A look ahead to all this weekend's action in Gaelic games
TODAY – All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers, Round 1
Clare v Down, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3pm – This shouldn't be a problem for Down but the result against Armagh now seems like a disaster considering how meekly their conquerors capitulated against Derry. Conor McGinn is out, a question mark surrounds Benny Coulter's hamstring and the man who makes them tick, Danny Hughes, must pass a fitness test. A slip-up is not inconceivable but Down are a proven qualifier team.
CLARE: J Hayes; K Hartnett, B Duggan, L Healy; M McMahon, J Hayes, M Tubridy; G Brennan (captain), G Quinlan; A Clohessy, D Tubridy, C O'Connor; R Donnelly, T Ryan, N Browne.
DOWN: B McVeigh; A Branagan, D Gordon, B McArdle; D Rooney, K McKernan, K Duffin; P Fitzpatrick, K King; D Hughes, M Clarke, M Poland; P McComiskey, B Coulter, C Laverty.
Referee: P O'Sullivan(Kerry).
Laois v Tipperary, Portlaoise, 7pm – Well, Laois cannot possibly perform as poorly as they did against Dublin. Ross Munnelly is joined in a far more potent full forward line by Donie Kingston and MJ Tierney while Pádraig Clancy reappears in midfield as Colm Begley moves to wing forward. Laois have little pedigree as a qualifier side but talent-wise Tipperary are several rungs down the ladder.
LAOIS: E Culleton; C Healy, K Meaney, P O'Leary; D Strong, S Julian, P McMahon; P Clancy, B Quigley; C Begley (capt), J O'Loughlin, N Donoher; R Munnelly, D Kingston, MJ Tierney.
TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; C McGrath, C McDonald, A Morrissey; C Aylward, L Egan, C Dillon; G Hannigan, S Grogan; H Coghlan, B Fox, J Cagney; S Hahessy, P Austin, B Grogan (capt).
Referee: M Condon(Waterford).
Antrim v Westmeath, Casement Park, 2pm – Antrim never really showed against Donegal on May 15th while Westmeath were blatantly unable to keep pace with Wexford on June 11th. The wildly contrasting dates since their last matches may benefit Westmeath. Pat Flanagan has drafted in under-21s James Dolan and John Heslin and returned David Duffy to midfield. Westmeath to shade it.
ANTRIM: S O'Neill; C Brady, R Johnston, K O'Boyle (capt); T Scullion, J Crozier, A Healy; M McCann, A Gallagher; C Murray, T McCann, M Sweeney; P Cunningham, B Herron, K Niblock.
WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; M Curley, A Finnan, K Gavin; D Corroon, K Martin, J Dolan; D Duffy, D Daly; G Egan, J Heslin, D Harte; C Lynam, Denis Glennon (capt), D Dolan.
Referee: M Sludden(Tyrone).
Cavan v Longford, Kingspan Breffni Park, 5pm – Longford kept the deficit to a single point in defeat to Laois but subsequent results hardly make this a notable feat. Cavan to win.
CAVAN: J OReilly; M Cahill, T Corr, D ODowd; M McKeever, J McCutcheon, D OReilly; D Givney, G McKiernan; F Flanagan, M Lyng, N Murray; N McDermott, E Keating, S Johnston.
LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, B Gilleran, D Reilly; S Mulligan, K Diffley, N Farrell; B McElvanney, M Brady; D Barden, D Masterson, P Barden (capt); D McElligott, B Kavanagh, S McCormack.
Referee: M Duffy(Sligo).
London v Fermanagh, Ruislip, 1.30 – An upset, if it can even be called that, seems likely here. Fermanagh lost a raft of established footballers a few months back and were swept aside by Derry – morale must be low. Mayo were almost caught in Ruislip by London, Fermanagh may not make it home alive.
LONDON: TBA
FERMANAGH: J McGrath, J Woods, B Owens, M Jones, M O'Brien, N McGovern, K Cosgrove, R Jones, R O'Callaghan, J O'Flanaghan, N Cassidy, B Og Maguire, S Quigley, D Kille, T Corrigan.
Referee: D Fahy(Longford).
Wicklow v Sligo, Aughrim, 5pm – Sligo captain Charlie Harrison admitted recently that the team were still coming to grips with last season's collapse when they lost to Leitrim. Now they must go where no team low on confidence should tread and Mick O'Dwyer is not past inspiring one more performance. The lesson of how they caught Down two years ago must be heeded or Sligo will fall.
WICKLOW: TBA
SLIGO: P Greene; C Harrison, N Maguire, R Donovan; P McGovern, B Kennedy, N Ewing; E O'Hara, S Gilmartin; B Eagan, M Breheny, D Rooney; S Coen, T Taylor, A Marren.
Referee: E Kinsella(Laois).
Offaly v Monaghan, Tullamore, 7pm – Eamonn McEnaney reacted to defeat against Tyrone by dropping Dessie Mone and Stephen Gollogly while Offaly were 14 points shy of Wexford. With the lack of any spark in Offaly, the Ulster men look a sure bet to progress.
OFFALY: TBA
MONAGHAN: M Keogh; C Galligan, K Duffy, D Morgan; O Duffy, Darren Hughes, N McAdam; O Lennon, D Clerkin; M Downey, B O'Brien, D McKenna; C McGuinness, P Finlay, C McManus.
Referee: S Doyle(Wexford).
All-Ireland Hurling Qualifiers, Phase 1
Cork v Offaly, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.30 – It used to be that a wounded Offaly hurling team was something to be feared, but we'll see how much that still rings true. Rory Hanniffy returns to beef up their attack, and James Mulrooney makes a first start, but it's hard to see how their full back line will contain Patrick Horgan and company. After drilling 10-20 past Laois, Cork obviously aren't in the mood for any sympathy, and while it could be a trickier obstacle than some think, Offaly look set for another exit.
CORK: D Óg Cusack; S McDonnell, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, W Egan, S O'Neill; J O'Connor, P Cronin; B O'Connor, C McCarthy, N McCarthy; L Farrell, P O'Sullivan, P Horgan.
OFFALY: J Dempsey; E Murphy, D Kenny, S Egan; D Hayden, R Hanniffy, D Morkan; D Currams, C Egan; B Carroll, J Bergin, C Mahon; S Dooley, G Healion, J Mulrooney.
Referee: J Ryan(Tipperary).
Antrim v Carlow, Casement Park, 4pm –Antrim certainly looked keen again in their win over Westmeath last weekend, and although Carlow felt they'd let victory over Westmeath slip in the Leinster championship, they meet a team here nicely sharpened and perhaps already eyeing a more accomplished scalp.
ANTRIM: C O'Connell; C McGuinness, C Donnelly, K McGourty; A Graffin, M Herron, N McAuley; P Shiels, K Molloy; S McCrory, K Stewart, E McCloskey; C McCann, D Hamill, N McManus.
CARLOW: K Kehoe; A Corcoran, S Kavanagh, D Shaw; E Coady, J Rogers, R Coady; E Nolan, B Doyle; C Doyle, E Byrne, P Kehoe; D Roberts, M Brennan, R Dunbar.
Referee: J McGrath(Westmeath).
TOMORROW – Leinster SFC semi-final
Wexford v Carlow, Croke Park, 2pm – Carlow supporters might want to arrive in ample time for this one. It only took Redmond Barry 30 seconds to score the opening goal against Westmeath – and any team that scores 3-40 in their first two championship games has to be feared.
There’s a nice pattern to their game, up front Ciarán Lyng and Barry lead the assault on goal, while defensively they’re tidy.
None of this is saying Carlow aren’t without a chance: they’ve caused one surprise already by beating Louth and Luke Dempsey is no slack tactician either. Their problem will be matching Wexford’s range of scoring forwards.
In the last episode: Six years ago Wexford won their Leinster quarter-final clash by 3-12 to 2-10.
You bet: There's not much to be gained here unless another surprise unfolds as Wexford are 1/10, with Carlow available at 7/1 – while the draw looks like the best bet at 14-1.
On your marks: No disrespect but if there was such a thing as the old athletics handicap, where runners were actually given a head start, then Carlow could well do with one here.
Gaining ground: It is 53 years since Carlow last made it to a Leinster football semi-final, so they've already achieved something. Wexford are attempting to return to the Leinster final for the first time since 2008.
Crystal gazing: The sheer pace and apparent ease with which Wexford did away with both Westmeath and Offaly suggests one outcome.
WEXFORD: A Masterson; J Wadding, G Molloy, B Malone; A Flynn, D Murphy, A Doyle; R Quinlivan, D Waters; S Roche, C Lyng, B Brosnan; C Morris, E Bradley, R Barry.
CARLOW: T O'Reilly; A Murphy, C Lawlor, B Kavanagh; P Cashin, S Redmond (capt), K Nolan; B Murphy, D Foley; P Hickey, T Walsh, E Finnegan; B Murphy, S Gannon, D St Ledger.
Referee: M Collins(Cork).
Ulster SFC semi-final
Tyrone v Donegal, Clones, 3.30 (Live on BBC NI) – A fascinating clash between two teams whose graphs are believed by many to be in the process of crossing: Donegal have great momentum after a spring campaign that brought just one defeat and that, by Laois, at a stage when they had already secured promotion – a rare enough lapse from a team that has been transformed into a disciplined outfit by Jim McGuinness.
They’ll need to get to grips with Tyrone’s old firm midfield, and may well detail a special marker for Seán Cavanagh, enjoying the greater freedom of his return to the sector.
Tyrone have much to cope with in defence. The versatile Joe McMahon’s return to the team gives them some protection in the air but Colm McFadden will also need marking and of the two (considerably) shorter corner backs, Ryan McMenamin is likely to take up the task.
Donegal have energy, dynamism and youth on their side but the experience and adaptability of Tyrone, for whom Stephen O’Neill and Brian McGuigan look to be back in vintage form, won’t be easily surmounted.
In the last episode: Four years ago Donegal approached their semi-final against Tyrone with some confidence. Instead they got wiped out by a double-digit margin.
You bet: Tyrone are favourites at 8 to 13, Donegal 7 to 4 and the draw 15 to 2.
On your marks: Joe McMahon's return from injury is timely, as it puts him up against Michael Murphy, liberated from his red card and now one of the game's most feared forwards.
Gaining ground: Donegal's only win in this fixture in more than 20 years was not achieved in St Tiernach's Park but on their home pitch at Ballybofey.
Just the ticket: Stand tickets (€27/£23, OAP €15/£13). Uncovered stand (€25/£21). Children (€5/£5). Terrace (€15/£13, students and OAPs €10/£9).
Crystal gazing: Tyrone can hold out in the face of what is likely to be a formidable challenge.
TYRONE: P McConnell; M Swift, J McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, P Harte; M Penrose, M Donnelly, S O'Neill.
DONEGAL: P Durcan; K Lacey, N McGee, P McGrath; K Cassidy, A Thompson, Marty Boyle; R Kavanagh, K Rafferty; M McElhinney, M McHugh, R Bradley; C McFadden, M Murphy, P McBrearty.
Referee: J McQuillan(Cavan).
