EVERY WEEKEND, OUR Friday football preview will give you the who, the what, the why, the when and the where ahead of the weekend’s GAA championship action, as well as statistics from analyst Christy O’Connor.
Here are the two games you can look forward to this weekend. For a chance to win Senior Championship game tickets courtesy of eir, click here.
Cork v Mayo
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 4A
When? Saturday, 5pm
Where? Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
TV? Sky Sports Arena
Mayo’s roundabout route back to the business end of the championship hits up Limerick this weekend as Stephen Rochford’s side take on Cork in the Gaelic Grounds.
Qualifier wins against Derry and Clare weren’t always impressive and, at times, Mayo have been too reliant on old dogs like Andy Moran, but momentum is building behind their challenge and they are firm favourites to beat Cork. That Aidan O’Shea is playing like a man with a Bernard Flynn-sized point to prove certainly helps.
Nothing that we have seen from Cork so far this summer suggests that they’ll be good enough to cause a shock. But it’s safe to assume that Peadar Healy’s side is capable of so much than they showed in their limp wins against Waterford and Tipperary, or when they were brushed aside by Kerry in the Munster final.
Some of the criticism has been fairly pointed, and must sting – but will it provoke the Rebels into their best showing yet?
Christy O’Connor says: Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke reached a significant milestone against Clare two weeks ago when he played in his 100th game for Mayo. Clarke’s longevity is further underlined by the fact that he played in an All-Ireland minor final against Cork way back in 2000.
Paul Kerrigan is certainly following in his father, Jimmy’s footsteps. Both are All-Ireland U21, National League and All-Ireland senior medal winners, while both also captained their club Nemo Rangers to a county title. Jimmy captained Nemo to the All-Ireland club title in 1984, which is the one senior medal Paul doesn’t have – he and Nemo were beaten in the 2008 All-Ireland final. However, with Paul now captain, they are one of the few father and son combinations to captain their county.
When Mayo defeated Cork in the 2011 All-Ireland quarter-final, when Cork were reigning All-Ireland champions, that win really marked the birth of the current Mayo team. Ten of the starting team from that match are still on the panel while Lee Keegan came on as a substitute.
The42′s verdict: Mayo
Donegal v Galway
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 4A
When? Saturday, 7pm
Where? Markievicz Park
TV? Sky Sports Arena
At practically every point in recent memory, Donegal would have gone into a game against Galway as firm favourites; when the counties last met in the championship, in Round 4B in 2015, the Ulstermen ran out winners by 10 points.
That the bookies make this just a one-point contest in their favour speaks volumes about how erratic Donegal’s championship run has been to this point. They never looked like living with Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final, and while they beat both Longford and Meath to get back on track, workmanlike is the kindest way to describe those wins.
So much will depend on how Galway have reacted to their Connacht final thrashing by Roscommon. If we draw a line through that, their win against (a below-par) Mayo is better than any championship form in Donegal’s book, and all of the promising signs from their Division 2 campaign (five wins from seven, promotion, and victory against Kildare in the league final) can’t be cast aside so hastily.
This might turn out to be the closest of the Round 4 qualifiers. Heads or tails?
Christy O’Connor says: Donegal’s Christy Toye holds the record for championship appearances for the county with 65 but Karl Lacey will equal that record if he plays against Galway on Saturday.
Galway football captain Gary O’Donnell is from Gort, a traditional hurling hotbed. O’Donnell was on the Galway minor hurling panel for the 2006 All-Ireland final but football always was his game. He is a cousin of Galway footballing legend Ja Fallon, who instigated O’Donnell’s transfer to Tuam Stars, who O’Donnell has been playing with since 2009.
The42′s verdict: Galway
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
