Notice that we've cut away the gimme games too, featuring only league and championship matches against Division One teams and the four teams promoted to Division One next year . . . Donegal, Westmeath, Louth and Limerick. That means we're not including Mayo's wins over Leitrim and London, or Kerry's wins against Tipp and Waterford. Just the top 20 against the top 20 (see Table 1, right).

THE BEST TWO TEAMS OF THE DECADE?
A few weeks ago when we were defending Mayo's place in the football firmament, we made the point that all Mayo are missing is Sam. Because on any other measure they are a truly great football county.
Since the turn of the decade: No other county has been in more All Ireland under-21 or minor finals than Mayo No other county has won or competed in more club finals Only Kerry and Armagh have been in more All Ireland semi-finals Only Tyrone and Galway have won more All Ireland titles in all grades In the last 24 months alone, Mayo have had teams compete in the All Ireland senior, under-21, minor and club "nals . . . and reached two national league semi-finals; no other county can tick those five boxes.

Indeed, if you go back as far as 1995, when Kerry and Mayo met in the All Ireland under-21 final, no other two counties have been in more national football finals. And it is only by virtue of their minors qualifying for today's final that Kerry are ahead of Mayo. See for yourself (see Table 2, right).

And since these two teams met in the 1996 All Ireland semi-"nal, no other two counties have qualified for more national senior semi-"nals than this pair. Compare their record, for instance, with Dublin's (see Table 3, right).

IF THE ALL STARS WERE NAMED THIS MORNING. . .
Alan Quirke (Cork); Marc O Se (Kerry), Barry Owens (Fermanagh), Karl Lacey (Donegal); Barry Dunnion (Donegal), Ger Spillane (Cork), Bryan Cullen (Dublin); Darragh O Se (Kerry), Ronan McGarrity (Mayo); Nicholas Murphy (Cork), Alan Brogan (Dublin), Alan Dillon (Mayo); Ronan Clarke (Armagh), Kieran Donaghy (Kerry), Conor Mortimer (Mayo) The goalkeeper spot will hardly be affected by today's events. That will be the preserve of either Stephen Cluxton, Fermanagh's Chris Breen or Westmeath's Gary Connaughton, but our vote would go to Alan Quirke, who kept a clean sheet in 10 of his 12 competitive games this year and conceded only two goals.

In the backs, at least two players starting today that aren't mentioned above should force their way onto the selection, with Aidan O'Mahony, David Heaney, Keith and Aidan Higgins and Peader Gardiner all vying for spots.

In midfield, whoever loses the McGarrity-O Se battle could lose their spot to Nicholas Murphy, but should that battle break even, expect that three to be all accommodated.

Meanwhile, in attack, the fullforward line should already be on stone, but Paul Galvin and Ciaran McDonald should make places for themselves if they have eight-out-of10 performances today.