MAY DAY

History beckons at Croker but one county will crash and burn in final

DUBLIN and Mayo chase immortality in tomorrow’s All-ireland football final. Victory for Dublin and they become the first team to from the county to win three successive All-irelands since 1923. Mayo, meanwhile, are competing in their 11th All-ireland final including replays since they last lifted the Sam Maguire Cup in 1951. Their two most recent final losses, in 2013 and ‘16, have both been against Dublin, who only squeezed past them at the second attempt last year. Last night Mayo named an unchanged team from that which beat Kerry in the semi-final replay amid speculation Paddy Durcan might force his way back in. Rumours abound that Paul Flynn may be restored to the Dublin starting line-up, due to be announced today, at Niall Scully’s expense. That would be a bid to steel the champions for a fierce physical onslaught from Mayo, though the guessing game will continue until shortly before tomorrow’s 3.30pm throw-in.

CLASH OF TITANS Mayo’s Aidan O’shea and, right, Dublin’s Cian O’sullivan with the Sam Maguire Cup INSIDE: CON AND KEITH IN SPOTLIGHT PLUS BERNARD FLYNN’S VERDICT ON BIG MATCH