IF the grapevine is to be believed, Kilmacud Crokes have serious injury worries going into this game.

A JANUARY boost, this. Two teams who like to play football and haven’t been prevented from staging training sessions or challenge matches in the run-up to today. Joy!

KILMACUD CROKES manager Paddy Carr is predicting a “classical final” when his side does battle with Rhode for Leinster club honours.

KILMACUD CROKES star Ross O’Carroll has admitted his brother, All-Star nominee Rory, will miss the crucial Leinster club semi-final against Garrycastle on Sunday week.

THE most famous victory in the history of the Kilmacud Crokes club?

A STORMING second-half, powered by the magnificence of Mark Vaughan and Brian Kavanagh, sealed Kilmacud Crokes’ seventh Dublin SFC title at Parnell Park yesterday.

FOUR high profile Louth footballers may be forced to emigrate due to the worsening economic climate.

THE Cork management are set to give captain Graham Canty every chance to prove his fitness ahead of Sunday week’s All-Ireland football semi-final against Dublin.

Dublin manager Pat Gilroy has decided not to tinker with the side that ended Armagh's summer run.

THIS was a very enjoyable and sporting game played between two evenly-matched teams, both in transition, on a perfect evening for football.

All-Ireland SFC Round 3 Qualifier

Pat Gilroy will give five players their Championship debuts when Dublin begin their title defence against Wexford in Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final at Croke Park (throw-in 4pm).

Dublin 2-11 Monaghan 1-9

DUBLIN manager Pat Gilroy has denied the allegation that he threatened to axe four young footballers from the county squad for this weekend’s NFL game against Mayo if they attended an AFL trial camp in Meath earlier this week.

Dublin have made five changes in personnel for Sunday's Allianz NFL Division 1 showdown with Mayo at Castlebar (throw-in 2.30pm).

Michael Fitzsimons will make his NFL debut for Dublin against Derry on Saturday night, as the Leinster champions' manager Pat Gilroy continues to blood new players.

THOUGHTS of last August’s All-Ireland quarter-final will inevitably spring to mind when Kerry and Dublin meet on Sunday, but Pat Gilroy is, understandably, concentrating on the season to come rather than the last.

Only five of the team which started last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final are in Dublin’s starting line-up for this Sunday’s Division 1 NFL clash against Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium (KO 2.30pm).

Conal Keaney has confirmed he will concentrate solely on Gaelic football at inter-county level in 2010, ending speculation that the former dual player was about to switch back to hurling.

The rumour mill went into overdrive after last month's horror show against Kerry, but Dublin midfielder Ciaran Whelan has finally confirmed that he is retiring from inter-county football.

Dublin 1-7 Kerry 1-24

A DAY to savour at Croke Park. Dublin managed to achieve the Leinster five-in-a-row at headquarters for the first time since 1978, despite being a man down from the 19th minute while brave Kildare deserve acclaim for their role in making this one of the best games of football of the year – with only two of the 35 scores coming from frees.

PUTTING impressive performances back-to-back hasn’t been one of Dublin’s strong suits in recent years but Barry Cahill believes his side is ready to kick on from their impressive semi-final destruction of Westmeath this Sunday.

SO much for early season form not counting for much in the championship. Well, it certainly held true in Croke Park yesterday when Dublin’s near-perfect display in the Leinster SFC semi-final saw them beat Westmeath by the same margin of 27 points they had inflicted on them in the last round of the League.

Dublin 4-26 Westmeath 0-11, Croke Park

VERY few Gaelic football players or teams escape a tongue lashing from Joe Brolly, and Dublin were no exception three weeks ago even if they managed to slay the Meath dragon and advance towards a Leinster semi-final.

HE was happy to serve wherever selected but Ross McConnell is delighted to be in Dublin’s engine room for Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final with Westmeath.

ALAN BROGAN has admitted that the Dublin attack must improve if the county is to launch a serious bid for honours this summer.

MEATH midfielder Nigel Crawford had no problem identifying where and when his side lost this game.

Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12

THE times, they are a-changing. Only two years have passed since Dublin and Meath last clashed in the Leinster Championship, but the teams that do so again tomorrow will be radically different entities to the 2007 versions.

Dublin Senior football manager Pat Gilroy has named his inaugural Championship starting 15 for Sunday's Leinster SFC derby encounter with Meath at Croke Park.

Kilmacud Crokes defender Paul Griffin has been named as the captain of the Dublin senior footballers for the 2009 championship campaign.

Dublin 5-22 Westmeath 0-10

SHARING the points in Parnell Park yesterday was of no significance to a Kerry team already assured of its place in the Allianz National Football League final.

Dublin 1-15 Kerry 1-15, Parnell Park

THE OLD-TIMERS up here have a saying; “There is only a while in anything and all good things must come to an end”.

IT’S BEEN a tough few months for wasteful spenders, and the backlash against squandermania continued in Croke Park yesterday.

Kilmacud Crokes 1-9

CROSSMAGLEN have built their reputation on the back of a staggering run of victories in the past 13 years but Kilmacud Crokes defender Niall Corkery believes it is past defeats that can act as their springboard to success on St Patrick’s Day.

FIRST things first. Pat Gilroy’s recent comments that the All-Ireland club championship should be condensed into a calendar year are illogical, unfounded and unworkable.

DUBLIN manager Pat Gilroy believes the GAA should consider completing the All-Ireland club championships prior to Christmas.