The hectic Gaelic football schedule shows no signs of slowing down, with two provincial finals and four big All-Ireland qualifiers down for decision this weekend.
The fixtures
Ulster SFC final:
Monaghan v Tyrone (Clones, 2pm, Sunday)
Connacht SFC final:
Roscommon v Sligo (MacHale Park, 4pm, Sunday)
All-Ireland football qualifiers:
Derry v Kildare (Celtic Park, 3pm, Saturday)
Dublin v Armagh (Croke Park, 5pm, Saturday)
Offaly v Down (Tullamore, 7pm, Saturday)
Wexford v Cork (Wexford Park, 3.30pm, Sunday)
The previews
Monaghan v Tyrone
Monaghan will attempt to slake their long thirst for an Ulster breakthrough once again this weekend, and for the second time in four years it will be Tyrone standing in their way.
No side has looked quite as potent as Seamus McEnaney’s men this summer. They’ve been in exceptional form in the Ulster Championship, racking up massive scores against Armagh (1-18 to win by 12) and Fermanagh (0-21 to win by seven). Perhaps it’s just to focus the minds, but McEnaney spoke this week of how dissatisfied he was with elements of both performances, so there’s no chance of his players resting on their laurels this weekend.
With Tyrone homing into view, however, that was never likely to be an issue. The last rights have been read for Mickey Harte’s side on a couple of occasions in recent years, with the manner of their capitulation to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-finals a year ago seen by many as the last chapter in the story of a great team.
Fast forward a year and if they haven’t quite captured the imagination of Kerry or Cork this summer, everything looks fairly hunky-dory. A victory over Antrim in the first round was expected and duly delivered, but the manner in which they recovered from an early buffeting against Down to grind out a straightforward victory suggested that this Tyrone side has a few more trees to fell before it hangs up its chainsaw for good.
Monaghan have had some stand-out performers, with the half back line of Damien Freeman, Vincent Corey and Gary McQuaid up there with the best in the country, Dick Clerkin and Eoin Lennon offering plenty of experience in midfield and both Paul Finlay and Thomas Freeman operating to great effect in the forward line. For the Farney men to finally end a 22-year wait for provincial honours, they will need all those to bring their ‘A’ game. If they do, they can shade it.
Teams:
Monaghan: TBC
Tyrone: P McConnell; C McCarron, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; C Cavanagh, K Hughes; B Dooher, S Cavanagh, Joe McMahon; M Penrose, T McGuigan, O Mulligan.
Odds:
Tyrone 4/5, Monaghan 11/8, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction: It’s now or never for Monaghan and they have the wind in their sails. Monaghan by two.
Roscommon v Sligo
There was all manner of historic talk about Louth’s Leinster final appearance last weekend, when the Wee County attempted in vain to end a 53-year wait for provincial honours. It may be less noteworthy but history will also be made in Connacht this Sunday when Roscommon and Sligo face off for the Connacht title in the first such decider since 1947 to include neither Mayo nor Galway.
In normal circumstances, one would anticipate that this would be a great chance for either of these sides to land a rare provincial title, but in truth there is a worthy favourite in the shape of Kevin Walsh’s Sligo. Indeed, given the performances of the so-called big two this year, Roscommon may have had a better chance of claiming a first Connacht title since 2001 had they been taking on one of Mayo and Galway in the showpiece.
Sligo have been exceptional in all three games to this point, putting Mayo to the sword in an early championship shock before beating Galway twice – on the first occasion, with the game in safekeeping, they let in a rogue injury time goal to give the Tribesmen a second chance, but in the end the Sligo celebrations were simply postponed and the Yeats County produced one of the rallies of the summer to pip their more heralded opponents by a point at Markievicz Park.
Walsh is surely in line for Manager of the Year honours. Sligo claimed their second successive promotion in the National Football League in the spring and they go into this game in the unfamiliar position of being red-hot favourites to lift a Connacht title. If they come through it unscathed the sky really is the limit – Sligo came within a missed penalty of beating Kerry in the qualifiers a year ago and will fear no-one in the quarter-finals.
However, they will have to be on their guard against a Roscommon side who have little to lose. The Rossies go into this game with five of the victorious All-Ireland minor side from four years ago, and with the county having lifted their first Connacht under-21 crown in more than a decade earlier this year, things are looking up.
Teams:
Sligo: TBC
Roscommon: Geoffrey Claffey, Sean McDermott, Peter Domican(c), Stephen Ormsby, Sean Purcell, Cathal Dineen, David Casey, Michael Finneran, Karol Mannion, David Keenan, Paul Garvey, Cathal Cregg, John Rogers, Donal Shine, Ger Heneghan.
Odds:
Sligo 2/7, Roscommon 7/2, Draw 9/1
JOE Prediction: It could be closer than many expect but Sligo to edge it by three.
Derry v Kildare
With the news of Paddy Bradley’s withdrawal still fresh in the memory, all may not be well in the Derry camp but Damien Cassidy’s side are moving stealthily through the qualifiers and with home advantage this weekend, few would bet against them advancing another stage closer to an All-Ireland quarter-final appearance.
The Oak Leafers have survived two tricky away assignments in Leinster, proving too strong for both Carlow and Westmeath, and while Kildare is a step-up in class, that is surely offset by their return to Celtic Park.
Kieran McGeeney’s side were dismal in going out of the Leinster Championship to Louth but have managed to rebuild with wins over Antrim, after a replay, and Leitrim. It’s hard to know just how much they achieved in those games, however, and if Derry can put the shackles on John Doyle, the Championship’s top scorer this year, they should have too much in hand.
Teams:
Derry: TBC
Kildare: S McCormack; P Kelly, H McGrillen, A MacLochlainn; M O’Flaherty, E Bolton, B Flanagan; D Flynn, D Earley; J Kavanagh, P O’Neill, E O’Flaherty; J Doyle, R Sweeney, E Callaghan.
Odds:
Derry 5/6, Kildare 13/10, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction: Derry by five.
Dublin v Armagh
Undoubtedly the big game of the weekend in the qualifiers, and one in which both sides still have plenty to prove after a year in which each has taken its fair share of criticism.
The Dubs were overwhelmed in the Leinster semi-finals by a Meath side which subsequently disappointed against Louth last weekend, and Pat Gilroy’s side looked there for the taking against an understrength Tipperary for spells in their first foray into the qualifiers.
It is to Dublin’s good fortune that the draw has given them two home ties to date, and perhaps it is precisely what Gilroy’s developing side needs to play a few games in the relatively low-key atmosphere of Croker in the qualifiers.
Players such as Eoghan O’Gara and Michael Dara McAuley have looked decent additions to the armoury so if Gilroy can get the most out of the rest of the cast – in particular Bernard Brogan – then Dublin should go close.
They are sure to be tested this weekend by an Armagh side who have already tasted Croke Park victory this year in the NFL Division 2 final against Down. Subsequent to that, Paddy O’Rourke’s men were poor in victory over Derry and poor in defeat to Monaghan before qualifier wins over provincial rivals Donegal and Fermanagh. Given that they have crossed swords with Ulster opposition in every game of note this year, this game is a step into the unknown for quite a few of this Armagh side.
Dublin’s weaknesses have been in the full back line and Armagh’s goal-laden full forward duo of Jamie Clarke and the routinely excellent Stevie McDonnell will aim to take full advantage. Whether they can get enough ball to do so, however, is another question.
Teams:
Dublin: TBC
Armagh: TBC
Odds:
Dublin 4/6, Armagh 13/8, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction: Dublin are some way short of the finished article but if they can snuffle out the supply to McDonnell and Clarke, the Croker factor should swing this one in their favour. The Dubs by three.
Wexford v Cork
Wexford plucked the shortest straw in last Sunday’s qualifier draw but they can be expected to put up a much better show than Cavan, who threw in the towel on the team bus before managing just 0-4 in an 18-point drubbing at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Ciaran Lyng was in fantastic form as the Slaneysiders ended Galway’s interest in this year’s championship last weekend and with players of the calibre of Eric Bradley, Redmond Barry and the legendary Mattie Forde in tow, and home advantage at the resplendent Wexford Park, they will expect to set a stiff test for Cork.
However, Conor Counihan’s side have firmly established themselves among the top two in the country over the past 12 months and they will countenance no slip-ups this early in the championship. Ciaran Sheehan, Colm O’Neill, Daniel Goulding and Pearse O’Neill are among the top forwards in the country, and with Pat Kerrigan fit again and rarin’ to go from the bench, the loss of Donnacha O’Connor should not be too sorely felt.
Teams:
Wexford: TBC
Cork: 1. Alan Quirke 2. Ray Carey 3. Graham Canty 4. Jamie O’Sullivan 5. John Miskella 6. Michael Shields 7. Paudie Kissane 8. Alan O’Connor 9. Aidan Walsh 10. Fintan Goold 11. Pearse O’Neill 12. Patrick Kelly 13. Daniel Goulding 14.Ciaran Sheehan 15. Colm O’Neill.
Odds:
Wexford 6/1, Cork 1/7, Draw 12/1
JOE Prediction: It won’t be straightforward but Cork have too much power and pace to be tripped up this early. Five or six points at least.
Offaly v Down
Down have been a bit stop-start so far this year, promising much during their run to the NFL Division 2 final before they came a cropper in a Jekyll and Hyde performance against Tyrone. They got back on track with a fairly laboured win over Longford at the weekend.
Offaly have enjoyed the simplest of draws to get to this point, with only Clare and Waterford standing in their way in the first two rounds of the qualifiers. Niall McNamee is a forward of real class who can trouble the best of defences. The problem is that he’s severely isolated in a limited side, and this one should really be a step too far for Tom Cribben’s side.
For all that they’ve put together back-to-back wins in the championship for the first time in seven years, Offaly are one of the weakest sides in Leinster and even with the trip to Tullamore, Down should be able to coast into the next round.
Teams:
Offaly: A Mulhall; B Darby, S Brady, S Pender; N Darby, R Brady, P McConway; R Dalton, B Connor; G Guilfoyle, N McNamee, C McManus; K Casey, J Coughlan, A Sullivan.
Down: B McVeigh; D Rooney, D Gordon, D Rafferty; D O’Hagan, J Colgan, C Garvey; A Rogers, K King; D Hughes, M Poland, B Coulter; C Maginn, J Clarke, M Clarke.
Odds:
Offaly 5/2, Down 4/9, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction: Down to win as they please by six or eight points.
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