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5 talking points after Dublin outlasted Mayo to continue their dominance of the All-Ireland SFC. Kevin O Brien By Kevin O Brien Saturday 19 Dec 2020, 8:55 PM Dec 19th 2020, 8:55 PM 10,199 Views 18 Comments
The Dublin team celebrate with the Sam Maguire.
Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
1. Impact of Dublin’s bench
IN THE 50TH minutes, Mayo had hauled themselves back to level terms after a Cillian O’Connor free. Shortly after, Dessie Farrell sprang Paul Mannion off the bench, joining fellow substitute Brian Howard on the field and the pair of former All-Stars played a decisive role in Dublin’s dominant final quarter.
Former Armagh footballer, All Star and 2002 All-Ireland winner and current GAA Performance Manager with Queen s University
In the fourth century BC, an invading Macedonian army led by King Philip II annexed all of ancient Greece with the exception of Sparta. Philip sent a message to Sparta saying: You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army on your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people and raze your city.
Sparta replied with a single word: If .
Neither Philip nor his son and successor Alexander the Great ever attacked Sparta.
A superb football team will take to the field on Saturday to represent Dublin. Their strengths are well documented and they have dismissed every challenger with ease in this championship to date. However, they are still required to produce a performance approaching their best to retain their title and Mayo have a brilliant opportunity to hold the champions to account.
On the evening of May 19, 2012, Dean Rock was engrossed in the Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich when his phone lit up with a call from Pat Gilroy.
Dublin were due to play Louth in a couple of weeks in the opening round of the Leinster SFC, the first game of their All-Ireland SFC defence.
The optimist in Rock assumed the manager was giving advance notice of his championship debut, sufficient time to get his head around the occasion. Turns out, he was being dropped from the squad. It just transpired that, for whatever reason, I wasn t deemed good enough at the time, Rock shrugs now.
Online
Radio
Live commentary on
Spórt an tSathairn on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and
MidWest Radio.
Television
The Saturday Game Live begins at 3.40pm on RTÉ2, with Ger Canning and Kevin McStay providing commentary. Coverage on
Sky Sports Mix begins at 4pm. Highlights of the final, along with the Team of the Year announcement, on
The Saturday Game, beginning at 9.55pm.
Viewers outside Ireland can access the game on GAAGO.
Weather
Saturday will be cool and breezy with sunshine and widespread showers, many of them heavy or prolonged and some of hail. Highest temperatures of 8 to 10 degrees with fresh or strong, gusty southwest winds. For more go to met.ie.
Updated / Friday, 18 Dec 2020
09:35
Diarmuid O Connor and James McCarthy get to know one another earlier this year
In the strangest of championships years isn t it fitting that the two teams that have given the country the greatest entertainment in the last 10 years will take centre stage again?
Dublin would have been expected to get there.
Mayo I m not so sure. I was thinking about this all week, when do Mayo not show up?
In the last 10 years they ve come out and competed, they ve won, they ve lost and they ve come back again. They always show up, they always give it their all.