. . . and anything other than a Cork victory would be a major shock and I fully expect them to be in the semi-final, writes NICKY ENGLISH

THE ALL-IRELAND quarter-final between Galway and Tipperary sees both teams on a redemption trail. Galway have been licking their wounds since their defeat to Kilkenny in the Leinster final while Tipperary have yet to hit top form despite recording two victories since their quarter-final defeat to Cork in Munster.

This match should give a strong indication as to just how far down that road to redemption these sides truly are.

I’m surprised Tipperary have been made such hot favourites. To my mind, both teams have a similar profile and there will not be a lot between them in the end.

Galway and Tipperary both benefit from having pretty recognisable defences. Galway are physically strong and they battled well in the first half against Kilkenny.

Shane Kavanagh, Tony Óg Regan and Donal Barry in particular gave a forceful first-half performance but with the problems they had in midfield and the half forward line the Galway defence couldn’t sustain that level of intensity in the second half. It allowed Kilkenny to create chances at will.

The biggest problem Galway have is in their forward line. They are still too reliant on Joe Canning and to a lesser extent Damien Hayes to provide the majority of their scores.

Canning was held in a virtual vice by the Kilkenny defence and it nullified any meaningful threat Galway might have otherwise posed.

Nevertheless Joe remains their most dangerous player and he is at his best at full forward. Galway have been too quick to move Joe, often to the team’s detriment.

Galway haven’t scaled the heights that were expected of them after their victory in the National League. If Galway are to win on Sunday they will not only need Canning to be firing on all cylinders, they will also require a greater spread of scorers throughout the forward line.

Tipperary have come through two games since their defeat to Cork and have done what was required of them with relative ease, even if Wexford and Offaly surrendered tamely. As a result, I think they still haven’t fully exorcised the demons of Cork and that is possibly a good thing. They will still feel like they have something to prove.

Changes at full back and the half forward line have helped Tipperary’s resurgence. Paul Curran has replaced Padraic Maher at full back after Maher’s troubles in Cork. Gearóid Ryan has done particularly well and together with Shane McGrath and Patrick Maher he forms a new, more dynamic half forward line.

It will be the battle between Tipp forwards and the Galway defence that will determine who will emerge victorious tomorrow. Tipperary have a slight upper hand in that they are less dependent on one or two scorers than their opposition. Their full forward line has been a major scoring threat, although Noel McGrath and Lar Corbett have not delivered the kind of form that earned them such widespread acclaim last year. It should be remembered it was only at the semi-final stage last year when those players truly ignited.

The changes to the team, particularly in the half forward line, mean that Tipperary’s limits are somewhat unknown. Based on the Leinster final defeat to Kilkenny, Galway’s limits are more defined.

All year, challengers to Kilkenny’s dominance have been sought. At different times different teams have taken up the mantle. Initially Tipperary were the torch-bearers but Galway’s league triumph put their star in the ascendency. Neither team now carry such lofty expectations.

It is possible, though, that after this game tomorrow one side can recapture some semblance of form to re-emerge as serious contenders to Kilkenny.

It will be close but I suspect Tipperary’s greater spread of scorers should be enough to pull them through.

There is a little bit of history to the other quarter-final involving Antrim and Cork. In 2004, Antrim manager Dinny Cahill predicted an Antrim win before questioning Brian Corcoran and Niall McCarthy’s credentials. Cork went on to annihilate Antrim that afternoon. And he has tread more carefully in the build-up to this game.

As it is, Niall McCarthy has been Cork’s best and most consistent forward this year. He scored three fantastic points against Tipperary and has played an integral role in Cork’s progress this season.

On the evidence so far, Cork forwards do not carry enough threat. Aisake Ó hAilpín creates panic in opposition defences but there is no consistent level of threat elsewhere. They have tried to change things by bringing Paudie O’Sullivan into the full forward line but it remains an area of concern for Cork.

The fact that the half back line has not been as dominant as it was against Tipperary in the Munster quarter-final will also worry Denis Walsh.

The Cork manager will have a difficult time to motivate his players after the loss against Waterford in the replayed Munster final. The turnaround time of one week to get over the saga that was the Munster final makes huge demands on the players.

Added to that, the game against Antrim may not represent the most appetising prospect for Cork and they may struggle to be at their best as a result. That will give Antrim heart.

The victory over Dublin was also a significant boost for Antrim. It was telling that they did not shock their way to victory through late goals. They deservedly won the game by taking their points which showed real composure. They will get more respect from Cork for the manner of that victory.

It remains the case, however, that anything other than a Cork victory would be a major shock and I fully expect them to be in the semi-final.