All-Ireland SFC Final:  Few people would have predicted, at the outset of this championship, a Mayo-Kerry pairing in the All-Ireland final.

With Tyrone's victory in last year's final we were told Ulster teams would probably dominate Gaelic football for the next 10 years.

A year ago Mayo were eliminated by rank outsiders Fermanagh in the qualifiers, and Kerry were obliterated by Tyrone in the first 20 minutes of their All-Ireland semi-final. The post mortem by their supporters unanimously decided that the manner of the defeats represented major setbacks for both counties.

So, just a year later, national league champions and Munster champions Kerry take on Connacht champions Mayo in an All-Ireland final, and no one can deny that the two best teams in the land are contesting the big prize on this showpiece day for Gaelic football.

It just proves one more time that at present there is evenness about the football championship, with any one of nine or 10 teams aspiring for ultimate glory provided they can get some consistency into their game. The quality of games may not be always top drawer but because of their closeness the entertainment value is higher than say when Dublin and Kerry totally dominated the football championship in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Tomorrow's final also brings together two teams with huge motivation to succeed. For Kerry an All-Ireland win is the only thing that will wipe out the soul-destroying defeats to Tyrone and Armagh and the drubbing by Meath in the 2001 semi-final. Mayo have 53 years of history and three All-Ireland losses in the last 15 years to erase.

And yet predicting tomorrow's result is far from easy when you compare the form of both teams over the championship run so far. Kerry struggled against Limerick in the drawn and then replayed Munster final, then put away both Dublin and Derry at their ease with tremendous second-half displays.

So overall their recent form has been the most impressive. And yet it shouldn't be forgotten that Kerry had sticky patches in the first half of both the Dublin and Derry games, their full-back line in particular struggling against Paddy Bradley and Enda Muldoon for a 20-minute period early in the semi-final.

Similarly, Mayo were very impressive in their wins against Galway, Roscommon and Tyrone but struggled against Fermanagh in both the semi-final and replay, and were lucky to survive in the drawn game. I feel, however, that they will be mentally stronger having come through the tight finish in the replay. In some ways there will be less pressure on them tomorrow with the favourites' tag probably in the Kerry dressing-room.

Tactically tomorrow's result will hinge on a few key issues. For a start, Mayo will have to cope with the scoring threat of the Kerry full-forward line, and in particular Colm Cooper. Their full-back line will need a lot of protection from the half-back line irrespective of who is picking up whom on the inside. With a good supply, the Kerry inside line of Cooper, Johnny Crowley and Dara Ó Cinnéide can do serious damage.

This may also restrict the attacking play of Peadar Gardiner at wing back. He will have to make a decision whether to stay back or to follow Paul Galvin, who has been very impressive running at opposition teams from deep this year.

Declan O'Sullivan is also a major player in the Kerry attack; his strong running creates many openings and he's equally at home in any of the forward positions.

Mayo of course have their own scoring machine up front with Conor and Trevor Mortimer in the full-forward line. They also require the quick, accurate ball, with everything being played through Ciarán McDonald at centre forward. I believe Conor Mortimer is Mayo's answer to Cooper and will require equal attention from the Kerry defence.

The player to pick up McDonald is one decision Kerry can't afford to get wrong. Eamon Fitzmaurice likes to play the anchor man at centre back but that won't suit the marking job that needs to be done on McDonald, who drops back very deep. So I expect Kerry will deploy someone else to do the job.

That defensive task would be made easier for Kerry if Mayo pull out a corner forward, just like they did with Brian Maloney against Fermanagh in the drawn semi-final.

Another huge factor in the Mayo forward line is Trevor Mortimer, who simply roasted Fermanagh at the vital periods - especially when he was moved to the half-forward line in the second half. He has pace to burn and is almost impossible to mark when running at an opponent.

While the game then is clearly going to hinge on the battle at both ends of the pitch between full-forward and full-back lines, that in turn is going to be influenced by who wins most possession in the midfield area. In this respect I feel Mayo have a slight advantage, with Ronan McGarrity having a tremendous year at midfield while Fergal Kelly or David Brady, assuming the latter appears, can give the necessary assistance so that the supply lines into the Mayo attack will be busier and faster.

Kerry still have a few options of their own in this area but with Darragh Ó Sé injured they may ultimately struggle for supremacy.

On top of all this, leadership is crucial at crunch time in an All-Ireland final.

I feel Mayo also hold the aces here, particularly up the middle line with David Heaney, James Nallen, McDonald and Trevor Mortimer all taking the various games by the scruff of the neck when needed. Also, two of Kerry's greatest leaders over the last decade, Darragh Ó Sé and in particular Séamus Moynihan, aren't starting, even though Moynihan is a superb impact sub to have on the line.

And unless Kerry get off to a flying start I expect to see Moynihan in the action at an early stage.

There is a lot at stake for both teams in tomorrow's contest and people shouldn't expect a classic game.

I think it could be very close in the end with the team making the least mistakes carrying the day.

Considering the vital factors of leadership, pace and scoring ability that are in this Mayo team and provided that their defence can contain Cooper and company, I expect Sam Maguire to be westward bound come Sunday evening.