JUST TWO WEEKENDS have passed in the football championship and already 31 teams have been whittled down to the final 12.
In consecutive weekends, All-Ireland contenders Tyrone and Kerry have been dispatched from the competition. There are downsides to a straight knock-out championship, but nothing matches the excitement and drama it produces.
Kerry’s shock defeat blew open their side of the draw, meaning that one of Cork, Tipperary, Mayo or Galway will make the All-Ireland final.
Defenders from all four counties will arrive into training this week with a spring in their step, knowing that the path to 19 December is a little less hazardous now David Clifford and Sean O’Shea will be watching on from their sofas for the remainder of the year.
Connacht
Following their high-powered showing against the Rossies yesterday, Mayo have been provided with a golden opportunity to reach their first final since 2017. But potential landmines lie ahead and they won’t be taking Galway for granted in the Connacht final.
Padraic Joyce’s side are at a major disadvantage because they were handed a walkover by Sligo and are the only side in the country that haven’t kicked a ball in the championship yet.
There will be a temptation to overanalyse the 15-point hammering Mayo gave Galway in the league back in October, but it truth it will count for little. The Tribesmen will be closer to full strength and this time around they’ll likely swarm the middle third and bring a ferocious intensity that was lacking in Tuam Stadium.
It’s been five years since Mayo have even made a provincial final, a remarkable statistic given they lifted the five titles before that. In previous years they’ve enjoyed entertaining qualifier runs after early exits in Connacht.
Perhaps the absence of a backdoor was what the Westerners needed to fully focus on provincial campaign with a do-or-die attitude.
Munster
Cork are into the Munster final yet Tipperary offer a far different challenge to the Kingdom. Ronan McCarthy’s team will arrive in as warm favourites and deservedly so after beating the second-ranked team in the country.
But Tipperary will hold no fear of Cork. They beat the Rebels in the 2016 Munster semi-final and competed in the same division of the league this year. Cork required a second-half comeback – and three goals in total – to beat the Premier back in their Division 3 meeting in February.
As a player, it’s easy to get yourself up for a game when you arrive in written off like Cork were at the weekend. The real test of a team is whether they can bring the same hunger and tenacity when they go into a provincial final wearing the favourites tag.
Since last night, Cork players would have received plenty of congratulatory texts, (virtual) backslaps and read nice things about themselves online and in newspapers. After years of underachievement, it’s a welcome change for the senior members of the squad. But they must not allow it seep in and weaken their minds.
Of course, it’s important to enjoy the victories along the way. But Cork can’t bask in the warm afterglow of yesterday for long. Beating Kerry will do little good if they fall at the next hurdle. With Conor Sweeney and Michael Quinlivan in attack, Tipperary present a very real threat.
The Premier haven’t reached the heights many expected since their run to the last four of the All-Ireland series in 2016. Kerry’s early exit has provided them a golden opportunity: beat Cork and they’re 70 minutes away from an All-Ireland final.
Tipperary come into the final in a great position, having turned around a six-point first-half deficit to defeat an in-form Limerick. They’ll have been buoyed by Kerry’s departure and David Power’s squad are now eyeing a set of Munster SFC medals, which is a rare commodity in Tipperary.
Leinster
Four sides remain in Leinster, where Dublin’s 10th title in-a-row looks inevitable. Dessie Farrell’s side were slick in Saturday’s quarter-final 11-point win over Westmeath which sealed a last four showdown against Laois.
Kerry might be out of the championship but two of their native sons remain alive to the east. Mike Quirke bemoaned Laois’s inconsistency in their win against Longford. Trailed by six at one stage but managed to seal a return to Croke Park, where Ross Munnelly will appear 18 seasons after making his debut under Mick O’Dwyer.
On the other side of the draw, Meath versus Kildare promises to be an interesting affair. Andy McEntee’s team are further along in their development than the Lilywhites, as Jack O’Connor blooded six newcomers against Offaly yesterday.
Meath made a decent fist of things against Dublin recently in the league and putting up 7-14 in Aughrim displayed their improving firepower.
Kildare conceded 0-16 to Offaly and looked quite open in defence at times. Shea Ryan is a good find in the full-back line, but O’Connor may yet decide to rush Eoin Doyle back from injury to shore up the spine of their defence.
Darragh Kirwan and Jordan Morris, two debutants last weekend for Kildare and Meath respectively, posted 3-10 between them on their championship debuts and will be hoping to build on that form this weekend.
Ulster
The big question in Ulster is whether Armagh can take a giant leap forward under Kieran McGeeney and dump out genuine All-Ireland contenders. The former centre-back is in his sixth campaign over the Orchard and they’re showing real signs of progress, having sealed a return to Division 1 football for 2021.
Donegal overcame an extremely tricky assignment in beating Tyrone and should now be ranked behind Dublin as the second best side in the land. Will Armagh’s tidy forwards be able to handle Donegal’s defensive structure and can they shut down the likes of Jamie Brennan and Michael Murphy at the far end?
The other semi-final is a tough one to call. Cavan have beaten Monaghan and Antrim, while Down saw off Fermanagh. Both sides have plenty of quality footballers in their ranks and being on the weaker side of the draw affords them a big opportunity to reach the Ulster final.
Originally published at 16.20
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