Mayo and the five damning facts

There are plenty of numbers that addle Mayo – 5 (championship games since they last beat Dublin), 10 (All-Ireland finals without a win), 51 (no explanation required) and 66 (the years of waiting). But the five facts that have truly damned them against Dublin these last five times are laid out here:

The match-ups

Our analysis on this page shows there are some pairings Mayo and Dublin, for that matter, might try and avoid. Aidan O’Shea, for example, has yet to get the better of Philly McMahon, Diarmuid O’Connor has struggled in recent clashes while Brian Fenton has yet to be beaten in midfield in his four clashes with Mayo in the past two seasons. Brendan Harrison’s successful marking job last year and Colm Boyle’s history tagging Ciarán Kilkenny bode well.