WE ARE ALMOST at the point where there is no catch net.
The newest incarnation of the All-Ireland football championship is still leaving many with a pain in the head trying to figure it all out.
All you need to know is that the winners of Round 2A go straight to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
They will be joined by whoever emerges from the winners of Round 2B, playing the losers of Round 2A in Round 3.
Perfectly clear. We think. In the meantime, there are some pretty tasty looking ties ahead on the weekend of 13/14 June.
Round 2A
Donegal V Cork
IT would appear that Pairc MacCumhaill in Ballybofey will be available for this game after Donegal had a nightmare as guests of Letterkenny in the Ulster championship defeat to Down.
Cork beat Donegal in 2024. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
In terms of motivation, Donegal need to get a good clean kill and move on early from all the negative publicity around Killarney, a day that Jim McGuinness must marvel that they scored a ten-point championship win away to Kerry, and yet all people wanted to talk about thereafter was the possible suspension for him and how he dealt with a question.
Two years ago, Cork managed to beat Donegal in Pairc Ui Rinn in the group stages. It is difficult to see them achieving that on the road.
Galway V Westmeath
The maroon derby. Westmeath are in the middle of a dream season and are in the sweet spot of knowing they can go down the stretch with extra-time wins over Dublin in the Leinster final and Cavan in Round 1 and are taking a warm bath in their own feelgood juices.
Even the sporting disaster of losing Luke Loughlin has not been enough to allow them to feel sorry for themselves.
Advertisement
Galway got themselves back on track after their Connacht final defeat to Roscommon by taking their anger out on Kildare by the tune of 13 points. Rob Finnerty has become their main man with the more suitable role of impact sub falling to Damian Comer.
Home advantage will be critical for Galway.
Tyrone V Mayo
For all the plaudits that Mayo’s young debutant goalkeeper Jack Livingstone rightly got after last weekend’s win over Monaghan, you don’t have to ponder long on the reasons.
Mayo went in at the break 11 points up. But Monaghan had two goal chances in the first half, followed up by two goals and three more big opportunities.
When opponents run at Mayo, they are incredibly vulnerable. Injuries have weakened Tyrone’s hand in this regard.
Jordan Flynn trapped in a Tyrone thicket last year. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Last year after a disastrous opening round defeat to Cavan, Mayo went to this venue and got a win with Tyrone suffering a hangover after beating Donegal. Predicting a winner here is a mug’s game.
Louth V Armagh
The first-ever championship meeting of these neighbouring counties, which is notable given the history and topography of south Armagh, the social and commercial links between the two.
Louth’s reversal of the Dublin result in Leinster shows that they do not intend to be put back down into irrelevance again. However, there is no unit in Ireland functioning quite like Armagh are right now.
Where exactly this game will be played will be interesting, with early indications that Louth manager Gavin Devlin would favour the febrile atmosphere that Inniskeen could bring.
Round 2B
Derry V Meath
With the safety net removed, this is where the real juice is.
Derry put in a performance that was scarcely believable against Armagh and their own mistakes and lack of threat was shown up badly. All of a sudden, they look like a team that have either aged old together, or just jaded.
Related Reads
Kobe is the future of the sport. Unfortunately, it might not be our sport
'He enjoys the clutch moments': the evergreen forward from Monaghan royalty
Armagh overpower Derry to get All-Ireland series off the mark
Meath are similarly confused after a promising league campaign gave way to a Leinster quarter-final defeat to Westmeath and now a loss to Cork in Round 1.
Kildare V Kerry
When you are trying to build momentum and belief in a county that have lost theirs, such as Kildare have before the appointment of Brian Flanagan, it is imperative you do not ship many spirit-sapping championship defeats in the early, delicate days.
Having been walloped by 13 points away to Galway in the last round, Kildare will be very wary of this. With a galaxy of Kerry stars set to return, ready or not, this is the sort of tune-up the likes of Gavin White, Paul Murphy and Sean O’Shea will be glad of.
Cavan V Dublin
A few months back, there was only one winner of a fixture like this. Now, well, not so sure. For all of the gloom enveloping Cavan this season, there is still the bones of a competitive team that are shedding the skin of the 2020 Ulster winning side and they gave Westmeath all they could handle the last day.
Where for art thou, Fento? James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Dublin’s support has abandoned them. It is difficult to recall just when interest and talent has dipped so low for them. Few neutrals will remember them in their prayers and this is one that could be the final nail in the coffin.
Monaghan V Roscommon
This is the fourth time out of five games that Monaghan will be playing in Clones this year. Nice work if you can get it.
The Farney were nowhere near as bad as their league form was showing up, and once they got some bodies back, their championship performances have been characterised by huge determination to claw back leads.
However, it keeps happening to them and a side like Roscommon will not be willing to give them the same opportunities to launch another escape bid and with Bobby McCaul likely to be ruled out and Stephen O’Hanlon missing for the last day, injuries are mounting up again.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
All-Ireland football race hotting up as teams face exit
WE ARE ALMOST at the point where there is no catch net.
The newest incarnation of the All-Ireland football championship is still leaving many with a pain in the head trying to figure it all out.
All you need to know is that the winners of Round 2A go straight to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
They will be joined by whoever emerges from the winners of Round 2B, playing the losers of Round 2A in Round 3.
Perfectly clear. We think. In the meantime, there are some pretty tasty looking ties ahead on the weekend of 13/14 June.
Round 2A
Donegal V Cork
IT would appear that Pairc MacCumhaill in Ballybofey will be available for this game after Donegal had a nightmare as guests of Letterkenny in the Ulster championship defeat to Down.
In terms of motivation, Donegal need to get a good clean kill and move on early from all the negative publicity around Killarney, a day that Jim McGuinness must marvel that they scored a ten-point championship win away to Kerry, and yet all people wanted to talk about thereafter was the possible suspension for him and how he dealt with a question.
Two years ago, Cork managed to beat Donegal in Pairc Ui Rinn in the group stages. It is difficult to see them achieving that on the road.
Galway V Westmeath
The maroon derby. Westmeath are in the middle of a dream season and are in the sweet spot of knowing they can go down the stretch with extra-time wins over Dublin in the Leinster final and Cavan in Round 1 and are taking a warm bath in their own feelgood juices.
Even the sporting disaster of losing Luke Loughlin has not been enough to allow them to feel sorry for themselves.
Galway got themselves back on track after their Connacht final defeat to Roscommon by taking their anger out on Kildare by the tune of 13 points. Rob Finnerty has become their main man with the more suitable role of impact sub falling to Damian Comer.
Home advantage will be critical for Galway.
Tyrone V Mayo
For all the plaudits that Mayo’s young debutant goalkeeper Jack Livingstone rightly got after last weekend’s win over Monaghan, you don’t have to ponder long on the reasons.
Mayo went in at the break 11 points up. But Monaghan had two goal chances in the first half, followed up by two goals and three more big opportunities.
When opponents run at Mayo, they are incredibly vulnerable. Injuries have weakened Tyrone’s hand in this regard.
Last year after a disastrous opening round defeat to Cavan, Mayo went to this venue and got a win with Tyrone suffering a hangover after beating Donegal. Predicting a winner here is a mug’s game.
Louth V Armagh
The first-ever championship meeting of these neighbouring counties, which is notable given the history and topography of south Armagh, the social and commercial links between the two.
Louth’s reversal of the Dublin result in Leinster shows that they do not intend to be put back down into irrelevance again. However, there is no unit in Ireland functioning quite like Armagh are right now.
Where exactly this game will be played will be interesting, with early indications that Louth manager Gavin Devlin would favour the febrile atmosphere that Inniskeen could bring.
Round 2B
Derry V Meath
With the safety net removed, this is where the real juice is.
Derry put in a performance that was scarcely believable against Armagh and their own mistakes and lack of threat was shown up badly. All of a sudden, they look like a team that have either aged old together, or just jaded.
Meath are similarly confused after a promising league campaign gave way to a Leinster quarter-final defeat to Westmeath and now a loss to Cork in Round 1.
Kildare V Kerry
When you are trying to build momentum and belief in a county that have lost theirs, such as Kildare have before the appointment of Brian Flanagan, it is imperative you do not ship many spirit-sapping championship defeats in the early, delicate days.
Having been walloped by 13 points away to Galway in the last round, Kildare will be very wary of this. With a galaxy of Kerry stars set to return, ready or not, this is the sort of tune-up the likes of Gavin White, Paul Murphy and Sean O’Shea will be glad of.
Cavan V Dublin
A few months back, there was only one winner of a fixture like this. Now, well, not so sure. For all of the gloom enveloping Cavan this season, there is still the bones of a competitive team that are shedding the skin of the 2020 Ulster winning side and they gave Westmeath all they could handle the last day.
Dublin’s support has abandoned them. It is difficult to recall just when interest and talent has dipped so low for them. Few neutrals will remember them in their prayers and this is one that could be the final nail in the coffin.
Monaghan V Roscommon
This is the fourth time out of five games that Monaghan will be playing in Clones this year. Nice work if you can get it.
The Farney were nowhere near as bad as their league form was showing up, and once they got some bodies back, their championship performances have been characterised by huge determination to claw back leads.
However, it keeps happening to them and a side like Roscommon will not be willing to give them the same opportunities to launch another escape bid and with Bobby McCaul likely to be ruled out and Stephen O’Hanlon missing for the last day, injuries are mounting up again.
Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
danger here GAA Gaelic Football jeopardy