Croke Park double-header confirmed for football semis

Mayo and Derry to meet for second time in a week before Cork take on Dublin

Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly celebrates at the final whistle of their Allianz Football League Division One match against Tyrone at Healy Park in  Omagh. Photograph:  Russell Pritchard/Inpho/Presseye
Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly celebrates at the final whistle of their Allianz Football League Division One match against Tyrone at Healy Park in Omagh. Photograph: Russell Pritchard/Inpho/Presseye

Croke Park will host an Allianz Football League Division One semi-final double-header on Sunday, with all four provinces represented.

The action will get underway at 2.0pm when Derry face Mayo for the second time in a week after clashing in the last round of fixtures on Sunday.

With qualification for the semi-finals guaranteed, Derry made 12 changes to the side that had beaten Kildare the previous week and they went down to an eight-point defeat in Castlebar, with Mayo clinching their place in the semi-finals.

It took a late point from Diarmuid Connolly to earn Dublin a spot in the semi-finals after they knocked out Tyrone in Omagh in a repeat of last year's decider.

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The defending champions will face a Cork side that claimed top spot with an impressive 10-point win over Kerry in Tralee in the final round of league fixtures.

Cork inflicted one of Dublin’s two league defeats this season and the fact that it was under the lights at Croke Park will give Brian Cuthbert’s side plenty of confidence going into the game, which throws in at 4.0pm.

Both matches will be shown live on TG4.

The Division One final will take place at Croke Park on Sunday April 27th at 4.0pm, with the Division Two Final between Donegal and Monaghan providing the undercard at 2.0pm.

The Division Three and Four Finals will be played the day before at Croke Park, with Tipperary facing Clare in the Division Four decider at 5.0pm and Cavan taking on Roscommon at 7.0pm.

In hurling, the Division 1B relegation/promotion playoff between Offaly and Kerry will take place at Semple Stadium next Saturday at 6.30pm.