Bank Holiday Bonanza

One of the best weekends of the year looms into view as we approach the August Bank Holiday. As has become traditional at this stage, this weekend marks the All Ireland Football quarter finals slot on the calendar. 3 of the 4 quarter finals are down for decision in headquarters, and while Tyrone and Roscommon are 'only' contesting a Round 4 qualifer they fill out the 4th slot in the program over the weekend.

Saturday sees Tyrone and Roscommon open the proceedings and, when they sort out who will be playing Dublin in the last quarter final, Kildare and Donegal will meet in a fascinating battle to decide the first semi finalist of 2011.

Sunday sees the Munster contingent descending on Croke Park, with Kerry and Limerick renewing rivalries before Cork take on Connacht Champions Mayo in the final game of the weekend.

I'm heading for Croker on Saturday, all going well, and I'm looking forward to two interesting tussles.

Last weekend I went 4-2, and paid the price for trusting Galway hurlers and Wexford footballers. Overall I'm 33-10 at this stage, which is okay, but not great. Let's see how this weekend goes.

Again, for all the betting news, take a look at Starbets.ie

All Ireland Senior Football, Round 4 Qualifier

Saturday July 30th.

Tyrone v Roscommon.  4pm. Croke Park (Ref. Maurice Deegan)

Tyrone were comfortable enough in their disposal of Armagh in the delayed 3rd round tie played at Omagh last weekend, notwithstanding a penalty miss by Armagh, and will be favoured heavily to take care of Roscommon in the Round 4 game. Victory here would set up Tyrone for a mouth watering tie with Dublin in the quarter final, but they need to be mindful of counting chickens before they hatch.

Roscommon are no bad side and, while on all indications they shouldn't beat Tyrone, they will be hell bent on giving the Red Hands their bellyful of it. Donal Shine and Senan Kilbride are two good forwards (if Kilbride recovers from a knock) while Cathal Cregg gives them good support. The midfield is big and if it becomes a battle of the air then Roscommon will be fine.

The problem may be that Tyrone tend to do very well against 'orthodox' teams, and Roscommon are in that bracket. you wouldn't be shocked to see Joe McMahon quieten Shine, and Ricey or Gormley to do a number on Kilbride. If that happens, Tyrone have the forwards to win this game, and with Peter Harte in the form of his life the new Tyrone seem to be developing nicely.

Verdict. Tyrone by 6.

All Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals

Saturday July 30th.

Donegal v Kildare. 6 pm. Croke Park (Ref. David Coldrick)

This is a really intriguing battle as two of the best young managers in football come head to head. Kildare are fuelled by immense belief in themselves, and a belief in their preparation and conditioning. Donegal seem to have completely bought into Jimmy McGuinness' tactical approach of swarm defense and swift counter attack. Derry played into Donegal's hands in the Ulster Final, while Kildare struggled a little bit against a massed Dublin defense in the Leinster Semi Final, once Eoghan O'Gara went off.

Kildare have a couple of options they could try in this situation, from Tomás O'Connor as a target man on the edge of the square a lá versus Laois, to using their physique to try and burst past the defensive wall, to kicking long range points such as those that we've seen from Callaghan, Doyle, Kavanagh, Bolton and others.

Donegal will be determined to hold their ground, protect against goals being scored, and hitting Kildare on the break. That's easier said than though, however, and I think Mick Foley and Hugh McCrillen may be extremely important in this game.

On the basis that this Donegal team may not have the same experience of Croke Park, and that Kildare have enough options to find some success, I'l go for the Lilywhites to advance, just.
Verdict. Kildare by 2

Sunday July 31st

Kerry v Limerick. 2pm. Croke Park. (Ref. Pat McEneaney)

Sunday's opening game in Croke Park is a rematch of an early Munster Championship tie, where the Kingdom ran riot against a Limerick team struggling to come to terms with the loss of John Galvin. Bossed around in the middle of the field, Limerick simply couldn't cope with the movement and pace of the Kerry attack and while they managed 3 goals of their own, it couldn't gloss over an absolute tanking on the day.

However Limerick, to their eternal credit, have refused to curl up and go away. They bounced back against Offaly, saw off Waterford and then had a great comeback win over Wexford to book their tickets for Croke Park and this opportunity for Revenge.

Kerry people will tell you they're wary of Limerick, but they are not really. They'll expect at least an 8-10 point win on Sunday, but that may not transpire. Stephen Lucey is back in harness, and he may well be the man to put the clamps on Kieran Donaghy. Stephen Lavin may pick up Gooch, and Limerick will try to mitigate the damage that Kerry can do by competing better out the field. Stephen Kelly is in great form, and Ian Ryan and Ger Collins are in scoring fettle, so Limerick are probably in a better place than they were in the first encounter.

You cannot get away from the fact, though, that Kerry have an unbelievable forward line, and with Paul Galvin back and Tomás O'Sé coming into the half back line as well, they've just become a lot stronger in the middle third as well. Declan O'Sullivan has been flying, and he may well be the forward that Limerick can't legislate for. If the early ball in is not working, O'Sullivan is adept at carrying and laying off or scoring himself. Darren O'Sullivan has pace to burn, and it's hard to see Limerick getting enough scores to outscore these forwards.

I don't think it will be as bad, or as low key, as the game in early summer but I think Kerry will be comfortable winners
.
Verdict. Kerry by 7.

Cork v Mayo. Croke Park. 4.00 pm (Ref. Rory Hickey).

Of all the provincial champions, Mayo seem to be the ones most written off by media and spectators alike. Donegal are given a good chance against Kildare, Dublin will probably be favourites against Roscommon or Tyrone, while Kerry are, well, Kerry. Mayo though seem to suffer from the fact that two of their wins came in conditions more suited to the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, and from the fact that, bluntly, they come from Connacht.

Leinster teams do not have a vastly superior record, compared to Connacht, yet teams like Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Laois etc always seem to be 'fancied' or tipped to do well, regardless of past indicators. Connacht teams, meanwhile, seem to have to scale great peaks to be thought about in the same terms. Mayo probably have contributed to that themselves as they lurch from the sublime (Tyrone, Dublin) to the ridiculous (Kerry x 2, London) in terms of performance.

There are footballers west of the Shannon though, and Mayo own a fair few of them. They won't be in awe of Croke Park, and probably won't be fazed by the thoughts of playing Cork. Cork are not Kerry after all. Cillian O'Connor may be the answer to their free taking dilemma, while Andy Moran and Alan Dillon will get through a power of work, and if the likes of Freeman can chip in with a few scores, then that'll see them well on their way to an upset.

A lot will depend, as always against Cork, on how the middle of the field goes. And in this area it is hard to see how the Mayo men will match up. The O'Shea brothers were grand against Galway, but Seamus dropped his level against the Rossies, and unless they both (and probably Ronan McGarritty) play the game of their lives it's hard to see them breaking even or better out there.

That being the case, lads like Paddy Kelly, Paul Kerrigan and Donnacha O'Connor have been making light of the big absences in the forward line. Kelly and Kerrigan are fliers while O'Connor has matured into a clinical and deadly finisher. If it is a thing that Mayo can take O'Connor out of the game, and find pace to stick with Kelly and Kerrigan, then they'll have a great chance. The rest of the Cork forwards are unlikely to go off on you, so that has to be plan A for Mayo.

All that being said, I cannot see a situation, other than the one Cork managed to contrive against themselves in Killarney, where the Rebels are not dominant in the middle of the field, and that leads me to predict a comfortable Cork win.
Verdict. Cork by 5.

Dublin validated, Waterford Redeemed.

And so we know the two hurling semi final matchups. A sure sign that the 'Back to School' offers must be getting up and running. Both most recent qualifiers for the semis will be extremely happy and relieved to be there, but for vastly differing reasons. In the big ball, 7 of the 8 quarter finalists were also annointed on Saturday, while Tyrone qualified for a Round 4 joust with Roscommon.

All Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter Finals

Sunday was a great day of hurling, from the spiritual home of the game in Thurles, as Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Waterford faced off for the last 2 spots in this years semi finals. Two very different games produced two delighted winners as Dublin and Waterford marched on.

In the opening game, Dublin finally managed to rubber stamp the progress they have been making over recent years. Barring an absolute mauling by Tipperary in the semi final, the Dubs can legitimately claim that this year has been an outstanding success. Winning the National League, by defeating Kilkenny in the final, and scoring championship victories over Offaly, Galway and Limerick has announced that Dublin are deservedly in the last 4 of the competition. They did have the bad performance against Kilkenny in the Leinster Final, and with Tipp looming on the horizon they may not make it to the final, but they will feel that they are really in a good place as a developing team.

This was no vintage performance on Sunday, but it wasn't that type of game. Limerick were up for it and  revelling in the role of underdogs, against a team that has been out of the top echelon for many years, which would have spurred them on. Indeed Limerick played most of the hurling for long periods of the game and, but for some wayward shooting and over playing at times, we could be talking about an incredible resurgence under Donal O'Grady for the treaty men.

Dublin will not be overly enthused with their display but given the injuries they are carrying, most recently to the unfortunate Conal Keaney, and the fact that they rediscovered their goalscoring mojo they will be encouraged as they move forward. Their first touch was very sloppy on Sunday, and some of the passing seemed forced and unnatural, like a team struggling with expectation and tying up. The pressure is off them now, probably for the first time this year really, and they are free to give it a right good go against the Premier. Ryan O'Dwyer had a great outing in the full forward line but I think they may need his ball winning, in the absence of Keaney, on the half forward line. If that materialises, who'll get the goals they were lacking up until his hattrick on Sunday?

Limerick will feel this has been a year they have reestablished themselves as a serious hurling team again. Of course they will be disappointed that they didn't reach the semi final, but another year under Donal O'Grady will really help that style bed in. Mulcahy and Downes were starved of possession on Sunday, and when Limerick learn to mix up the possession game with the supply into the forwards, they'll be a good way along the path. Declan Hannon looks like he will deliver on his promise, and he had a great day on Sunday, remarkable for a young lad sitting his leaving cert last month.

And onto the second game. What can you say? Do you talk about Waterford, and their remarkable bounce back, or Galway and their latest no show? As I prefer to talk about the positive, I'll start with Waterford. People sneered when reports emanated out of the Deise about Davy's morning meeting with the team on the Monday after the Tipperary debacle, but one thing Davy Fitzgerald can do is rise a team. Tactically I think he tried to over compensate against Tipp, and caused himself bigger problems. On Sunday he left his best hurlers hurl in their best positions, and he got John Mullane involved early by bringing him out of the corner and onto the 45. Brick Walsh demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the top centre backs in the country and a great man to hold that position. He was like a man reborn on Sunday as he cleared up ball after ball and ate Ger Farragher alive. Kevin Moran, the evergreen Tony Browne, Noel Connors, Liam Lawlor, Stephen Molumphy, Shane Walsh, Seamus Prendergast, Mullane the list goes on and on of players in white and blue who stepped up and figuratively roared 'We're not finished yet!'.

As an observer with a soft spot for Waterford, as a lot of people have at this stage, it was great to see and was a measure of their character and the leaders they have in that team. Kilkenny are an awesome barrier on the road now, but one thing is certain - Waterford will give it their best shot, be that good or bad.

And then Galway. I don't want to put the boot in, as enough people around the country and county of Galway will be lining up to do that, but I will just say one thing. About 10 minutes into that second half, you could tell by the body language of the Galway men that the game was over. The only question was the margin of defeat. At that stage there was about 6 points into it, and Galway needed leaders, men with puffed out chests who refused to accept this happening again. Apart from flashes from Joe Canning and the odd skirmish no Galway player took his team by the scruff of the neck and led them out of their malaise. That is something that they need to find, and maybe they need to put an emphasis on that over some of the skillful hurlers that they have. Skill is great, but if you can't win the ball then you might as well be at home. It's very, very disappointing for Galway, but if we are to be honest it's not that surprising either.

All Ireland Football Qualifers Round 3

In the last remaining round 3 football qualifier, hosts Tyrone defeated their big noughties Ulster rival Armagh and thus advance to play beaten Connacht finalists Roscommon in the last Round 4 Qualifier this weekend coming.

They will be delighted that Peter Harte again demonstrated fine form, and was arguably the Man of the Match again, based on feedback from people who were at the match. On the face of it, it was a comfortable 6 point win for the Red Hands, especially when you consider they allowed Armagh get off to a good start and had only scored 3 points coming up the half hour mark, but a late missed penalty from Armagh may have made a big difference and punished Tyrone for some wastefulness.

Joe McMahon continues to shore up the defence for Tyrone while Conor Gormley did a great job on Jamie Clarke. Ryan McMenamin was subbed as a precaution after picking up a yellow card, while the younger brigade of Swift, Coney, Donnelly and the aforementioned Peter Harte continue to develop well. The names that Tyrone were able to bring on hint at the reserves that have suddenly appeared (Dooher, Penrose, Justin McMahon, Davey Harte) and with Eoin Mulligan and Stephen O'Neill also hoping to get back, suddenly Tyrone look a real threat. Everyone's been looking at Kerry and Cork, while touting Kildare and Dublin as dark horses. Maybe we need to look North, again, for the threat that will come from nowhere.

All Ireland Football Qualifiers Round 4

In round 4 of the qualifers, Kildare, Cork and Limerick marched on to victory and a place in the quarter finals. Pride of place should go to Limerick, a side written off in 2 of their 3 qualifier games (by me as well), but who have overcome injuries, dual player issues and a hammering by Kerry to advance into the last 8 for the first time in their history. (I don't think there were quarter finals back when Limerick were winning their All Ireland). Their reward? Just another outing with Kerry, in an even more open pitch, and the guarantee of being written off again.

There was huge controversy in the endgame in Portlaoise as the umpires disagreed over the validity or otherwise of a late score from Ian Ryan, only for the referee to intervene and give the nod to the umpire with the white flag, and thus the victory to Limerick. Understandably the Wexford contingent were apoplectic, but most neutral observers have suggested that a) It was a free, b) it was a point and c) the referee was on the best line of sight to make the decision. On that basis, if it is a point, it is a point. The circumstances might hurt Wexford, but Limerick wouldn't deserve to lose in extra time because the ref hadn't the guts to award the score. So, similar to my opinion on Cormac Reilly in Croke Park, I say fair play to Derek Fahy on not taking the easy way out.

Limerick should be able to call on the hurlers now that their interest is over and Stephen Lucey and Mark O'Riordan should add something to the middle area of the field and, while it is hard to see the Kerry forwards being stymied by a defence they tore to shreds earlier in the year, stranger things have happened. At least Limerick are there, will be on the big stage and will get their crack, unlike 25 other counties (including London and New York, excluding Kilkenny).

Cork, as expected, had too much for Down in Croke Park, but the second half demolition job was not exactly what we were predicting. Cork's strength and game plan wore down the Down lads, and the likes of Donnacha O'Connor was on fire, while Paddy Kelly and Paul Kerrigan really stretched the Down defence. It was around midfield that Cork really dominated the game though and, unlike the Munster final, they used their superiority there to build a platform. Aidan Walsh and Alan O'Connor were much more like themselves and really made Down suffer in terms of primary possession and physical exchanges. Down introduced Ambrose Rogers, but he was clearly not ready for the game and in truth the verdict had already been handed to the judge at that stage.

A sad footnote to the game was the sending off of Marty Clarke, who was clearly frustrated at the way the game was unfolding, and it would be a pity if our last glimpse of him in a Down jersey was dejectedly leaving the field early with the referee waving the red card.

Back to normal service then for Cork, and a draw with Mayo won't send shivers up their collective spine. There is still a suspicion that the Rebels can be got at, and any team that somehow manages to pressure the middle third (as Kerry did in the first half in Killarney) will fancy their chances against them. They looked a lot more balanced in the full back line with Shields at #3 and Eoin Cadogan in, in place of Graham Canty, but because of the domination out the field they were not really stretched. There are teams remaining in the competition who would fancy their chances of hurting them if they can get enough ball.

In the curtain raiser in Croke Park, Kildare moved another step closer to their All Ireland dream, with a 6 point victory over a Derry side who were unable to shake the perceived wisdom that says beaten provincial finalists are goosed when they play 6 days later. In fairness to Derry, they gave it a shot, and had brief periods where they took the game to Kildare but they were unable to really shake the Lilywhites, and when a penalty decision was not given to them, the signs were there that they wouldn't be able to pull this off.

Kildare continue to march on, and with every game it looks more and more as if the momentum they are building is a real, tangible force, rather than a figment of journalists' imaginations. They have belief, which is McGeeney's greatest achievement with them in my opinion, and an unshakeable sureness that they will get there in the end, no matter what. I believe this, as much as their conditioning, has led to those big second half performances, much like that great Meath team of the 80s. Donegal will be yet another kettle of fish this weekend, and it will be fascinating to see how McGeeney goes about counteracting the Donegal defensive plan. Will Tomás O'Connor be a target man? Will the likes of Callaghan, O'Flaherty, Bolton and Kavanagh try to burst through the line? Will Doyle and the aforementioned foursome try to kick points from distance? All for another day, but Kildare will be delighted that they are in a position to plan their offensive rather than watching from home. The odyssey continues.

Hits

Limerick Footballers. Say what you like about Munster Football, they have 3 teams in the last 8 and Limerick have beaten 2 Leinster teams to get there, including the high scoring beaten Leinster Finalists. They have fought and fought since losing to Kerry, when they could easily have laid down and blamed injuries and hurling for their problems. Ye deserve yer day in Croker lads, and fair play to ye.  Do yerselves proud.

Donnacha O'Connor. I've been unconvinced about Donnacha, and his mental strength, ever since I saw him melt down against Kerry in Croke Park along with the rest of his teammates. However he has really gone from strength to strength since then and winning the All Ireland seems to have crowned him. Cork are missing Ciaran Sheehan, Colm O'Neill and now Daniel Goulding is likely to miss the quarter final. In their absences Paddy Kelly and Paul Kerrigan have been great, but Donnacha O'Connor has stood up and become THE man for this Cork forward line. A study in what confidence allied to ability can do.

Dublin Hurlers. Not the prettiest, not the best hurling, and not their greatest, or even a good, performance. However the Dubs have overcome their own injury problems and a brutal lesson at the hands of Kilkenny, and they've emerged to sit proudly in a semi final. They have a lot of work to do if they want to take Tipperary's crown, but they can justifiably claim to be one of hurling's elite teams now. Anthony Daly is the figurehead, and has done a great job, but the work done at underage level in Dublin is incredible and should be a blueprint for other counties with potential but no good structures.

Anthony Masterson. I heard Anthony Masterson giving out for Ireland on Newstalk about the referee, the umpires, the linesmen and everyone else after the controversial score that condemned Wexford to defeat. Then he admitted he had no idea whether it was a score or not, and I was mentally noting Anthony for my 'misses' section. Then he surprised me, and reminded me of one of the reasons why I love Gaelic games, when he took a deep breath and proceeded to give a very warm congratulation and best of luck to the Limerick lads who had beaten them. Sportsmanship is one of the best attributes a person can have, and when you are as angry and frustrated (and probably wrong) as Anthony was, it's a great sign that he could do that.

Misses.

Forget about it. I could mention Galway, but they need to be left alone to sort themselves out. I'm sure they will.

Maybe I will mention the van that clipped Conal Keaney's motorbike on Friday though. Accidental of course, but a cruel blow for a player on the top of his game this year, and a team who've already suffered too many injuries this year. How they'd love Keaney to be contesting puckouts with Padraig Maher and Conor Mahoney in the semi final.

Other Sports

It's over!!!! Finally, the NFL lockout has been ended, the players and owners have reached an agreement that guarantees the league for the next 10 years and more immediately ensures that we will have a full season in 2011. I never doubted that this would be the outcome, but I'm glad the nonsense isn't extending to brinksmanship and training camps and pre-season or regular season games getting affected.

Players in fantasy leagues, which has become popular in Ireland need to be on the ball in the upcoming weeks as free agents (players whose contracts have expired), and rookies get signed with various teams, while you can also expect some trades (transfers) between teams, especially in the Quarterback and Running Back positions.

Exciting times for NFL fans though, and with college football also revving up, the season will soon be knocking on our door like an old friend.

The Rubber hits the road

Things are starting to get serious now. This weekend we have our first All Ireland Quarter Finals, as the Hurlers go at it. (What happened the summer?) We are also just 1 game away from knowing 7 of the 8 football quarter finalists, although Armagh and Tyrone have an outstanding 3rd round game to get out of the way.

It should be a great weekend, and I'll be looking to defend my 29-8 record.  Definitely some coin tosses in there this week though.

Again, for all the betting news, take a look at Starbets.ie

(Please note, Still no affiliation with Starbets)

All Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter Final

Sunday July 24th.

Dublin v Limerick.  2pm. Thurles(Ref. Brian Gavin)

If you had been asked to call this game in May, you'd have probably gone for Dublin by a comfortable margin. However the landscape has changed slightly since then, and not necessarily in favour of the metropolitans. True, they did manage to overcome Offaly and took care of an uninspired Galway outfit, looking set for a real go at Kilkenny in the Leinster Final. That didn't work out so well, as we all know, and there is a suspicion that some of the questions we had assumed answered remain open after all. Injuries and suspensions didn't help against the Cats, and just as they prepared to welcome Ryan O'Dwyer back against Limerick, the unfortunate Conal Keaney will miss out after injuring himself in a motor cycle accident. Of course the primary concern is for the player, but Dublin and Anthony Daly could have done without the news.

Limerick, for their part, have had a good year so far, and anything other than a bad beating on Sunday would not necessarily negate that. However Limerick are not in the mentality of looking for good performances, they smell blood in the water and, buoyed by Donal O'Grady's approach, they have a new found confidence. Limerick have good forwards in Mulcahy (if fit), Downes, Hannon and others, and are working on implementing the possession game favoured by Cork under O'Grady. A feature of the game may well be the battle of the half forwards of Dublin against the half backs of Limerick. Limerick are largely content to bat the high balls in that area, and sweep up the breaks, while Dublin will look for primary possession. If they are frustrated there, and Keaney's loss is a blow in those exchanges, Limerick will be well on the way.

Dublin have struggled for goals, and you suspect they need to find that quickly, as they've been too dependent on Paul Ryan's frees. Ryan O'Dwyer will help but I feel they need Dotsy or Carton to rattle the net a couple of times. This is a real milestone game for Dublin. Win and they are validated, lose and people may start questioning exactly what progress has been made after all. Donal O'Grady the player is an injury doubt for Limerick and with that, and their physical power and the sense of desperation driving them on, I'll give a hesitant nod to Dublin.
Verdict. Dublin by 2.

All Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter Final

Sunday July 24th.

Galway v Waterford. 4 pm. Thurles (Ref. Cathal McAllister)

On the face of it, this is an easy game to call. Galway have steadily improved since that poor showing in Tullamore, while Waterford are coming off an absolute horror show in the Munster Final. It's not that simple in my view though.There is still a nagging doubt about Galway's consistency which will only be truly answered with an All Ireland, and there is a suspicion that Waterford's gamble that backfired in the Munster Final contributed to a scoreline that does not really reflect where they are.

Davy made a tactical call against Tipp and, when it didn't work out, they were obliterated as fine hurlers like Michael Walsh thrashed about like fish out of water. The team that ended that game, with Brick restored to his customary #6 spot may be an awful lot more stable. The question again, of course, is who is going to pick up whom on Sunday. Joe Canning will be a thorn in the side of any full back, which is of course a weakness thus far for Waterford, while Damien Hayes needs a pacy marker to negate his threat. Canning will wander around the 45 if he's struggling to get into the game, while Tanian and Joe Gantley will rotate in there on the edge of the square when he goes. Will Davy trust his men to hurl their positions this time. If he does, he may be better off. Brick will handle Ger Farragher from puckouts and close play, while Brown and Kevin Moran would feel happy facing Tanian and Gantley.

Hayes and Canning may be the trump cards, and if Farragher and Smith can chip in with points to help out, Galway may have more firepower than Waterford, who have been heavily reliant on Pauric Mahony's frees and a frustrated John Mullane. Galway have a horrible record against Waterford in the championship (winless in 9 meetings all time) but if they hurl to their potential, their full forward line can do enough damage in a game that may be a lot closer than people think.

Verdict. Galway by 4



All Ireland Football Qualifiers - Round 3 and Round 4

3 new quarter finalists will (hopefully) be decided on Saturday evening while the 4th game, a round 3 back fixture, is hardly any less enticing. Among the menu are repeats of the All Ireland Finals of 2010 and 2003, and it should make for a hugely entertaining day, hopefully.

Saturday July 23rd round 3

Tyrone v Armagh. 7pm. Omagh. (Ref. Martin Duffy)

This battle of the hitherto big two in Ulster is the last game of the qualifiers round 3, delayed because of Armagh's struggles in beating Wicklow. It's a repeat of multiple huge games from the early noughties, including that famous win for Tyrone in the 2003 All Ireland Final. They've shared each of the Ulster titles since 1998 until this year, and have been the dominant forces in the northern province by a long way.

All that being said, the teams are on different paths at the moment. Armagh's great team is largely broken up at this stage, and Paddy O'Rourke is trying to build a new team around experienced players like Aaron Kernan, Kieran McKeever and Steven McDonnell, while introducing exciting newcomers like Jamie Clarke. The mixture worked well against Down in a great victory over the mourne men, but came unstuck with naivite against Derry. The eventual qualifier success against Wicklow took longer than expected, but having been brought to a replay, a win down in Aughrim is no trivial achievement.

Tyrone seemed to be aiming for one last hurrah with the old timers as the team appeared to be backboned by the likes of Conor Gormley, Ricey McMenamin, Philip Jordan, Kevin Hughes, Sean Cavanagh, Brian Dooher, Brian McGuigan, Stephen O'Neill and others. However injuries and perhaps a paradigm shift by Mickey Harte saw a lot of changes around midfield and the forward line against Longford. Kyle Coney, Aidan Cassidy and Peter Harte were among those that made hay in the redesigned team, but it's interesting that Cassidy and Martin Penrose miss out on the named team at least this weekend.

I think Armagh are coming, but Tyrone still have enough of the old dog left in them for a couple of more barks this year.

Verdict. Tyrone by 4.

Round 4


Limerick v Wexford. Portlaoise. 7.00 pm (Ref. Derek Fahy).

Limerick were swashbuckling counter attackers against Offaly, inspired by Ian Ryan and Ger Collins, while against a much more stoic Waterford side they relied on the brilliance of Stephen Kelly to show them the way. They are still greatly depleted thanks to injury and the unfortunate reality that football and hurling qualifers and quarter finals occupy the same weekends.

They may have big Jim O'Donovan  back in midfield, which should allow Seanie Buckley operate as half forward, but you sense they may struggle against a powerful Wexford midfield.

Wexford's backs were very impressive against Dublin in a losing effort and with the options up front such as Barry, Roche, Brosnan and Lyng I take the Slaneysiders to advance to the last 8.

Verdict. Wexford by 5.

Cork v. Down. Croke Park. 6pm. (Ref. Michael Duffy)

Probably the tie of the round sees a rematch of the All Ireland final from last year as Down and Cork renew acquaintances in Croker. Cork were stung in Killarney last time out and, shorn of Colm O'Neill and Ciaran Sheehan, look slightly more vulnerable than you would expect. However that day in Killarney was certainly a curate's egg of a performance. Listless, clueless and aimless in the first half, Cork played into Kerry's hands and negated their own strongest portion of the field by playing short kickouts and running down cul de sacs. The second half was a lot better from the Rebels and, but for a goal attempt coming off an upright rather than rattling the net, they could well have even won that game.

Paul Kerrigan, Paddy Kelly, Donnacha O'Connor and Daniel Goulding still form the basis of an exceptional forward line, but there is no doubt the strength in depth is not as formidable as last year. Midfield should be a real strong area for Cork, as long as they play to their strengths with their own kickouts.

The defense is strong on paper, but Conor Counihan is risking a lot by placing Graham Canty on the edge of the square. Canty is a great footballer and leader, but I think he is a centre back. He has a great full back in Michael Shields and Eoin Cadogan could easily come into the corner back position. Cork may well end up in that alignment, but will the damage be done?

Down have at last kicked it up a gear with their last performance against Antrim, following 3 uninspiring outings this summer so far. Beaten in Armagh, lucky in Ennis and so-so against Leitrim they finally looked more like All Ireland contenders in Casement Park.

They do boast a formidable forward line, perhaps second only to Kerry, with Marty Clarke, Liam Doyle, Benny Coulter and Conor Laverty leading the way. With men like Paul McComiskey held in reserve they have enough up front to cause anybody problems. Down have issues in midfield, and Dan Gordon is forced to stand in at full back due to necessity, which means they can ill afford the absences of Ambrose Rogers and Daniel Hughes. Hughes came on against Antrim though, and Rogers is back in training so the Mourne men may have reinforcements on the way.

Down only lost by 1 point last September, and if Cork are below their best then Down could well reverse the result, however I'm going to take Cork to progress on the basis that one bad first half does not make them a bad team.

Verdict. Cork by 3.

Derry v Kildare. Croke Park, 4pm. (Ref. Syl Doyle)

The appetiser in Croke Park has the potential to be another cracker as the travelling Kildare roadshow returns to headquarters for a tussle with defeated Ulster finalists Derry. Kildare seem to be flavour of the month in many quarters, which is a little puzzling in one sense. They are still unable to call themselves champions of anything, but most pundits appear to have them resting in 3rd place in the race for Sam, behind Kerry and Cork. I'm not so sure about that elevated ranking, and Dublin in particular would have a good case for being ranked higher than the Lilywhites, but I am an affirmed admirer of this team, as much as it pains an Offaly man to say so. McGeeney has transformed them in the intangibles as much as in the obvious areas like physicality and gameplan. Kildare are mentally strong now, and they need to be as they navigate their way through the qualifier minefield again. Laois in Portlaoise and Meath in Navan are not easy assignments coming off a defeat in Leinster, but Kildare won both games in different ways. Well on top in Laois, they had a much more onerous task in Navan and came through.

They are not operating at full throttle, and won't be as long as Johnny Doyle is in midfield, but they are delighted to have Daryl Flynn back in harness especially  with the loss of Hugh Lynch. Defensively Kildare are organised and strong, and Hugh McCrillen and Mick Foley are putting in All Star type performances, as is Emmett Bolton in the half back line. Up front, the pundits' favourite target of scorn, I believe Kildare are actually well served with the likes of Eamonn'Callaghan,  Eoin O'Flaherty and Tomás O'Connor as a target man. I'm surprised that James Kavanagh, who showed great form against Laois and Meath, is again consigned to the bench but with Alan Smyth there as well Kildare have men that can score to call off the reserves. There is pressure on Rob Kelly and Fionn Dowling to get the scores, but they have the ability if Kildare get the ball in.

Derry will need to forget about Clones in a hurry, and that is easier said than done. I'd argue that John Brennan hasn't helped the cause by continually making an issue of the penalty decision against Donegal, but perhaps the message inside the camp is completely different, and what we see is meant to divert from the usual talk of the difficulty beaten finalists face in the media.

There is no doubt that Derry are missing the Bradleys badly, and were stuck for ideas against Donegal. They will not be the last team to face that particular issue however, and I still would not write them off on the basis of that. Conleth Gillegan, Mark Lynch and James Kielt are fine forwards, while the half back line, particulary Charlie Kielt, showed they are not afraid of taking a score either.

I just think that Kildare match up pretty well with Derry. McGrillen and co will fancy their chances of locking down the Derry forwards, and that might just give Kildare the edge, although I expect James Kavangh to be required to make an appearance to seal the deal.

Verdict. Kildare by 3.

Mayo and Donegal crowned

And another weekend has come and gone. Horrendous weather in Roscommon hardly helped matters in the Connacht final while, up in Ulster, a strong, swirling, breeze wasn't ideal either. Nonetheless we had two very competitive and interesting finals, even if the quality was questionable at times. Congratulations to the two winning teams though, a provincial title is still worth winning in my humble opinion.

Connacht Senior Football Final
Despite the conditions, Roscommon and Mayo served up an entertaining, if uninspiring, clash in the Hyde on Sunday afternoon. With almost a gale blowing, and heavy rain leading to greasy conditions, it was never going to be a classic but at least the pace and effort displayed was fitting for a provincial decider. Roscommon will feel they probably left it after them a little, especially considering the silly frees they gave away at times, but Mayo did very well to stay in touch in that first half against the wind. Andy Moran did trojan work again, while young Cillian O'Connor auditioned well in the role of freetaker as he knocked over an impressive 8 frees, 3 into the teeth of the wind, over the course of the game.

In the second half, Mayo inched back into the game bit by bit but Roscommon were still managing to win an amount of ball, more than enough to win the game for them. However a marked reluctance, or inability, to kick the ball into the full forward line, where Donie Shine was going well, led to a lot of turnovers and missed opportunities. Indeed Roscommon only landed 2 points in that second half, 3 less than Mayo managed in the first half, and that was the difference between the teams. It could have been so different if Donie Shine's opportunity at goal hadn't flown over the crossbar, or even if his last minute attempt wasn't brilliantly caught over the crossbar by Hennelly in the Mayo goals, which led to the insurance point up the other end.

Roscommon are still probably a better side than they were last year, and they have a week extra to recover before facing the winners of Tyrone and Armagh. They will need to up their performance again, but they will not be without hope.

Mayo will be delighted to have clinched another Nestor Cup despite their shaky opening in Ruislip and two mudbaths against Galway and Roscommon. It will be interesting to see Mayo in the open spaces of  Croke Park, and it would be nice to see them on a dry day as well. The wet may actually have helped on Sunday as, despite getting beaten for primary possession, they were able to dispossess Roscommon carriers a lot. That's not something to be relying on in Croker.

Ulster Senior Football Final

Conditions weren't nearly as bad in Clones on Sunday but a stiff breeze, which seemed to swirl around the ground, certainly made things trickier than ideal for the Donegal and Derry men. As expected Derry struggled to break down the massed, organised defence of Donegal and were unable to kick enough points from distance to cause Donegal to deviate from their plan.

All that said, and Donegal probably being the better team throughout, the game really hinged on a penalty decision from Maurice Deegan shortly after half time. A long ball was directed into the Derry square, and Michael Murphy couldn't quite reach it. As he chased it, the Derry goalkeeper came out to intercept it, but also missed the ball and brought down the big Donegal captain. It's debatable whether or not Murphy had a chance to reach the ball before it went out of play, probably not in my view, but Deegan was justified in giving the penalty even though it was on the harsh side.

Murphy made no mistake and, in a game where scores were going to be hard got, that was the decisive blow. In the first half, particularly, the forwards on both sides were tied up and Charlie Kielt, the Derry centre back, and Andrew Thompson, the Donegal wing back, ended up with two points each on a day when a lot of the impetus was provided by the defenders on both sides, even in attack.

Obviously the Bradley brothers were big losses for Derry, Eoin's long range point taking was missed badly, and this was emphasised by the fact that Donegal could rely on Murphy and Colm McFadden to chip in with vital scores when needed up the other end.

Derry will be bitterly disappointed and must now bounce back in 6 days to face buoyant Kildare, while Donegal can relax for a couple of weeks and focus on their return to Croke Park.

Football Qualifiers - Round 2 Replay

Micko's stint at the helm in Wicklow came to an end in Aughrim on Saturday night as this 2nd round qualifier replay fell the way of Armagh in another great tussle. Division 4 versus Division 1 it may have been, but for two weeks in a row Wicklow proved they could compete at this level and, while last week it was their goals which probably earned them a draw, this Saturday it was Armagh who got the breaks in front of the net and profited from two timely and crucial 3 pointers from Jamie Clarke, the newest star forward in the game.

Wicklow must now look to redouble their efforts and kick on. The 'Dwyer' roadshow may have left town, but the main show must still stay on the go. Micko has made noises about staying on in another county, and I'd be lying if I said I hoped he retired. Fair play to him, you have to say.

Armagh will relish a clash with Tyrone in Omagh next weekend and, while they will be outsiders, they have learned a bit about themselves this past fortnight and that will help a lot with the development of this new Armagh team.

Round 3

The big Round 3 clash of the weekend was the renewal of hostilities between Meath and Kildare up in Navan. Denied, they felt, by a disallowed Graham Geraghty goal in the Leinster Championship clash in early summer Meath would have been licking their chops at the prospect of a vaunted, yet title-less, Kildare team coming into Pairc Tailteann. For this reason, and for the reason that Meath did give it a right rattle with probably their best performance since the Dublin game last year, this was a big and important win for Kildare.

Halfway through the second period, it seemed for a while as if Kildare's big second half performance was not going to come. In fact it was Meath who were setting the tempo and laying down the marker, daring Kildare to respond. In fairness to McGeeney's men, respond they did. James Kavanagh was immense when he entered the fray, Daryl Flynn was industrious in his comeback and Emmett Bolton stepped up with 1-02 in a row from half back as Kildare put their foot to the floor and opened up a 5 point gap.

Meath, of course, kept going and narrowed it to 3 points just before the long whistle but once Kildare got that bit of space they never looked like being beaten. Kildare now face Derry and, while they are obviously hurting physically and still shorn of several long term injury victims, they must be buzzing mentally and will have an eye on a quarter final at least.

In the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick benefitted from a strange situation to advance from their tilt with Waterford. Referee Cormac Reilly awarded a penalty for a 'foul' on Paul Whyte but, following pleas from Limerick defenders, he consulted with his umpires and changed his mind to a throw in. It's a rare phenomenon to see a ref changing tack like that, but I suppose if justice was done then it's a good thing.

Stephen Kelly was on fire for Limerick, continuing his current form and his 0-7 were vital on a day when Ian Ryan and Ger Collins, the heroes against Offaly, were largely kept in check. Waterford's misery was compounded when Gary Hurney saw a straight red for an off the ball incident with Tom Lee, and from there on Limerick coasted to a 5 point victory and a place against Wexford in the next round.

The last game of the day saw Down significantly up their performance levels to blow Antrim away in Casement Park. A 12 point win flatters the Mourne Men somewhat, but they will be heartened to see their forward line start to click and move with menace. Benny Coulter's return to form is a big part of that improvement, and his lay off for Marty Clarke's goal was typical of the important role he plays in the attack. Conor Laverty rewarded James McCartan's decision to start him with the goal of the game, although Antrim fans will wonder just how he was allowed solo untouched through the centre of their defence.

Down still have issues, at centre field and in the back line specifically, but they are improving steadily and Cork will do well not to take anything for granted in Portlaoise next weeked. That's a game that would be worth seeing.

Hits

Cillian O'Connor. 20 years ago a young Roscommon forward called Derek Duggan broke Mayo hearts with a nerveless display of free taking. Last Sunday, in terrible conditions, a young Mayo forward returned the 'favour' to beat Roscommon and claim the title for the Green above the Red. Mayo had concerns and worries over freetaking inside 40 metres but O'Connor stepped up and took the responsibility. There had been half plaintive calls for Conor Mortimer to be togged out, despite just coming back from a bad injury. O'Connor put those thoughts firmly to bed.

Jimmy McGuinness. It's not pretty, it's not that entertaining and it's not a purist's cup of tea but Donegal and Jimmy McGuinness will not care one jot about that. Their style of play is based on being hard to break down, forcing turnovers and then using their good forwards to rack up enough scores. It worked a treat against Derry and, while it may not be good enough to win an All Ireland, it was certainly good enough to win a first Ulster Title since 1992 and we all know what happened after that.

Misses

The bloody weather. It ruined the Connacht final, and was influential in the Ulster decider. I'm not going to do a Rory McIlroy on it and say I'm not interested in events where the outcome is predicated by the weather but I do hope it improves before we hit the business end of the 'summer'.

Other sports

US Sports
The NFL is still locked out, but it does appear that all of the issues have been ironed out at this stage, or just on the verge of being ironed out. That being said, it's looking good for the training camps to open on schedule and the season to be unaffected. It's a 10 year deal on the table, so if it's signed we won't have to listen to this nonsense for another decade.

Hopefully more news on this next week.

On the diamond, the MLB All Star game was last Tuesday and resulted in a 5-1 victory for the National League. As mentioned on this blog previously, that now means that the NL champion will have home field advantage for the World Series in October. Whether or not that turns out to be critical remains to be seen, but this is the second year in a row that the NL has won the All Star game, the first time since 1995-96 that they have repeated.

The players were straight back into regular season mode on Thursday night, and with most teams having played 94 or 95 games out of 162 the standings are starting to take shape, albeit with a long way to go.

In the National League East the Philadelphia Phillies are 59-36, which is good enough for first place, and hold a 2.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves. The rest of the division here are in real trouble as the Washington Nationals, New York Mets and Forida Marlins are all more than 11 games behind.

The NL Central is a tight race at the moment. The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates, at 50-44, hold a slender half game lead over two clubs, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cincinatti Reds are a further 3.5 games out and while the Chicago Cubs (12.5 games) and Houston Astros (20 games) appear out of the running, this one could go to the wire.

The NL West also has a surprising team in contention. The San Francisco Giants are the World Series Champions, and hold a 3.5 game lead, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are well within striking distance and have a favourable run in. The other teams appear out of it as the Colorado Rockies (10.5) Los Angeles Dodgers (13.5) and San Diego Padres (14.5) are all a long way behind.

In the American League there are also some exciting races and, while it has settled down a bit since our last update, there will undoubtedly be close run things coming towards September. The Boston Red Sox have rebounded from a poor start to hold a 1.5 game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East, while the Tampa Bay Rays (8.5) have fallen off the pace. The Toronto Blue Jays (12) and Baltimore Orioles (19.5) appear to be in the also ran category at this stage.

The AL Central is still tight, with 7 games separating 4 teams. The Cleveland Indians (of the movie Major League fame) are 1 game ahead of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are 3.5 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox, while the White Sox are 2.5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. The Kansas City Royals (13.5) bring up the rear.

Finally, the AL West is being led by World Series Runners Up, the Texas Rangers on a mark of 55-41. They are 4 games clear of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and 11.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. The Oakland As are in last place, a full 13 games behind.


Golf
It wouldn't be right to sign off without mentioning the great win Darren Clarke enjoyed on Sunday. With his victory, added to the recent Majors of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, Irish and Northern Irish golf in particular is on a real high. Well done to the big man from Dungannon. With the terrible personal tragedy he had to endure he had more important things to do than worry about winning golf tournaments, but it's great to see him savouring that win and I hope there's more to come for him.

Tipp on a roll, Waterford in a spin.

Well, another interesting weekend is in the books with a host of football qualifiers, hurling qualifiers and of course the Munster Hurling and Leinster Football finals. 7 more teams bit the dust in the football, 2 in the hurling, while Wexford and Waterford must lick their wounds and regroup.

Munster Senior Hurling Final
I said in my preview that Tipp's goals would make the difference but I certainly didn't expect there to be 7 of them. This hurling year is threatening to build to a crescendo in September if the top teams keep answering each others' statements. Last weekend Kilkenny put down a marker. Galway put down one of their own on Saturday, and in Cork on Sunday Tipperary put down the most emphatic one of the year so far.

Let's get the painfully obvious out of the way first. Waterford were blown away, and the tactic of putting Brick as a nominal full back, and young Jerome Maher on Lar Corbett just did not work for Davy. He will be criticised for the moves but, in all honesty on that form, what would have worked? Tipperary were simply on fire, especially in the forward line, and when you see Lar Corbett bagging 4-4, Eoin Kelly 2-6 and John O'Brien 0-3, it tells you all you need to know about the inside forward line.

Of course they didn't get all their scores by being an inside forward line and Lar Corbett especially makes hay by running from deep and getting on the end of long deliveries which end up 20 metres out from the opposition goal. When he gets a run onto a ball like that, to pick up a loose ball or receive a pass, there's normally only one result and Clinton Hennessy was the unfortunate on the receiving end.

Tipp's game plan when they get the ball is an essay in simplicity and efficiency. The forwards are moving around all the time and the backs and midfield are either looking for the open man in the half forward line or else bombing it into the full forward line. The full forward line (which can be anybody from 10 to 15) is then supported at fierce pace from the lads out around the 45. As I said, simple and efficient.

I do think Tipp might encounter a couple of teams who may try to block off those runs at source and, if that happens, a strong referee may be needed.

Waterford are going to be crestfallen, of course, but maybe the team that ended the game was more like their strongest team, as opposed to that which started it. Davy will get them up again and, given the fact that they have 2 weeks before playing Galway, that game might be cathartic for them. It was ruthless from Tipp though, and emphasises the gap that they've created in Munster.

Leinster Senior Football Final

Well they got there in the end but it wasn't a vintage performance from Dublin, and Wexford will be kicking themselves. In fairness to Wexford, the defence was very dogged and committed and when you have the entire full forward line replaced (although O'Gara was possibly injured) it's a great sign for a backline.

Wexford just didn't use the ball well enough, particularly in the first half, and their turnovers were painful to watch at times. Ciaran Lyng kicked two fine points in the first half, but never really influenced the game. Red Barry was a similar story and Shane Roche was disappointing. As is the way all year though someone else stepped up, and that was Ben Brosnan. Great against Offaly, quiet against Westmeath and Carlow, he rebounded again to be Wexford's most dangerous forward from open play and from the dead ball.

The possession stats around the middle of the field were fairly even, I would suggest, and that was always going to put Wexford in with a chance particularly with the Dublin hitting a mixture of forced and unforced wides. In the end it took a howler from the Wexford goalkeeper Anthony Masterson and a great run and finish from Dublin wing back James McCarthy to seperate the sides, but given the opportunity that presented itself, Wexford will be devastated.

They must lift themselves now for a tilt at either Limerick or Waterford in round 4 of the qualifiers and, with a place in the quarter finals at stake, there's still a lot to play for for them. Dublin, on the other hand, will hardly be counting the season a success on the basis of this result and they will need to figure out how to use their forwards. The combination of Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly and Eoghan O'Gara is simply not working as an inside line, especially when you have a playmaker like Alan Brogan spinning balls out into space for forwards to run on to. Eoghan O'Gara is a lot of things, but he's not that sort of a player.

If O'Gara is unfit, Kevin McMenamin might actually suit the Dubs better in that role and their pattern might settle down and become a bit more obvious. Another conundrum is the form and confidence of Diarmuid Connolly. He kicked two bad wides on Sunday but other than that was going fairly well, albeit in too deep of a position. He was hauled off after about a half an hour though, and that is not something that will help Dublin. I believe if Dublin are to be a serious force they will need Connolly to be confident, playing close to goals, and contributing. The likes of Kerry and Cork are too good to be beaten by one man even if it is Bernard Brogan and when that one man has an off day, as he did on Sunday, even lesser teams will take them.

Hurling Qualifiers

Saturday saw the third and last round of the hurling qualifers as resurgent Galway met Cork in Limerick while up the road in Dublin, the Treaty men themselves faced off with Antrim.

First to the Limerick venue and after 5 minutes or so Galway fans would have been forgiven for thinking 'here we go again'. Paudie O'Sullivan had torched them for 1-03 inside the opening salvo and was surely making James Skehill regret an overenthusiastic dunt during the pre-match 'handshakes'. Shane Kavanagh looked all at sea, Tony Og was struggling with Cian McCarthy, Fergal Moore couldn't lay a hand on Pat Horgan and Galway's touch all around the field was woeful. Added to this, Donal Og Cusack was picking out his men from puckouts with uncanny accuracy, albeit in huge acres of space, and Cork were basically doing as they willed.

However something then happened which has happened too rarely in Galway. They took stock of the situation, failed to panic, and began to play their way into the game. Andy Smith hit over a couple of points from the left sideline, and Joe Canning began to click as he moved out the field a bit. Crucially Ger Farragher and Damien Hayes also began to move well and it was Hayes who did the most damage in the first half, including a goal, as Galway somehow found themselves 5 points up at half time. It must be said that Cork seemed to forget that Paudie O'Sullivan was on fire and he must have felt like the last puppy dog in the pet shop as he peered out from behind his helmet watching all the action bypassing him.

The second half was, apart from a brief flurry near the start from Cork (a dying kick?), all Galway. They steamrolled the Rebels, and when Cyrill Donnellan came on to score a great goal with his first meaningful touch of the sliotar, it was goodnight Irene. All that was left was for Joe Canning to embellish the display with a beautiful rise and 'no look' handpass to a colleague for an exclamation mark point that was worth the entrance fee alone.

Galway are motoring now, and looked unrecognisable as the team that lay down for Dublin. If they can keep this form up then they may well be, as advertised, the best of the chasing bunch behind Kilkenny and Tipperary.

In Parnell Park on Saturday night, we seemed to be heading for a right old tussle as Antrim and Limerick were locked together for quite a while in the first half, and indeed were tied at 0-7 apiece with only 8 minutes remaining before the break. Then came the moment of madness that probably decided the margin of victory for Limerick, if not the victory itself. Karl Stewart, the Antrim Centre Forward, was cynically hauled down by Brian Geary but instead of taking the point and the lead from the free he decided to stamp on the Limerick man and James McGrath had no hesitation, nor option to be fair, in showing the carta dearg.

After that Limerick took control and their short passing game, which was in so much trouble when it was 15 v 15, suddenly began to exploit the gaps in the Antrim team. In the remaining 8 minutes of the first half, they outscored Antrim 1-03 to 0-1.

Antrim tried to rise it in the early going in the second half but Limerick were always able to keep them at arms length and when David Breen and Ritchie McCarthy both goaled in the course of the second half the Glensmen fell away badly, to be beaten by 19 points in the end: 3-22 to 0-12.  2-12 to 0-4 was the second half scoreline and serves to illustrate the problems Antrim had when down to 14.

Limerick will need to iron out the wrinkles in the short passing game and, while Thurles is a fine big pitch with loads of space, Dublin will look to disrupt them by physically getting into them and Limerick may need to have a plan B. Hopefully Graham Mulcahy will be back by then because he will add speed to the Limerick inside line, but Donal O'Grady must be pleased with the way things are bubbling up for them. They'd have taken a tilt at Dublin for a semi final spot had you offered it to them at the start of the year.

Football Qualifiers

The round 2 football Qualifiers were also decided, well most of them, on Saturday and there were thrills and spills aplenty there too.

First out of the traps was the meeting of Limerick and Offaly down in the Gaelic Grounds, as the curtain raiser in the double header. Offaly were buoyed by a good win over Monaghan in Round 1. Limerick were devestated with injuries and dual player issues. Limerick had been destroyed by a slick Kerry team in Munster, and hadn't played since. All set up for an Offaly win then. Well, not exactly. Ian Ryan turned in a majestic exhibition of full forward line play while Offaly won enough ball to win two matches, and proceeded to kick it wide, kick it away and generally treat the ball as if it had done them a great personal harm. Steven Lavin, deployed as a sweeper when Offaly withdrew their own centre half forward to operate as an extra body around the middle, cleaned up in the first half and this led to Offaly being extremely reluctant to kick the ball at all in the second half. Pointless handpassing and panicked wides were the order of the day then as Limerick took advantage of every chance they got. All that said it wasn't until the dying moments of the game, when Limerick profited from a mistake coming out of the Offaly back line and notched their third goal, that the final result was sure. Limerick will be delighted to draw Waterford at home, and will fancy their chances of taking another step forward. For Offaly, see 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 .......

Another early throw in saw Carlow make the long trek to Casement Park to take on Antrim, and Luke Dempsey will be disconsolate that his team failed to get the result they feel they deserved. Quite a bit of feedback from the game suggested that Carlow didn't exactly get the rub of the green with some decisions, and to lose by a point after all that is a sickening feeling. Carlow will have been encourage by their early showing in the Leinster semi final, if not the following events, and won't have been in awe of an Antrim side that they are used to coming across in the League. Indeed for 54 minutes there was nothing in it, but then Mark Dougan snatched a goal for Antrim, and Carlow saw Ed Finnegan given the line in an off the ball incident.

Antrim kicked on and led 1-13 to 1-08 and looked home and hosed until Brian Murphy goaled for Carlow, and Daniel Saint Ledger added a point to leave the minimum between the sides. Agonisingly for Carlow, the clock ran down on them and they were unable to get the draw, or even the win that they coveted.

Antrim have been rewarded again with yet another home draw, their third on the trot, against Down in round 3 and will relish the step up and the chance to move a step closer to Croker.

Their opponents, Down, shrugged off the stubborn challenge of Leitrim in a much improved performance in Newry to seal their place in round 3, and welcome back the real Benny Coulter as an added bonus. Coulter kicked seven points from play to propel the beaten All Ireland finalists past the beaten Connacht semi finalists in a personal triumph for the Mayobridge man.

Leitrim were very dogged for long periods in the game and an Adrian Croal goal just after half time really put the cat amongst the pigeons. However, led by Coulter, Down reeled of 8 unanswered points and were able to wind the clock down for a comfortable 1-16 to 1-08 victory. The Mourne men still have unanswered questions around midfield, but the return of Liam Doyle plus the return to form of Coulter is a boost to a forward line which boasts formidable talents.

The shock looked on for long periods in Pearse Park as Longford took the game to Tyrone, as expected, and led by a point at half time. The Tyrone men proved their mettle, however, in the second half and ran out 5 point victors in the end. Mickey Harte will be very pleased to see the reaction he got from his players as he made several changes to the named team, jettisoning (or losing) several of the older heroes, as a clutch of newer men came in - possibly a handing over of the torch? Aidan Cassidy lorded midfield as he came in for Kevin Hughes, Colm Cavanagh replaced Brian Dooher, and Kyle Coney replaced the injured Stephen O'Neill. Peter Harte certainly seemed to benefit from the air of freshness around him as he chipped in with 6 points from play, while Mark Donnelly and Martin Penrose also prospered.

Longford put it up to the Red Hands, as we knew they would, and the Larries were efficient in the extreme with their shooting. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't get their hands on enough ball around the middle third in the second half, and Tyrone used this advantage to drive on for a 1-17 to 0-15 win. Tyrone are on the march again now, following the Donegal disappointment, and their followers are much heartened by Mickey Harte's latest team selection. They may be disappointed again if Hughes and O'Neill get back fit and some of the new lads get dropped again. One must also ask would Dooher be left out of a quarter final line up for example? Time may tell, but in the meantime they get another two week layoff as they await the winners of Armagh and Wicklow.

Meath survived a scare, and an insipid performance, against Galway in Navan on Saturday evening as they, too, booked their place in the next round thanks to an 0-11 to 0-10 win in a hardfought tussle. The Royals kicked some poor wides in the first half but still led by 4 at half time, 0-08 to 0-04, and seemed set fair for a handy victory. However Galway took over in the second half and, indeed, pushed into a 1 point lead, 0-09 to 0-08.  From then on the pendulum swung back and forth, and Galway took a late lead through corner back Johnny Duane with 3 minutes remaining. Brian Farrell and Stephen Bray, however, kicked the vital late points that saw Meath home. Meath will be relieved to get over this hurdle, and relieved to see Bray back in harness. Cian Ward wasn't able to replicate his performance against Louth, (but how could he?), and Meath still won. Shane O'Rourke and Brian Meade were impressive in the first half, but faded as Galway gained the upper hand, so there is still a lot of work to be done with the Royals. They don't have much time to sort themselves out as they've drawn Kildare in the next round, but Meath will relish welcoming Kieran McGeeney's men to Navan.

In Ruislip, Waterford brought the London dream to a crashing halt with a professional 1-17 to 0-13 win with ex dual star Gary Hurney grabbing 1-03 from play, including an early goal which gave Waterford breathing space all the way through. It was Waterford's first win in the qualifiers and, in addition to Hurney's haul, they can thank the accuracy of newcomer Paul Whyte and his 7 points. After Hurney's goal, and playing with a breeze in the first half, Waterford built up a lead that London never really threatened, despite good work from Mark Gottsche, Eoin O'Neill and Padraig McGoldrick. Rocked by the sending off of Paul Geraghty in the closing moments of the first half, London were killed off entirely when Ciaran McCallion also saw his second yellow, and Waterford cruised to the final whistle.

London will look back with some satisfaction at this year's championship and will doubtless hope to earn that elusive Connacht victory next season as the next logical step forward. Waterford, for their part, will not be daunted by a trip to the Gaelic Grounds and , as underdogs, will be aiming to pull off an minor upset.

In O'Moore Park, the battle of neighbours Laois and Kildare turned into a stroll in the evening sunshine for the Lilywhites as Laois found themselves unable to cope with Tomás O'Connor. O'Connor, the son of Offaly Midfielder in 1982 Tomás senior, caused havoc on the edge of the Laois square and the Kildare tactic of hitting him early and often paid off in spades in the first half particularly.

It promised to be so different from the start as Kildare struggled to get into the game early on, and Laois surged into the lead with points from Munnelly and Kingston before Kildare really got going. But when they did get going, they really got going. Tomás O'Connor set up Eoin O'Flaherty who was fouled (barely) for a penalty and John Doyle stroked home Kildare's first score to give them a lead they scarcely deserved at that stage. Donie Kingston levelled, but then Tomás O'Connor got Kildare's second goal and gave them a lead they would not surrender. Indeed they held a 3 point lead at half time, 2-03 to 0-06 and, after the restart, Kildare's now familiar second half surge saw them power away from Laois and clock up an impressive 1-13 after the break. Laois could only manage 4 points in reply and, in truth, they were were powerless to do anything about the ferocity with which Kildare hit them in that second period. Kildare fans will be heartened to welcome back long term injury absentee Mickey Conway, and will also be delighted to see James Kavanagh come on as a sub and move so well, including a well taken goal.

Kildare will be nervous about the trip to Navan, and you still feel that Johnny Doyle in midfield is a necessary evil at this stage. If Daryll Flynn is close to coming back, that could really inject a major boost into Kildare's quest for honours.

Finally, we must mention another chapter in the story of Micko. Written off by all commentators, including myself, the great man brought his team up to Armagh to face a stiff test against the home team and came away with a draw that could have been a victory, easily, in normal and extra time. True, the goals helped Wicklow's cause and true, Armagh came back well in both cases to get their draw but when you think of a Division 4 team going away to a strong Division 1 team in the championship and giving them a torrid time like this, it does reinforce the legend of Micko.

I'm not one that worships at his altar, but I freely admit the man impresses me with his energy, his drive and his belief in himself and his team. He had no fears of going up there, and he will have no fear of welcoming them back down to Aughrim. Armagh are used to hard battles in Ulster, but even they must be a little unnerved by the prospects of a visit to the graveyard of so many teams over the years. Add in the Micko factor and you can see all sorts of potential reasons for another great day.

Micko has hinted that he wouldn't be necessarily retiring from the game when Wicklow's time is up in the championship and, even though I disagree with the populist vision of Micko to a certain extent, I do appreciate what he's done and I hope he stays on somewhere as long as he enjoys it.


Hits and Misses

Onto this weeks hits and misses, with some great individual performances.

Hits

Lar Corbett. Wow. What do you do? Go man on man and he bursts past you. Go zonal and he runs into spaces. At the moment the best forward in the game, and a goal machine on a team of goal machines. Jackie Tyrell may be eying him up, but at the moment he is unmarkable.

Joe Canning's flick. Second time in a row for Joe to make this list, and I was delighted to be in the Gaelic grounds to see this outrageous piece of skill. Winning well, Joe went out at full speed to pick up a ball near two Cork men. In the blink of an eye he had reverse passed the ball to a colleague running in to score from half way, but it was done so quickly that John Gardiner followed Joe for a good few steps before he realised it was gone.

Ian Ryan. We had a Limerick hurling corner forward here last week, and this week it's a footballer. Ian Ryan has had a few up and down years since he burst onto the scene against Meath on that evening in Limerick a few seasons ago but on Saturday he was immense. While Offaly laboured to use the ball properly Limerick knew exactly what they had to do to get their scraps into the dangerman, and he was lethal. Ryan contributed 1-07 from play and was the difference between the teams. As an Offaly man it was torture watching him, as a football man it was a pleasure.

Wexford's backs. When you see Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly and Eoghan O'Gara being taken off and Mossy Quinn coming on and being taken off again, you would expect that Dublin would lose. The Wexford backs did their bit. But for an unfortunate mistake and some criminal misuse of possession out the field, Wexford would be Leinster Champions.

Misses

I'm glad to say I have no misses to report this weekend. One could be harsh and go after Waterford or Davy, but in fairness I prefer to give the credit to Tipp. I've said it before, Hurling is a cruel game when it starts to go away from you, and the potential for a good team to rack up huge scores is obvious. Waterford will have better days, and maybe sooner than we think.

Other sports

US Sports
You may have been reading last week when I mentioned that Derek Jeter was chasing the magical 3,000 hit mark. Well I'm glad to report that, in case you missed it, the Yankees shortstop achieved the milestone in some style. At home in Yankee Stadium, Jeter came to the plate against the Tampa Bay Rays with 2,999 hits.5 minutes later he was being feted all around the world of baseball as he drove his 3,000th hit over the fence in left field for a home run. A home run on the 3,000th hit, now that's the way to do it.

Some people wonder about the significance of this milestone but, while being the 28th to do something doesn't seem that big of a deal, when you consider that over 17,200 players have played major league baseball and only 27 had ever reached that mark, it puts it in some context. Then you must consider that Jeter becomes the first Yankee to do it despite the great names, that even nonbaseball fans would recognise, that have been with that storied franchise over it's history. Men like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and others have worn the pinstripes with pride and achieved great things, but they never achieved this.

Maith thú Derek Jeter.

In the NFL, the sense is that we are approaching end game in the negotiations.It appears as if a deal is almost there, with the Rookie wage scale being the final major hurdle, according to various reports stateside. Hopefully this is true, as we are approaching training camp time now, and if the teams can't sign free agents and do their work at camp, the season itself will start to be in jeapordy.

One final thing. I had a good reaction to my baseball primer last week, and if anyone would like to ask me a question, or ask me to run through other primers on NFL, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball or whatever, please feel free to ask and I'd be delighted to do so. I know that the organisation of these sports can sometimes be as confusing as the actual rules of the games themselves, and you need to know who's who and what's what before you can appreciate the competitions as they are played out.

Bilocation, Bilocation, Bilocation

A bumper weekend is upon us with one of the great occasions of the year, the Munster Hurling Final, headlining along with the Leinster Senior Football Final and of course a host of Qualifiers in both Football and Hurling.

If you happen to be from Galway, Antrim or Limerick you face a decision (in the case of Galway) or a mad sprint (in the case of Limerick and Antrim). This is because, of course, the CCCC (I think that's the correct number of 'C's) have fixed the hurlers and footballers of those counties in seperate venues on the same day. As inconvenient, expensive and/or annoying as it is for the fans; spare a thought for Stephen Lucey and Mark O'Riordan. Talented and dedicated enough to be able to feature at senior intercounty level for Limerick at both hurling and football, they have had to choose one over the other this weekend. Eoin Cadogan is a notable exception to the rule, but I fear the days of the dual player seriously challenging for All Ireland honours in both codes are gone. Liam Currams and Teddy McCarthy will ne'er be seen again.

Anyway, on with the look at this upcoming weekend.

I've dispensed with the odds this week, but you can find all the betting news on Starbets.ie
(Please note I have no affiliation with Starbets)

Munster Senior Hurling Final

Sunday July 10th.

Waterford v Tipperary.  4pm. Páirc Uí Chaoimh (Ref. Brian Gavin)

As I mentioned at the opening, the Munster Hurling Final is one of those occasions every year that get marked down into all GAA fans' calendars. There's a mystique about the game that has largely remained undimmed, despite the new backdoor system, and the latest renewal sees a clash of All Ireland Champions versus Munster Champions. Last weekend the football version in Munster saw a similar clash, and it was the Munster Champions that prevailed. Will we see a similar outcome on Sunday?

One thing is for sure, Waterford will have no fear of facing the premier, despite Tipperary's position at the head of hurling's top table. Waterford could have, and in many quarters were expected to, faded away after their mauling in the All Ireland final of 2008 and it is to their credit that that has not happened. Indeed Davy Fitzgerald has managed to blood several newcomers onto the team, while dealing with the loss of great servants like Ken McGrath, Paul Flynn, Dan Shanahan, the Prendergasts and others. In fact from the starting lineup in that final, there are only 7 (by my count) on the starting 15 for Sunday. Undoubtedly Eoin Kelly will play a part at some stage but, even so, that is a big turnover for a team that has managed to stay very competitive.

The full back line, so often the achilles heel of the great Waterford team that never quite got there, is completely revamped with Darragh Fives and the impressive Noel Connors in the corners and newcomer Jerome Maher coming in at full back. Quite an occasion to make your championship debut! The half back line for Waterford may be their strongest on the field with the evergreen Tony Browne, Michael Walsh and Kevin Moran responsible for holding their ground in that pivotal area. Stephen Molumphy and Ritchie Foley provide a new midfield while Eoin McGrath comes back into an attack that is spearheaded by the deadly John Mullane.

A lot will depend on how Waterford deal with the movement of the Tipperary forwards. Men like Browne, Moran and Brick Walsh will not necessarily be happy following the likes of Noel McGrath, Seamus Callinan and co into the corners and around the field, so Davy faces an interesting conundrum which may be pivotal in this tussle overall. Does he trust his backs to be able to hurl in any position against their direct opponents, or does he prefer them to hold their position and pick up the man that comes into that area? An interesting dilemma, and one that will be keenly observed come Sunday.

Tipp are, notwithstanding Kilkenny's performance last weekend, the best team in the country. Their forward line is lethal and with finishers like Callinan, Noel McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett around, any hesitancy in the Waterford defence will end with the sliotar bulging Clinton Hennessy's net. As mentioned, the Tipp forwards are mobile and use that mobility to try and move their opponents around. Lar Corbett in particular loves coming out the field, and gets a lot of his scores from bursting onto the ball as an auxiliary half forward.

At midfield and the back, Tipp were shaky against Clare for a period. Conor O'Mahoney took his time to settle, having missed out on the start against Cork, but when he did settle he helped to steady the ship around him. O'Mahoney is a solid, unspectacular centre back, but picks up a lot of loose ball, and is good under a high ball. If he can manage to hold the centre, Tipp will be on their way. Padraic Maher is having a fine season so far, and is probably the pick of the bunch back there, while Michael Cahill comes out to man the number 5 spot instead of David Young, who loses his spot on the team to Paddy Stapleton, the only change Tipp have made.

Gearoid Ryan will want to have a big game on Sunday as his spot is under a little pressure with the likes of James Woodlock and Brendan Maher getting close to being ready for 70 minutes, and Shane McGrath's all energy style will be important against Molumphy and Foley in the middle of the park.

Waterford are most people's 'second' team, and no one would begrudge them winning an All Ireland, but I feel they may have to do so via the quarter final, as I'll pick Tipp's goals to make the difference.

Verdict Tipp by 4 points.

Leinster Senior Football Final

Sunday July 10th.

Dublin v Wexford. 2 pm. Croke Park. (Ref. Joe McQuillan)

Sunday's appetiser for the TV masses is the intruiging Leinster Senior Football final clash between perennial Leinster powerhouses, Dublin, and the steadily improving Wexford. Many people felt that when Wexford lost their main talisman, the great Matty Forde, they would struggle to replace him; in fact that would be true of any county in Ireland. However, instead of replacing him with one man, several of their forwards have stepped up to the plate and taken on the scoring responsibility. Ciaran Lyng, Ben Brosnan and Shane Roche have all scored heavily in games thus far in the championship while the likes of Redmond Barry and PJ Banville are well equipped to contribute white and green flags also.

Wexford have been impressive, to a point, in their games so far and on the scoreboard they look extremely powerful. Returns of 2-16, 1-24 and 4-12 do not indicate a shot shy attack. However, it is undeniable that the Slaneysiders have come through the weaker side of the draw and Offaly, Westmeath and Carlow is a far less daunting proposition than dealing with the likes of Meath, Kildare, Laois and Dublin who were all on the other side of the draw.

Even so, Offaly were really only put to the sword in the closing stages after the midlanders missed a penalty and several other goal chances with the game a real contest while Carlow got off to a great start in the semi final before being hauled back and then well beaten. Wexford cannot afford such a start again as Dublin, despite letting leads slip against Kildare and Cork in the NFL final, are unlikely to be as accomodating.

As is often the case in big games the area between the 45s will be key and Wexford have big men in the middle of the field in Daithi Waters and Rory Quinlivan, with the likes of Barry, Colm Morris  and Adrian Flynn helping on the breaking ball. Eamonn Fennell and Denis Bastick are the latest Dublin duo to partner in the middle of the field, and the onus is on them to make sure Dublin are competitive in this area. Bryan Cullen, Paul Flynn and Ger Brennan will also be important in setting the tone in this zone, and thus influencing the whole battle. The key for both teams will be to cut off supply to the danger men on the opposition, and feed their own scoring forwards. Alan Brogan is a fine conductor of the Dublin forward orchestra, and with the brother Bernard and Diarmuid Connolly the scorers in chief, they have the players to cause havoc themselves. Eoghan O'Gara gets another outing in the full forward line, and while he has the potential to be extremely effective, he needs to appreciate the fact that he cannot just throw himself around and expect to survive at this level. He is a good ball winner, and if he learns to use the ball well, he will be a great addition to Dublin. It's up to himself now.

Overall, I think the Dubs will have too much for Wexford in the end, but I will be very, very surprised if Wexford allow it to pan out like the 2008 final did, when they were blown away by Dublin. That Dublin team was much more likely to go to town on you when they got their tails up, whereas this Dublin side seems more workmanlike and this Wexford team has more scoring promise than the 2008 version. I expect Wexford to win enough ball to get the scores, but I expect Dublin to shade the battle around the middle and translate that into a 3-5 point victory.

Verdict. Dublin by 3.

All Ireland Football Qualifiers - Round 2

Round 2 of the football qualifiers gets underway on Saturday, and there are some intruiging ties to look forward to, as the summer really begins to take shape. The 8 winners of these matches will advance to the next round, where they will be reduced to 4, before bringing the Provincial beaten finalists into the picture.

Saturday July 9th

Limerick v Offaly. 2pm. Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. (Ref. Maurice Condon)

By all appearances this is set up for Offaly to reach the next round of the qualifiers as Limerick are dealing with several issues. Already shorn of John Galvin through a season ending knee injury, they have lost Jim O'Donovan and Eoin Joy through injury before this game. Added to that the GAA have placed a horrible dilemma on the plates of Stephen Lucey and Mark O'Riordan and their decisions to go with the hurlers is something Maurice Horan could have done without.

Nonetheless, there are reasons for Limerick to be positive. In Stephen Kelly, Seanie Buckley, Ian Ryan and Ger Collins they have players that can trouble any back line in the country. The fact that Offaly are the opponent must give rise to hope as well. The league meeting was a narrow win for the Faithful, but such are the inconsistencies that have plagued this team over the past few years, one cannot be sure whether the performance against Monaghan was a blip or a genuine indicator of form.

It was certainly an indicator of potential. As I have become tired of saying, there is huge football ability in a lot of these Offaly players. Lads like Niall Smyth, Karol Slattery, Ciaran McManus, Ken Casey, Niall McNamee and others can hold their own in any company. Smyth and Ritchie Dalton gave Offaly a huge advantage around the middle of the field against Monaghan, and if the trick can be repeated against a depleted Limerick midfield Offaly should march on.

Verdict. Offaly by 4.

Down v. Leitrim. Pairc Esler, Newry. 3.00 pm (Ref. Martin Sludden).

It's been well documented that Down barely escaped with their championship lives against Clare the last day out in Ennis, and had they drawn an away date with a division 2 team, you'd be beginning to question their continued involvement in this year's chase for Sam. However, they were handed a home tie against a Leitrim side which saw their early delight following the win against Sligo being ruthlessly crushed by Roscommon in the Connacht Semi Final.

Leitrim make 5 changes from the side that received that trimming from Roscommon, and Mickey Moran will be hoping to see a renewed vigour as they face the stiff task ahead. Among those changes is the introduction of Daniel Beck for Wayne McKeon, who was dropped from the panel this week along with a couple of others apparently. Emlyn Mulligan at centre forward is the man most fans will know from the Leitrim side but, while he is certainly good enough for this company, a lot will depend on how well he can lead this Leitrim attack.

Down are still struggling with their midfield, and ideally they need to have Martin Clarke directing things from the half forward line, so don't be surprised if Dan Gordon makes a return to the middle of the park at some stage this year, unless Ambrose Rogers can regain fitness. Liam Doyle should return on Sunday, and that will help settle a strong looking forward line which includes Coulter, Poland, McComiskey and the hero of Ennis, Conor Laverty.

All in all, Down to have too much, and to have received enough of a fright in Ennis.

Verdit. Down by 7.

Antrim v. Carlow. Casement Park. 3pm. Eddie Kinsella.

Antrim's victory over Westmeath in the last round has been rewarded with another home tie, this time against Carlow. Carlow were delighted by their victory over Louth in the Leinster quarter final but, similar to Leitrim, they were brought crashing down to earth against Wexford in their semi final appearance.

Carlow make only one change from the team that started that day, as Willie Minchin replaces Sean Gannon, but as always they will be looking for their big players Tommy Walsh, Brendan Murphy, Brian Murphy and Daniel St. Ledger to come through for them.

Antrim must plan without goalkeeper Sean O'Neill, who must fulfill his duties with Crusadors in their European soccer tie, but sailed through the game with Westmeath fairly comfortably. Players like Herron, McCann, Niblock, and Paddy Cunningham will be difficult for Carlow to handle, and home advantage might just swing this Antrim's way.

Verdict. Antrim by 3.

London v Waterford. Ruislip. 6.30pm. (Ref. Syl Doyle)

London have had a very good year so far in the championship with their near miss against Mayo being followed by a comfortable win over Fermanagh in the qualifiers first round. When their name came out of the hat first again, against Waterford, they must have been delighted with their chances of making the next round.

Waterford have been idle since Cork took care of them in Munster, and will not be relishing this trip to Ruislip. However, in their favour, they spent the spring in Division 3 and, while they only won 1 game, they were very close against the likes of Westmeath, Offaly and Louth, so they will be used to competing with better teams than London.

London are probably stronger than they were in the league, as their defeat of Fermanagh showed, and are backboned by good footballers from Kerry and Galway, amongst others, and are deservedly favourites going into this game. I think, however, that Waterford have been putting in work over the past couple of years and they should be good enough to upset the hosts in this tie.

Verdict. Waterford by 2.

Laois v Kildare. O'Moore Park Portlaoise. 7pm. (Ref.  David Coldrick)

In contrast to some of the draws handed to teams who needed a bounce back, Kildare have been given an extremely tricky tie away to neighbours Laois. Laois were impressive in dismissing a poor Tipperary side in the last round, and with Quigly, Clancy, Munnelly, Kingston and MJ Tierney all back in harness together, they are more formidable outfit than that which bowed out against Dublin in Leinster.

Kildare, notwithstanding the Dublin defeat, are still one of the top 6 or so counties in the country and despite popular opinion I believe they do possess scoring power. It's unfortunate for them that Darryl Flynn is still not fit enough to make the starting 15, but I believe he is nearing that level, and may make an appearance. That would free up Johnny Doyle to bolster a forward division that has quality, but may need direction. Smith, Kelly, O'Flaherty, Callaghan and Kavanagh can all score at different times, and if Kildare can get them scoring at the same time, they would be a serious contender. They are close. Emmet Bolton is a doubt at wing back for this weekend, but I feel the Kildare overall strength and organisation should be enough to see them home in a tricky tie, but they will need to avoid their traditional slow start giving them too big of a mountain to climb.

Verdict. Kildare by 5.

Longford v Tyrone. 7pm. Pearse Park, Longford. (Ref. Pat McEnaney)

I would have loved to see Galway and Cork on the TV on Saturday in the hurling, as I think that should be a great game (more anon) but if the powers that be were chosing a football game I'd have loved this to have been the one selected. No offence to Kildare or Laois, which I'm sure will be a good game itself, but this one has all the traditional ingredients for an upset.

Longford are at home, going well, and have history in giving 'big' teams the horrors in this venue. Just last year Mayo fell, while Derry have also bitten the dust here. Dublin and Kerry have been blessed to escape with their dignaty intact in the recent past as well. And make no mistake about it, Longford, under Glenn Ryan are a serious championship outfit, who seem to scoot along under the radar when it comes to the type of recognition that the likes of a Louth, Wexford or Wicklow get in Leinster. That probably suits them to a certain extent, and players like the Bardens, Brian Kavanagh and Seanie McCormack are well capable of doing a job on Tyrone. Diarmuid Masterson continues at #11 for the Larries, with Kevin Diffley holding the centre back position. Shane Mulligan is a seasoned campaigner at wing back while Bernard McElvaney and Mark Brady form a solid midfield partnership.

The question being asked of Mickey Harte is one that the great Mick O'Dwyer faced back in the mid 80s. 'Are you being too loyal to players who delivered All Irelands'. The answer in Micko's case was probably yes, and when the O'Sheas, O'Sés, Spillanes, Sheehys and Egans of the world walked away from the intercounty stage, Kerry entered an 11 year wilderness until 1997. It's doubtful that such a fate awaits Tyrone, as their conveyor belt of talent seems to be continuous, but at some point that talent needs to be wedded into the senior team. If you leave it too long, then you introduce too many, too quickly, and defeats and loss of confidence are certain bedfellows at that stage. Mickey decided to play a huge number of his old warhorses against Donegal, and it's probably telling that Stephen O'Neill (albeit with injury) Owen Mulligan, Brian McGuigan and Brian Dooher were taken off, while Kevin 'Hub' Hughes received two yellow cards in the same game.

Nobody deserves the right to do what he feels is correct more than Mickey Harte in Tyrone, given all his success there, and it's not a real surprise that Mickey has only made one change to that side, with Martin Penrose returning at the expense of Owen Mulligan. Mulligan may well feature however, as Stephen O'Neill is struggling with a hamstring injury.

As I mentioned at the start of this preview, if you were writing a script for an upset, the main ingredients are all present. An aging, disappointed side facing a hungry, keen, underdog away from home in a provincial ground on a Saturday night. It's far from Croker on a September Sunday, and if Tyrone are not mentally right Longford will take them.

However, to borrow from a man who knew little about championship football
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Verdict. Tyrone by 2.

Armagh v Wicklow. 7pm. Morgan Athletic Grounds, Armagh. (Ref. Patrick Fox).

Wicklow managed to stave off the probable end of Micko's reign in the Garden County with a fine performance and victory over Sligo, but this may be a step too far. Armagh were disappointing against a fine Derry side in the Ulster semi final, but before that, in this same venue, they accounted for Down in an exciting Ulster Championship opener.

It's unlikely that Armagh will be contending for honours at the end of the season, but a favourable draw could well see them reach a quarter final at least and this draw would certainly fall into the favourable category.

That's not to say that Wicklow will be any pushover, and Micko would love to see his men go into Armagh and come away with a surprise result. He relies on Leighton Glynn, Tony Hannon and Seanie Furlong to lead the team, but I just feel in this instance they may struggle with the Armagh side who will be keen to bounce back. Stevie McDonnell is not the player he once was, but he is still a good scoring inter county forward, while in Jamie Clarke the famous Crossmaglen Rangers club have unearthed another future star.

Armagh have made 4 changes from that defeat to Derry, with Paul Duffy and Finian Moriarty coming into defence, James Lavery coming in to partner Charlie Vernon in the middle of the field and Brian Mallon coming into centre forward. Kevin Dyas also moves from defence into the reshuffled attack.

Wicklow will be game, but I feel Armagh will be too strong for them, and I fancy it to be comfortable, if not easy, for the home side.

Verdict. Armagh by 5.

Meath v Galway. 7pm. Páirc Tailteann,Navan. (ref. Michael Collins).

Galways chance for redemption comes in very difficult circumstances, as I'm sure a trip to Navan would have been close to the bottom of the list of preferred draws for them. Tomás O'Flaharta has taken a cleaver to his starting lineup (figuratively of course) and made sweeping changes to the team that disappointed so much on that awful day in Castlebar against Mayo.

Chief amongst these changes is the welcome return of Michael Meehean to the forward line, although his cameo against Mayo hardly convinced the world that he is back to full fitness. Diarmuid Blake comes into the side at centre back, while Finian Hanley goes back to the edge of the square as Fintan O'Curraoin comes in to partner Joe Bergin in midfield. Thomas Flynn and Matthew Clancy come in to join Mark Hehir in the half forward line while Padraig Joyce moves to full forward with Meehan and Cormac Bane in the corners.

Such radical changes are hardly the ideal scenario for Galway, but something had to be done after the debacle of Castlebar, and you would have to expect a better performance, and hopefully better weather, on Saturday.

Meath, for their part, must be on a high following their emphatic defeat of neighbours Louth in the rematch of last years controversial Leinster Final, and the performance of Cian Ward banished thoughts of the Bray brothers' absence on the day. However, it's hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice, and Cian will be well aware that he will be a marked man on Saturday evening. As such it will be vital for the other Meath forwards to step up to the mark and make sure the burden of scoring does not fall on Ward's shoulders, but I don't think that will be an issue. Graham Reilly, Joe Sheridan, and Paddy Gilsenan can all score, and Paddy O'Rourke has proven to be a useful focal point for the attack. Shane O'Rourke slotted in well at midfield against Louth, and helped himself to 3 points from there as well, while Seamus Kenny's workrate ensures a good supply of ball goes into those forwards.

Verdict. Meath by 3.

All Ireland Hurling Qualifiers - Phase 3

The last round of the hurling qualifiers takes place this Saturday also, rounding off the menu for a busy day, as the Phase 2 winners, Cork and Antrim, face the Phase 3 winners, Galway and Limerick, with a place in the All Ireland Quarter Final at stake.

Galway v Cork. 4pm. Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. (Ref. James McGrath)

Any football fans heading to Limerick for the qualifer between Offaly and the host county would be well advised to stay on for the main event afterwards, as the hugely intriguing clash between Galway and Cork gets underway at 4pm in the second of a tasty looking double header.

Galway showed what they are capable of against Clare in the last round, and that rout showed that when the other Galway forwards stand up and be counted, Joe Canning suddenly becomes the player we all know he is. Too often he is left to soldier alone, and that is far too daunting a task for any man in inter county hurling at this level. It's not surprising at all that john McIntyre has left well enough alone and names the same side which started against the banner, and he will be hoping that Ger Farragher, Iarla Tannian, Alan Kerins and Damien Hayes reproduce the form they showed in that game. Tony Og Regan and Shane Kavanagh anchor the defence and in James Skehill they have a fine big goalkeeper with a big puck out.

Speaking of the Galway puckouts, a big indicator of how this game will go will be the battle between the Galway half forward line and the Cork Half Back line. Ronan Curran comes back into the Cork side at centre back, and he is flanked by John Gardiner and Shane O'Neill, in what can be a very strong line for the Rebels. Pa Cronin is a big loss following suspension for Cork, and William Egan comes into the centre of the field to partner Jerry O'Connor. Cian McCarthy continues at centre forwards, flanked by Ben O'Connor and Niall McCarthy, while Pat Horgan will figure to be the big threat inside.

While such an exercise is fraught with danger whenever Galway are concerned, a look through both teams would leave you to believe that Galway are the better side, and if they can win the battle in their own half forward line, I expect them to continue their rehabilitation from the Dublin defeat.

Verdict. Galway by 4.

Antrim v Limerick. 7pm. Parnell Park, Dublin. (Ref. James Owens)

Limerick are unhappy with the timing of this fixture, and unhappy that two of their players were forced to choose whether or not to play with them, but now they must get on with it and not overlook the challenge posed by Antrim.

I ventured into the Gaelic Grounds last Saturday evening for the comfortable win over Wexford and came away suitably impressed with the work that Donal O'Grady is doing with this Limerick team. He has instilled a gameplan based on possession hurling, support runs and optimising opportunities if possible. It is still bedding in, but at times in Limerick it looked very good. At other times it looked over done and forced, and led to turnovers but you would expect that, especially as they spent their spring in Division 2. One thing is for sure, they have unearthed a fine bunch of forwards, led by youngsters Declan Hannon, Kevin Downes and Graham Mulcahy. Mulcahy is an injury loss for Saturday, but there are alternatives on the bench in the same mould, such as Pat Tobin and Ritchie McCarthy. Niall Moran continues to soldier on there, in a much changed forward line, and his experience was very important in bringing the other lads into the game. Donal O'Grady, the player, is having a good year in the middle of the field, and Mark O'Riordan is rewarded for his commitment to the hurlers with a starting berth there as well. Seamus Hickey continues at full back alongside the impressive Tom Condon, who has recovered from an ankle injury he suffered against Wexford.

Antrim have had a busy and productive year so far. Beating Laois before losing to Wexford in Leinster, followed by victories over Westmeath and Carlow in the qualifiers, and Armagh in the Ulster final means that this is their 6th game in this year's championship already. They will have no fear of Limerick, and a couple of incidents in the league meeting in the Spring (won by Limerick) has whetted the apetite of both teams for this clash.

Neil McManus is a big player for Antrim and he will have to be at his best for Antrim to prosper, as will the likes of Karl Stewart, Paul Shields and Conor McCann.

Limerick seem to be riding a rising tide at the moment, however, and I suspect they will be the ones marching on to the quarter final.

Verdict. Limerick by 8.