Where the All-Ireland semis are won and lost: Getting key match-ups right

Getting the match-ups right has gone a long way for Kerry and Mayo in recent years. We think of Aidan O’Mahony on Michael Murphy in the 2014 final, Lee Keegan on Enda Smith in the 2017 All-Ireland quarter-final replay and just last weekend Patrick Durcan tagging Ryan McHugh.

Dublin and Tyrone too have shown their own versatility to nullify threats — Eoin Murchan twice on Niall Sludden last year and Pádraig Hampsey on Conor McManus in that season’s semi-final.