LIVE Kerry v Derry: All-Ireland football semi-final

The last time Derry won an All-Ireland semi-final, it wasn’t going to plan at half-time. Thirty years ago, having got out of Ulster at a time of plenty for the province, they were in many people’s minds the likely latest champions from the North ...

[ Derry scaled heights in 1993 when savvy boss Eamonn Coleman made the difference ]

Aside from midfield the key battle I’m most looking forward to this afternoon is the one between David Clifford and Chrissy McKaigue. Two players with such talent and size you’d have assumed they’d both be playing in the middle of the field. But instead they line out at corner forward and corner back. Has Clifford faced an out and out corner back who matches him for size so far in his intercounty career? This should be interesting!

Kerry’s David Clifford arrives at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Gordon Manning spent yesterday’s semi-final on Hill 16, here’s what he encountered ...

The Hill on Saturday wasn’t always politically correct and it wasn’t always respectful to thy neighbour. But is that really what we expect it to be? Or want it to be?

[ A view from the Hill: this place belongs to all of us - let’s not screw that up ]

Midfield will be a key battleground this afternoon. Kerry have really struggled since the departure of David Moran but Jack Barry and Diarmuid O’Connor both stood up with big performances against Tyrone. Today they face two high quality, athletic opponents. Former Derry talisman Paddy Bradley believes his county have the best midfield in the country …

[ Paddy Bradley: ‘I think Derry are arguably the best midfield in the country’ ]

“Will we then be talking this autumn about a green and gold wave? Will we be looking at a Kerry team capable of handling any system and who have no clear challenger to their reign? Could we be looking at another decade of dominance by a single county?”

[ Jim McGuinness: Kerry could dominate for years ]

A look back on yesterday evening’s semi-final below … Monaghan were level inside the final 10 minutes before Dublin outscored them 1-5 to 0-1. Cormac Costello kicked seven points while James McCarthy and Brian Fenton led the way from midfield. The Dubs are back in their first final since 2020.

[ Dublin survive rigorous Monaghan examination to reach the All-Ireland final ]

“For all that the Ulster champions will be organised and combative and for all their pace in transition, there is a question over their scoring capacity in Croke Park where they have managed 1-12, 0-11 and 1-6 in their three most recent matches against Cork, Dublin and Galway.”

Check out Sean Moran’s preview and prediction in full here.

Teams as per programme

Kerry: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J Barry; D Moynihan, S O’Shea, A Spillane; P Clifford, D Clifford, P Geaney

Subs: S Murphy, T Brosnan, M Breen, B O Beaglaoich, BD O’Sullivan, R Murphy, M Burns, S O’Brien, D O’Sullivan, D Casey, S O’Brien.

Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers; N Toner, Paul Cassidy, E Doherty; C McFaul, S McGuigan, N Loughlin.

Subs: T Mallon, D Cassidy, B Heron, S Downey, L Murray, B McCarron, P McNeill. Padraig Cassidy, C McGuckian, M Doherty, D Baker.

Hello and welcome … Who will face Dublin in this year’s All-Ireland football final? We are about to find out. Reigning champions Kerry take on back to back Ulster champions Derry in this weekend’s second semi-final.

A clash of styles and systems - David Clifford, Paudie Clifford, Sean O’Shea, Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers and Conor Glass are just some of the huge names on show. It promises to be a cracker!

Throw-in at Croke Park is at 4pm.

We’ll be providing build-up and updates throughout. Keep in touch via the comments section or on Twitter (@DonoghueEamon) but for now, let’s get started!