All-Ireland MHC semi-final: Cork v Dublin, Croke Park, 2.0

Dublin have benefitted from the first opening of the back-door at minor level after suffering a narrow defeat by Offaly in the Leinster final. Two weeks ago, they hammered Antrim by 11-points but tomorrow is sure to be a much steeper challenge.

Five of the players that lost the Leinster football final last weekend will again line-out here. It would have been six players had Sean McCann not been forced out with a broken arm. Corner forward David O'Callaghan has been proving to be their most prolific scorer and the midfield pairing of Keith Elliot and Conall Keaney will certainly stand out.

It is Cork, however, who have the greater strength and momentum to progress. They notched up 2-19 against Limerick in the Munster final without appearing to push themselves and they've also made a few useful alterations for this game. 17-year-old Setanta O hAilpin becomes the third member of the famous Cork family to wear red by lining out at corner forward. There is a vacancy left at corner back in the hope that Colm O'Sullivan, a younger brother of senior player Diarmuid, will recover from injury.

Even though Dublin were unfortunate to let Offaly sneak away from them in the final five minutes of the Leinster final, their teamwork and scoring execution will probably come up short against that of Cork, and a first All-Ireland place since 1983 is likely to be beyond them this year.

CORK: K Murphy; B Murphy, J Gardiner, A N Other; J O'Neill, P Tierney, G Callanan; M O'Connor, S O'Sullivan; D Cashman, B Carey, T O'Leary; S O hAilpin, E Collins, K Murphy.

DUBLIN: G Maguire; P Brennan, C Casserley, N O'Driscoll; J Byrne, L Og O hEinneachain, D O'Reilly; K Elliot, C Keaney; G Joyce, S Fee, C O'Driscoll; D O'Callaghan, S O'Neill, C Ryan.