Mayo renew league rivalry with Kerry in Castlebar showdown
The Mayo team to start against Kerry in round five of the Allianz National Football League this weekend shows two changes from the line-up that started against Armagh last time out.
Into the team come Jack Coyne in place of Eoin O'Donoghue and Aidan O'Shea instead of Conor Reid, with Stephen Coen to remain as captain.
The contest in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, throws in at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday).
Mayo and Kerry have met on 54 occasions in the National League. In fact, Kerry is the county Mayo have met most often in league fare.
They first crossed paths in the league in 1928, when the Kingdom won a semi-final meeting between the counties on a 0-6 to 0-4 scoreline in a game that was played in Castlebar.
The Munster men hold an overall advantage, 27 wins to 23, with four games drawn. Three of those games have been league finals, with Kerry coming out on top in 1971 and 1972, and Mayo winning the most recent final meeting in 2019.
Since the turn of the century Mayo have had the upperhand in league meetings between the two counties. Of the 22 meetings since 2000, Mayo have 12 wins to Kerry's nine, with the 2012 meeting in Tralee finishing all square.
Eleven different venues have hosted league meetings between the counties. Tralee, with 16 meetings, and Castlebar, with 15, have been the most popular venues, while there were seven meetings in Croke Park in the latter stages of the competition, including the three finals. Other venues used have been Ballina (four), Killarney (three), Crossmolina (two), Salthill (two), Thurles, Limerick, Listowel and Ennis (one meeting each).
Sean Hurson from Tyrone has been announced as the referee for the game, which will be covered live on Midwest Radio with commentary from Michael D. McAndrew and Colm Boyle. Mayo GAA will also have live updates across all social media channels on Saturday. Tickets for the encounter can be purchased here.
The Mayo starting team in full is as follows: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession; Stephen Coen, David McBrien, Eoghan McLaughlin; Frank Irwin, Matthew Ruane; Davitt Neary, Darren McHale, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O'Shea, Ryan O'Donoghue, Paul Towey.