All-Ireland Minor Football 2020 Final – Derry v Kerry – Bord Na Mona O’Connor Park – 1:00 pm – TG4
Kings from the Kingdom dominate
16-time All-Ireland Minor football champions Kerry will go head to head in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Final this Sunday at 1.00 pm live on TG4.
The Kingdom is coming into this match after coming out victorious against 4-time Connacht winners Roscommon in the All-Ireland Minor semi-final last Sunday.
Far from dull, the game itself saw Kerry come out 11 points victors, with a score of 3-21 to 2-13 at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.
The standouts from a Kerry point-of-view is their forward line. With Cian McMahon scoring 1-5, along with Keith Evans and Darragh O’Sullivan who scored 1-4.
Dazzling in front of goal, possession and won the midfield battle from the start.
Looking out of sorts at times with Roscommon’s kicking game but made up for that by making the Rossie’s give possession back to Kerry from their own kick-outs.
They booked their place in the final with style.
Derry’s youngsters impress
Derry, on the other hand, had a much tougher game on their hands with their 7-point victory over Leinster outfit Meath at Páirc Esler in County Down last Saturday.
Winning by a score-line of 1-14 to 1-7, Derry looked promising throughout, with midfield commander Dan Higgins and half-forward Matthew Downey playing blinders on their way to a gracious victory.
Downey scored an impressive 8 points and was the main factor in his side’s victory alongside Higgins, who won every ball and played without fear throughout.
Both teams coming into this game have only one competitive game between them since Christmas time and looking like not an ounce of fitness has diminished, it will be a close encounter.
The last time these two sides met in an All-Ireland Minor football Final was all the way back in 2017 when Kerry dismantled Derry with a score of 6-17 to 1-8, with David Clifford scoring 4-4.
The Oak-Leaf County will be hoping to redeem that embarrassing loss with a win here, to make it their first minor win since 2002.
While Kerry is looking to add their 17th minor title and their first since 2018 after defeating Galway.
Conclusion
For a neutral, it is a hard game to call, both teams have shown how capable they are when on form, boasting great young players and have a willingness to attack.
From past games of this calibre, Kerry is the obvious option to favour heading into Sunday’s final.
Having already beaten Derry before in a final, they know what it takes, and have an overall much more talented side than Derry.
The Munster side usually shows up for games like these and expect nothing different here.
Prediction: Kerry by 4 points
Predicted Teams – Subject to Change
Derry
-
Kian McGonigle
-
Adam McGonigle
-
Eoin McEvoy
-
Connor Shiels
-
Donncha Gilmore
-
Patrick McGurk
-
Lee Brady
-
Dan Higgins
-
Patrick O’Kane
-
Mark Doherty
-
Matthew Downey
-
Jody McDermott
-
Charlie Diamond
-
Lachlan Murray
-
Niall O’Donnell
Kerry
-
Sean Broderick
