Ryan Ferry looks at the individual battles that could decide the final

Michael Murphy v Jason Foley

Donegal are hopeful that Michael Murphy will be fit and ready for the final.

And they will need the big Glenswilly man at his best in the decider.

Murphy has been excellent this year and he is at the heart of so much of Donegal’s good play.

He is an outlet for kick-outs, and in open play, he is the focal point of the attack, whether that is kicking scores, setting up attacks, or acting as a decoy.

Kerry don’t have a huge amount of options when it comes to marking Murphy.

Dylan Casey has played a bit at full-back but it would be a surprise if it’s not Jason Foley who goes with the veteran attacker.

Foley has huge pace and attacks the ball with aggression. He tied up Tyrone’s Darren McCurry in the semi-final.

However, Murphy should hold an edge on strength and power and if he can get the ball in his hand, he will likely cause problems.

Shaun Patton v Shane Ryan

The goalkeepers are undoubtedly going to have a huge say in the final.

And two of the best in the business will be at opposite ends of the field.

Shaun Patton is a pivotal player for Donegal and when he wasn’t available for two games, his presence was missed.

With the new rules in play, it’s not as easy for Donegal to retain their own kick-outs like it was before.

All teams are losing a higher percentage than before but Patton’s long restarts are a huge attacking platform for his team, while he’s brilliant at picking off teams when they tire.

The pressure will come on when the kick-outs are slowed down and Kerry are able to get a full press on but Patton and his goalkeeping coach James Gallagher will be working hard to find a way around that.

Kerry like to employ a ‘bunch and break’ system but they have struggled when forced long by Tyrone and Armagh.

Of course it’s not all about the kick-outs and both netminders will be keen to keep out the goals.

Brendan McCole v David Clifford

This battle could be the duel of the final.

In David Clifford, Kerry boast the best player in the game.

He’s quick, strong, elusive and can kick scores off either foot.

The new rules appear to suit him as well as there is extra room in which to work his magic, and he has enjoyed a string of excellent performances this season.

There’s little doubt that Donegal will send Brendan McCole in the direction of Clifford at 3.29pm on Sunday.

McCole is Donegal’s go-to man-marker. He is fast and powerful, and he doesn’t dive into tackles.

The St Naul’s man has dealt with some of the best forwards in the land over the last two years but this will be a step up.

Clifford is the best in the business and McCole will need back-up to try and force the Fossa forward away from goal.

If McCole can keep Clifford to even a handful of scores, Donegal will fancy their chances of glory.

Michael Langan v Mark O’Shea

It’s been a strange season for the Kerry midfield.

Diarmuid O’Connor was their star man in the league but has had a shoulder problem in the Championship.

Barry Dan O’Sullivan also picked up an injury, while there was some talk that Jack Barry would be rushed back into the team when he returned from his travels but that hasn’t materialised.

The powerful Joe O’Connor is mainly being used at wing-forward leaving the inexperienced pairing of Mark O’Shea and Sean O’Brien at midfield.

O’Shea, who has a basketball background, has been impressive and competes really well in the air.

However, Donegal will not fear the Kerry midfield and Michael Langan will look to dominate the skies like he did against Meath.

Langan appears to be well on course for an All Star and Kerry will be looking to O’Shea to negate his influence in open play.

Conor O’Donnell v Paul Murphy

Conor O’Donnell is finally starting to get some national recognition for his excellent performances.

O’Donnell has been excellent against Cavan, Mayo, Monaghan, and Meath and is a man playing with a huge amount of confidence at present.

Donegal will be banking on him having another strong performance like he did against Kerry in Killarney back in February.

Murphy has previous with Donegal as he was the man-of-the-match in the 2014 All-Ireland Final.

He’s been a consistent performer since then and is still playing regularly now even though he’s well into his thirties.

That said, Murphy did have some trouble on Darragh Canavan in the semi-final.

Donegal will have spotted that and will feel O’Donnell’s directness and pace could cause him problems.

O’Donnell also holds a height advantage that could be utilised at kick-outs.

Peadar Mogan v Paudie Clifford

It’s a no-brainer that Donegal will man-mark David Clifford but the big question remains how many other Kerry forwards get close attention?

Tyrone were able to nullify Sean O’Shea and Paudie Clifford in the semi-final but there were loads of space left that was exploited then.

Donegal have gone with a zonal defence all year and while sometimes they man-mark two forwards, they very rarely go with three.

Paudie Clifford has had a great season and he is the man that makes the Kerry forward line tick. He has a great relationship with younger brother David and Donegal won’t want him to be able to dictate affairs.

It has come as a surprise that Peadar Mogan is being used in the back three but McGuinness clearly trusts his defensive skills and has given him marking jobs before. Mogan likes to bomb forward and put his opponent on the back foot but it’s important that Paudie Clifford doesn’t have a big say on the match.