 1-5 Mayo 1-0

1918: Tipperary 2-2 Mayo 1-4

*Mayo are appearing in their 11th semi-final (including replays) sine 2011, winning three, drawing three and losing four of the previous ten.

*Tipperary won nine Munster titles between 1888 and 1935 but All-Ireland semi-finals were not played in all of those years. Tipperary’s semi-final in 1935 ended in a two-point defeat by Cavan (1-7 to 0-8) and they lost to Mayo (2-13 to 0-14) in 2016.

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GAA ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020

CONNACHT

Nov 1: Quarter-final: Mayo 2-15 Leitrim 0-10, Carrick-on-Shannon

Nov 7: Semi-final: Galway w/o Sligo.

Nov 8: Semi-final: Mayo 1-16 Roscommon 0-13, Dr.Hyde Park.

Nov 15: Final: Mayo 0-14 Galway 0-13, Pearse Stadium

LEINSTER

Nov 1: First round: Wicklow 2-9 Wexford 0-11, Chadwicks Wexford Park; Offaly 3-14 Car-low 0-20, BNM O Connor Park; Longford 1-9 Louth 1-7, TEG Cusack Park.

Nov 7: Quarter-final: Dublin 0-22 Westmeath 0-11, MW Hire O’Moore Park.

Nov 8: Quarter-finals: Meath 7-14 Wicklow 0-7, Aughrim; Kildare 0-20 Offaly 0-16, MW Hire O’Moore Park; Laois 1-16 Longford -14, BNM O’Connor Park.

Nov 15: Semi-finals: Meath 5-9 Kildare 0-15, Croke Park; Dublin 2-23 Laois 0-7, Croke Park.

Nov 21: Final: Dublin 3-21 Meath 0-9, Croke Park.

MUNSTER

Oct 31: Quarter-final: Limerick 2-14 Waterford 0-9, Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

Nov 1: Quarter-final: Tipperary 2-11 Clare 1-11, Semple Stadium.

Nov 7: Semi-final: Tipperary 1-15 Limerick 2-11 (aet), LIT Gaelic Grounds

Nov 8: Cork 1-12 Kerry 0-13 (aet), Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Nov 22: Final: Tipperary 0-17 Cork 0-14, Pairc Ui Chaiomh

ULSTER

October 31: Preliminary round: Cavan 2-15 Monaghan 1-17 (aet), Clones