Gareth McKinless scores for Derry!

Derry are penalised for over-carrying and Kerry look to break quickly, but David Clifford has fouled Chrissy McKaigue.

That was a bit of a panic for Derry...

Image source, Getty Images

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

As expected, Chrissy McKaigue is marking David Clifford but he couldn't stop the Kerry star for that opening score.

David Clifford opens his account for the day!

Derry might want to slow things down a touch here.

Now it's Kerry's turn!

Gavin White finds himself in front of the Derry goal but his shot is charged down by Odhran Lynch and the last touch comes off a green and gold shirt.

Big let-off for Derry. We could've had two goals already.

Early chance for Derry!

Ethan Doherty storms forward and passes to Niall Loughlin, whose goal-bound shot is blocked.

Frantic start.

Joe McQuillan throws the ball in and away we go!

Image source, Getty Images

Jack O'Connor has won four All-Ireland titles across three spells as Kerry manager.

One more will take him to within one of Jim Gavin's haul with Dublin.

And if you want a measure of the task facing Derry this afternoon, O'Connor has won all six of the All-Ireland semi-finals he's been involved in as Kingdom boss.

Four of those six wins led to titles while two - 2005 and 2011 - were followed by losses in the final (by Tyrone and Dublin respectively).

The pre-match parade is underway.

Only a few minutes until throw-in...

The last time these two met in the championship was 19 years ago.

It was the 2004 semi-final. Jack O'Connor was in his first year as Kerry boss, while Mickey Moran was the Derry manager.

Enda Muldoon scored a goal for Derry while Paddy Bradley hit 0-6, but it wasn't to be as Kerry surged clear with a virtuoso second-half display to win 1-17 to 1-11.

They went on to beat Mayo in the final.

Will today produce a better outcome for the Oak Leafers?

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Michael Murphy
Former Donegal captain and All-Ireland winner on BBC Sport

It’s a big one. Derry have the tools defensively to take on Kerry. The big challenge for Derry is do they have enough scoring power up top? Can others as well as Shane McGuigan chip in with scores? They will need to.

After a lovely morning and early afternoon in Dublin, it's suddenly got dark overhead. Rain may not be far away.

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

Image source, Getty Images

The curtain-raiser today was the All-Ireland Junior Football Final between New York and Kilkenny - yes some football is played in the county - and while there weren't many in the house to watch, the aftermath told what it means to both sets of players.

New York, who were made up entirely of US-born players, hit two injury-time points to snatch a last-gasp 0-13 to 1-9 victory and at full-time, as the winners danced jigs of delight, more than half of a dozen of the Kilkenny side lay prostrate on the pristine Croke Park turf with heads in their hands.

Keeper Ciaran Farnan sat all alone in his goalmouth for several minutes before eventually venturing to midfield to join his devastated team-mates while corner-back Shane Kelly looked totally inconsolable.

It was a game which most of the early-comers to Croke Park today had barely glanced at but it meant so much to these two groups of players.

Both teams had won semi-finals against London and Warwickshire on Friday to progress to the final and Sunday's match was a reminder of what the GAA is all about.

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Speaking of Clifford, Derry boss Ciaran Meenagh says thwarting Kerry's star forward will be an "exciting challenge".

Meenagh described the 24-year-old as special and an "unbelievable player".

"It's not really about stopping David Clifford - it's about managing the scene around him," said Meenagh.

"He's that good and he's that frightening. Let's see how we manage that threat. It's a hugely exciting challenge and one we're looking forward."

"If he turns up he has the ability to win games on his own and has proved that since he was very young and broke onto the scene.

"But we feel we have a number of good man-markers and a very good defensive system."

It's a joy watching David Clifford play football.

We got to do just that back in March when the Kerry ace and his team-mates travelled to Omagh to face Tyrone in Division One.

We had the camera fixed on Clifford that day. This is what it looked like.

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Croke Park

After the traffic mayhem on the way to Croke Park for last year's All-Ireland semi-final against Galway, many Derry fans arrived in Dublin good and early on this occasion.

A full four hours before the throw-in, the foyer of our hotel which is very close to Croke Park, was packed with folks in the red and white Oak Leaf colours with only the occasional Kerry jersey to be seen.

With the weather so far today in the Irish capital considerably better than yesterday's rain, Derry spirits seemed high although if you dug a little deeper, hope rather than expectation seems to be the prevailing mood.

Ulster GAA's head of operations Stephen McGeehan was among those proudly wearing the Derry colours although he admitted his native county "face a huge task" today.

The Ballinderry man expects Chrissy McKaigue to pick up David Clifford and the speedy Conor McCluskey to be handed the task of shackling the other Clifford brother Paudie.

Those look like good shouts to me.

Mickey Harte
Louth manager & ex-Tyrone boss on BBC Sport

It's about the result today. It's not about how pretty this game is it's about who's still standing when the final whistle goes.

Kerry will be wary of Derry. They know they have a style of play that they're very good at and they know the challenges that they're going to be faced with, but they don't know how they're going to deal with them until they're toe to toe with them.

One of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning heroes Kieran McKeever is chatting to Orla Bannon pitchside.

"It's a tough ask to beat Kerry, we've lost the last three times we played Kerry," says McKeever.

"Derry will play at their best. I don't think they can be as cagey as they'd normally be.

"If they're to win it they'll have to go on the front foot a bit.

"They tend to be cagey and pick their time but Kerry are great at counter-attacking.

"Derry like to be in front. They're not good at chasing the game."

Michael Murphy
Former Donegal captain and All-Ireland winner on BBC Sport

Right now it will be the disappointment of yesterday's game that is on Conor's mind. He needs time and space now over the coming days and weeks. If you were to ask anyone from any county who they would like in there side it would be Conor McManus. He just needs space to make the decision himself now.

Yes, it was a heartbreaking loss for Monaghan - and for their talisman Conor McManus.

One of the greats, the Farney great has given everything to his county over the last 16 years.

Will yesterday be the last time we see him tog out for Monaghan?

He wasn't prepared to say as much in the aftermath...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images