Mayo name an unchanged team as Lee Keegan cleared to line out in semi-final replay

All Star wing-back was able to avoid suspension on the basis of a technicality

Mayo manager James Horan has kept faith with the team that started the drawn game against Kerry for tomorrow's replay at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick (5.0).

Lee Keegan after successfully winning his appeal against the red card is named in the side.

His presence is a major boost for Mayo .After a controversial week during which Keegan’s red card divided opinion and the county protested against the choice of Limerick as a venue, as Croke Park is staging an American football match, Mayo have been able to avoid suspension for an important player on the basis of a technicality.

Referee David Coldrick reported the player for "kicking with minimal force" Kerry's Johnny Buckley but Mayo were able to demonstrate through video evidence that the kick had not connected and therefore Keegan should have been reported for "attempting to kick with minimal force".

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There is sure to be controversy over this decision, as the penalties for both kicking and attempting to kick are the same under Rule 7.2 (b) Category III (iii) and it was expected the player would miss tomorrow’s match.

Mayo manager James Horan will however be relieved however to have his two-time All Star available for the replay and he is expected to name his team today.

Kerry meanwhile have named an unchanged team for the game. This means that that Stephen O’Brien, who was replaced after 20 minutes of the drawn match because of a quad muscle injury, has apparently recovered despite fears that he would miss out.

Darran O’Sullivan is also named on the bench having withdrawn on the day last week because of a hamstring injury.

Declan O'Sullivan, who replaced O'Brien, reverts to the bench as does Kieran Donaghy after making a major impact on the drawn match by earning a free for one point and setting up the crucial late goal for James O'Donoghue.

The top scoring corner forward went into last week's match amidst rumours that he was carrying a shoulder injury but despite sustaining a knock to it during the match, O'Donoghue played on and is named in the team by manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

Mayo: R Hennelly; T Cunniffe, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; L Keegan, C Boyle, D Vaughan; J Gibbons, S O'Shea; K McLoughlin, A O'Shea, J Doherty; C O'Connor, A Freeman, A Dillon.

Kerry: B Kelly; M O'Se, A O'Mahony, S Enright; P Murphy, P Crowley, F Fitzgerald (capt); A Maher, D Moran; M Geaney, J Buckley, D Walsh; S O'Brien, P Geaney, J O'Donoghue.

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times