Kerry and Mayo set for final collision

Women's Football All-Ireland senior semi-finals The same four teams that reached the semi-final stages last year are here at…

Women's Football All-Ireland senior semi-finalsThe same four teams that reached the semi-final stages last year are here at the same stage all over again. Both semi-finals may be a repeat of last year's but the circumstances are different.

Dublin may be the bookies' favourites for the All-Ireland but there has been little evidence so far this year to indicate John O'Leary's side are the best team in the country.

Dublin stumbled through what was a very poor Leinster championship and Donegal nearly caught them in the quarter-final. Dublin needed that game to show how much they had to improve.

Kerry have been an enigma this season. Excellent at times in the Munster championship, they were hammered by Cork in the final. They responded magnificently against Monaghan, notching up an impressive 5-10 that afternoon, with Noreen Fealey, Kacey O'Driscoll and Geraldine O'Shea superb up front. However, they conceded 3-11.

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Kerry will not like playing against Dublin's more robust style. Angie McNally was in superb form for Dublin when the teams met at this stage last season and the addition of Fiona Corcoran to the midfield will be a huge plus this time around.

Kerry are a young side while Dublin's average age is closer to 30 than 20 and several players will be conscious this may be their last chances for glory. In Martina Farrell, Bernie Findlay, Louise Keegan and Maria Kavanagh, Dublin have experience and know how.

If Dublin have improved dramatically since the Donegal match they will reach a second successive All-Ireland final. However, if the game is open, Kerry will have too much firepower.

This time last year Mayo looked untouchable and faced aenergetic Galway team that had never beaten their neighbours at senior level in a competitive fixture. This time around, it is Galway who have the upper-hand, having beaten Mayo twice in succession in the round robin stage and the Connacht final.

Galway will still feel aggrieved they lost out by the slimmest of margins after extra-time in last year's semi-final while Mayo are still reeling from their 14-point mauling in the Connacht Final.

Galway manager PJ Fahy has mastered the art of beating Mayo and the mood in the Galway camp is extremely confident. What will worry Fahy and his selectors is the fact they underperformed when overcoming Laois in the quarter-final.

Since their Connacht final defeat, Mayo have played like champions. Manager Finbar Egan has introduced new faces from the minor ranks like Fiona McHale, and Kelly Colleran and Cora Staunton and Diane O'Hora have played superbly.

Mayo will be aware Galway possess probably the best midfield in the country in Annette Clarke and Lisa Cohill and the crucial midfield diamond area is supplemented by centre back Niamh Fahy and star centre forward Patricia Gleeson.

Mayo have identified Gleeson as the Galway playmaker and Edel Reilly will do a marking job on her. Mayo will pack the middle and will look to break 50-50 in this area and if they can do so may just shade it.

For Mayo, the worry is whether Galway's greater hunger will drive them through, although this is tempered by Mayo's desire for revenge. Cora Staunton contributed 0-8 of Mayo's 1-11 in the win over Cork, and while it may be pleasing for her to be back on form, it will be a worry others are not scoring. If Staunton is kept quiet by Aine Gilmore, then players like Chris Heffernan and Diane O'Hora must score.

If Galway play like they did in the Connacht final they will win but it might be too much to ask for them to beat Mayo three times in a row.

Dublin v Kerry O'Moore Park, Saturday, 1.30

Galway v Mayo O'Moore Park, Saturday, 3.0

On TV: TG4