The fixtures
Ulster SFC: Cavan v Fermanagh Saturday, 5.15 pm (Live on RTE2, BBC2)
Leinster SFC: Meath v Laois Sunday 2pm
Munster SFC (Replay): Cork v Kerry Sunday 2pm (Live on RTE1)
Leinster SFC: Dublin v Wexford Sunday 4pm (Live on TV3)
The Previews
Cork v Kerry
It wasn’t a classic by any means and the Sunday Game pundits may not have been impressed, but last Sunday’s meeting between the two Munster giants confirmed the suspicion that they are the two best sides in the country at the moment.
It was also the first time that we saw just how much Kerry will miss some of their absent stars, particularly Darragh Ó Sé around the middle of the field. For all of Michael Quirke’s presence, he doesn’t seem to have the mobility to cope at this level and Kerry were cleaned out around at centrefield on Sunday, a fact that was only slightly rectified when Paul Galvin came on for an impressive cameo in the second half.
For all of Cork’s dominance of the middle third, however, they only had one forward, Paul Kerrigan, firing on all cylinders and some of his counterparts, Donncha O’Connor and Daniel Goulding in particular, will need to step up to the mark on a more permanent basis if Cork are going to justify their favourites tag and land the Sam Maguire this year.
Conor Counihan has opted to name the same fifteen that started in Killarney last Sunday, keeping the likes of Colm O’Neill and Fintan Goold in reserve, while Jack O’Connor has delayed naming his team, with Paul Galvin, Marc Ó Sé, Mike McCarthy and Tommy Griffin all hoping to recover from injury to make the starting line-up.
Teams:
Cork: A Quirke; R Carey, G Canty, J O’Sullivan; N O’Leary, M Shields, P Kissane; A O’Connor, A Walsh; P O’Neill, D O’Connor, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, P Kerrigan.
Kerry: (to be announced)
Odds:
Cork 4/6, Kerry 13/8, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction:
If Cork can dominate midfield like they did in Killarney, it should be enough for them to prevail. Cork to win by three points or less.
Dublin v Wexford
After dominating Leinster for the last five years but failing spectacularly on the big stage, Pat Gilroy has performed drastic surgery on the Dublin side to face Wexford this Sunday, with only eight players surviving from the fifteen ‘startled earwigs’ that were humiliated by Kerry last summer.
Not only is there a change in personnel, but Gilroy has made it clear that his priority for this season is defence, a tactic that was clearly in evidence during the Dubs’ impressive league campaign.
David Henry continues in the centre forward berth he occupied for the league, but expect to see Henry along with Niall Corkery and Paul Flynn funnelling back into defence with the aim of creating huge space for a potent looking full forward line of Conal Keaney, Bernard Brogan and Kevin McManamon, who was hugely impressive in the spring.
Matty Forde returns to the Wexford line-up after a prolonged absence
Despite Dublin being a team in transition, the bookies have huge faith in the Metropolitans at odds of 1/9, but they are offering an extremely tempting 7/1 for a Wexford side that many might forget ran Tyrone close in an All-Ireland semi-final two years ago.
Matty Forde returns to the championship line up for the first time in nearly two years after being ravaged by injuries and hooks up with old buddies Ciarán Lyng and PJ Banville in a full forward line that could do damage against an inexperienced Dublin full back line who have only one championship start between them.
Jason Ryan has named two championship newcomers in corner back Joey Wadding and midfielder Daithà Waters for Sunday’s clash at Croke Park.
Five players in the Dublin starting line-up will be making their first championship starts: corner backs Michael Fitzsimons and Philly McMahon, centre back Cian O’Sullivan and forwards Niall Corkery and Kevin McManamon, with Alan Brogan deemed not fit enough for a place in the first fifteen.
Teams:
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Michael Fitzsimons, Rory O’Carroll, Philly McMahon; Denis Bastick, Cian O’Sullivan, Barry Cahill; Eamon Fennell, Ross McConnell; Niall Corkery, David Henry, Paul Flynn; Conal Keaney, Bernard Brogan, Kevin McManamon.
Wexford: Anthony Masterson, Joey Wadding, Graeme Molloy, Brian Malone, Colm Morris, David Murphy, Aindreas Doyle, Daithà Waters, Eric Bradley, Shane Roche, Redmond Barry, Adrian Flynn, Ciarán Lyng, PJ Banville, Matty Forde.
Odds:
Dublin 1/9, Wexford 7/1, Draw 14/1
JOE Prediction:
The new-look Dubs will be an interesting proposition but they should win this one comfortably enough. Dublin by four points or more.
Meath v Laois
Against Offaly a few weeks back, Meath showed that they are definitely a force to be reckoned with this year. Their appearance in the last four last year was somewhat unexpected, but there’s no doubting that Eamon O’Brien’s men have the capacity for a repeat performance in 2010.
Meath shouldn’t be worried that teams will have figured them out because there’s no disguising their tactics. At midfield they are big and strong and they like to let it in long and fast to a forward line packed with quality, particularly Stephen Bray and Cian Ward in the inside line and Joe Sheridan just behind.
Laois won’t be going into this tie with great confidence after a patchy league and no real impact in the championship since a convincing loss to Dublin in the 2007 Leinster Final. Sean Dempsey, however, has named a strong looking full forward line of Ross Munnelly and Paul Cahillane alongside the giant Donie Kingston and has left stalwarts MJ Tierney and Padraig Clancy in reserve, despite speculation that Clancy was to be deployed in a forward role.
Kevin Reilly returns to the Meath starting line up at full after a year-long injury enforced absence. Anthony Moyles moves to centre back with Gary O’Brien dropping to the bench. Colm Begley makes his first championship start for Laois since returning from a four year spell playing Australian Rules football.
Teams:
Meath: P O’Rourke; C O’Connor, K Reilly, E Harrington; M Burke, A Moyles, C King; N Crawford, M Ward; S Kenny, J Sheridan, G Reilly; C Ward, S O’Rourke, S Bray.
Laois: M Nolan; P O’Leary, M Timmons, P McMahon; C Healy, C Ryan, C Begley; B Quigley, K Meaney; B Sheehan, C Rogers, D Strong; P Cahillane, D Kingston, R Munnelly.
Odds:
Meath 4/9, Laois 12/5, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction:
Meath looked very impressive against Offaly and look set to make a serious charge for a Leinster title this year. The Royals to win it with five or six points to spare.
Cavan v Fermanagh
Following their Ulster final appearance in 2008 when they brought Armagh to a replay, the Fermanagh footballers have imploded somewhat. They failed to win a game in last year’s championship and only one win in this year’s league saw them relegated for a second successive year with the result that they will be competing in the bottom rung of the ladder, Division 4, next season.
Cavan, on the other hand, finished only two points behind table toppers Sligo and Antrim in Division 3 and did so without the services of their most potent attacker, Seanie Johnston, who dislocated an elbow playing for DCU in the Sigerson cup earlier this year. The Breffni men also edged the most recent championship encounter between the sides by a point last year.
The return of Seanie Johnston is a big boost for Tommy Carr’s Cavan side
Six members of the Cavan starting line-up will be making their championship debuts on Saturday evening. Goalkeeper Fintan Reilly, defenders Thomas Corr, Eoin McGuigan and Alan Clarke and former Dublin Junior player Garret Smith will all be lining out in an Ulster championship clash for the first time and Tommy Carr will also welcome back star forward Seanie Johnston, who has recovered from an elbow injury.
Barry Mulrone, Daniel Ward and Chris O’Brien will be making their championship debuts for Malachy O’Rourke’s side. Martin McGrath has recovered from injury and will start at midfield but Peter Sherry and Shane Goan will miss out.
Teams:
Cavan: F Reilly; D Sheridan, T Corr, M Cahill; P Brady, E McGuigan, A Clarke; C Galligan, D Givney; R Flanagan, G Smith, M McKeever; C Mackey, S Johnston, M Brennan.
Fermanagh: Ronan Gallagher; N Bogue, S Lyons, B Mulrone; D Ward, R McCluskey, T McElroy; J Sherry, M McGrath; D Keenan, R Carson, M Little; P Ward, Rory Gallagher, C O’Brien.
Odds:
Cavan 4/7, Fermanagh 15/8, Draw 15/2
JOE Prediction:
Cavan to inflict further misery on a Fermanagh side that have had a disastrous couple of years.
