Dublin v Kerry, table topper crunch game!
- Mar 28,2011
Final round of Bord Gáis Energy NFL to decide semi-final pairings.
The Dubs are going on a journey this Sunday with the sky blues making the long trip to Killarney to take on the Kingdom in the last round of the Bord Gáis Energy NFL.
Dublin will travel to the south a little match rusty due to not having played a competitive game since their March 13th fixture versus Meath. Since then the O’Connor cup and the walk over received from Sligo last Sunday has somewhat curtailed the Dub’s league preparations and indeed maybe even their match sharpness.
Most pundits would have picked out this last round tie between Dublin and Kerry as “the match to see” in this division, why one might ask? Well not only are Dublin and Kerry games traditionally close the rivalry between these Counties first established by their male counter parts back in the seventies has also carried over into the ladies game.
Plus these two great rivals share a lot of common ground both were relegated from division one just last season but turned their respective seasons around with huge performances in their championship campaigns. Kerry just failed to make an All-Ireland final appearance when eventually losing to Tyrone following a replay while Dublin as we all know went onto claim their first All-Ireland crown.
Kerry currently top division two having had a perfect campaign to date with six wins out of six the Dubs lie in second place having won four out of their six fixtures with the defeat away to Cavan a blimp on their performance sheet and then of course receiving the points from relegated bound Sligo last weekend.
The four semi-finalists are already known in this division as Kerry, Dublin, Meath and Cavan cannot be knocked out of the top four but what is up for grabs is the semi-final pairings which will be determined by the result of the Kerry v Dublin and Cavan v Meath fixtures this coming Sunday.
So what does this fixture mean to Dublin and Kerry? Topping the group ensures the table topper meets the fourth place team in the semi-final while going into the knock out stages of the league as top dog is sure to boost any sides moral.
Dublin are eager to get back into top flight football and reaching a league final will bode well for the reigning All Ireland champions as they prepare to defend their crown on the 3rd of July at home to Meath in the Leinster championship semi-final.
Throw in time in Killarney (Legion GAA club) is 3pm with Cork man Michael John O’Keeffe the man in charge of this mouth-watering clash.
Above: Lyndsey Davey in action v Kerry, championship QF 2009
Above, Elaine Kelly in action v Kerry, championship QF 2009
Photographs courtest of Sportsfile.
PM 28.03.2011