Munster Senior Football Championship final
Cork v Kerry
(tonight, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7pm)
IT’S a decade since Cork last defeated Kerry in a Munster final and even with home advantage in their favour, that wait looks destined to go on.
This famous old rivalry has been distinctly one-sided in recent times with the Rebels winning just one of their last 10 Championship meetings with their neighbours – the 2012 provincial semi-final.
Seven Kerry wins and two draws make up the rest of that list with 11 points separating the sides when they met at the same stage last year.
Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice has revamped his team since then though and only six players that started last year’s Munster final were in the first 15 for their Championship opener this year – a 0-32 to 0-10 crushing of Clare.
All six starting forwards scored from play with Paul Geaney grabbing half a dozen from that route to go with his solitary free. Seamus O’Shea also finished with seven points while James O’Donoghue (0-4), Stephen O’Brien (0-3) and substitute BJ Keane (0-3) kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Also introduced from the bench along with Keane were Michael Geaney, Anthony Maher, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Darran O’Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy.
It was a devastating show of strength as the Kingdom sent out a warning that they’re now ready to make the most of winning four All-Ireland Minor titles in a row.
Their chief experience is likely to remain on the bench tonight though and it will be a young side taking to the field – something Cork boss Ronan McCarthy will be hoping to exploit.
The Rebels are the very definition of an up and down team. They have played eight times in League and Championship this season and have won four and lost four.
Choosing their best performance isn’t a hard task – the side hitting a height they hadn’t all season when they trashed Tipperary 1-17 to 0-9 in their Munster semi-final in Thurles last time out.
Luke Connolly delivered a masterful performance and kicked 10 points in all with five of those coming from frees while Colm O’Neill grabbed their only goal.
The experienced attacker is a doubt for this game due to a knee injury while Sean Powter and Donncha O’Connor (both hamstring) are also in a race against time to be fit. Even if they all make it, Kerry should rule once again.
Odds: H: 7/2 D: 9/1 A: 1/3
Verdict: Kerry
Leinster Senior Football Championship final
Dublin v Laois
(tomorrow, Croke Park, 4pm)
IF you were told that one of these sides are aiming to protect a perfect season you’d put your house and the foundations on it being Dublin, but it’s actually the O’Moore men who are sitting on a 100 percent record.
John Sugrue’s side have racked up 10 wins on the trot this year and that in itself deserves admiration heading into this Croke Park battle.
Unfortunately, that sensational form is not being seen as a possible reason for a shock but rather a reason why Laois may not get hammered by Jim Gavin’s relentless machine.
Dublin, winners of the last three All-Ireland races, are priced at 1/100 and when you consider the statistics, you start to understand why.
They haven’t lost a game in the province since 2010 when Meath defeated them and they haven’t been beaten in a Leinster final since 2001, the Royals also proving their nemesis on that occasion.
Seven Leinster titles in a row is a record for the province and they are a certainty to add an eighth to tighten their grip on the achievement.
They have managed 29 and 27 scores in their two Leinster games to date and have conceded 12 at the other end on both occasions. Their combined winning tally over Wicklow and Longford stands at a ridiculous 42 points.
Laois, by contrast, needed extra-time after a 10-point recovery to get past Wexford before they went on the charge against Westmeath in the next round.
Their semi-final battle against Carlow may not have been pretty on the eye, but it was a case of getting the job done and securing a first provincial final spot since 2007.
Dublin’s lowest Leinster winning tally since that winning run started back in 2011 has been seven points. Nobody has been able to touch them at all.
Laois are noted as a county that will not roll over and all we can hope for here is that they are on the top of their game.
If they are then maybe they can stay in single figures. The result, however, is not in doubt.
Odds: H: 1/100 D: 66/1 A: 33/1
Verdict: Dublin
Ulster Senior Football Championship final
Donegal v Fermanagh
(tomorrow, St Tiernach’s Park, 2pm)
Preview P56-57
Odds: Donegal: 1/5 D: 12/1 Fermanagh: 9/2
Verdict: Donegal
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers round two
Tipperary v Mayo
(today, Semple Stadium, 5pm)
THESE two sides met in the All-Ireland semi-final two years ago and while it is once again knock-out football here, Croke Park is still very much a long way away for now.
Liam Kearns will be demanding a reaction from his Tipp side after their Munster no-show against Cork. The 1-19 they hit in a recent challenge match against Clare suggests that they are getting back on track.
They will have their work cut out against a Mayo side that has brought real thrills and spills to the Qualifiers in recent years.
After losing to Galway, Stephen Rochford’s side travelled to Limerick and recorded a 5-19 to 3-7 win to get the ball rolling again.
Donie Vaughan and Barry Moran could come into the picture today having recovered from recent knocks.
Odds: H: 4/1 D: 10/1 A: 1/4
Verdict: Mayo
Leitrim v Louth
(tonight, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 7pm)
WHEN these sides were paired together, it looked like it would be a golden opportunity for Leitrim to record a rare Championship win, but they have weakened significantly as the game has approached.
The lure of America has ruled out top scorer Keith Beirne, Oisin Madden and Mark Plunkett while Ronan Kennedy, Keith Keegan and Colm Moreton are also understood to have left the panel recently.
Pete McGrath’s Louth side were awful against Carlow, but they responded with a good Qualifier win in London, William Woods scoring 13 points.
Not surprisingly, McGrath has named an unchanged side although Jim McEnaney could be a late replacement having served his suspension.
After a really tough start for the Down native, he now has the chance to secure back-to-back Qualifier wins. Do that and the Wee county’s season will take on a completely different complexion.
Odds: H: 5/2 D: 15/2 A: 4/9
Verdict: Louth
Longford v Kildare
(tonight, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 7pm)
LONGFORD love nothing more than a Qualifier giant-killing and they have a genuine chance of putting an end to a torrid season for Kildare this evening.
Denis Connerton’s side were taken apart by Dublin in the Leinster semi-final but that was to be expected.
One of the biggest disappointments was not the result, but the red card picked up by attacker James McGivney and he will miss out here. Experienced forward Barry McKeon may return from injury though.
This is a real character test for the Lilywhites, as every game will be after their shock Leinster loss to Carlow.
Cian O’Neill’s side responded with a powerful 2-22 to 2-14 win over Derry at Owenbeg but this should be an even firmer examination.
Their confidence is still probably shaken and Longford could sniff blood. If this is close going into the final 10 minutes then it could be Longford’s day.
Odds: H: 9/4 D: 15/2 A: 1/2
Verdict: Longford
Offaly v Clare
(tomorrow, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, 1.30pm)
AFTER all the drama in Offaly in recent months, they would have been delighted just to get a win on board when they defeated Antrim in the first round.
Interim manager Paul Rouse, who replaced Stephen Wallace, would have been happy with the result but they still only played in patches in the 2-20 to 1-15 win.
Clare’s mental state could go a long way to deciding how this fixture pans out.
The Bannermen were humiliated by Kerry in the Munster semi-final, the side coughing up 32 points, but this is still a match they should be winning.
Even as Kerry tore through them, the midfield pairing of Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor performed admirably. If they can get another foothold around the centre, then the Munster side should be safe enough.
Odds: H: 15/8 D: 8/1 A: 4/7
Verdict: Clare
Waterford v Monaghan
(today, Fraher Field, 2pm)
Preview P52
Odds: H: 11/1 D: 28/1 A: 1/40
Verdict: Monaghan
Carlow v Tyrone
(today, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm)
Preview P52
Odds: H: 15/2 D: 14/1 A: 1/10
Verdict: Tyrone
Cavan v Down
(today, Brewster Park, 5pm)
Preview P53
Odds: H: 4/11 D: 8/1 A: 3/1
Verdict: Cavan
Sligo v Armagh
(today, Markievicz Park, 6pm)
Preview P53
Odds: H: 9/4 D: 15/2 A: 1/2
Verdict: Armagh
