EVERY WEEKEND, OUR bumper 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 eight games you can look forward to this weekend. For a chance to win Senior Championship game tickets courtesy of eir, click here.
Tyrone v Donegal
Ulster SFC semi-final
When? Sunday, 2pm
Where? Clones
TV? RTÉ 1
Sunday’s Ulster semi-final in Clones looks set to be the game of the weekend, with Tyrone and Donegal both harbouring ambitions of a run deep into the summer.
When it comes to the championship, the recent history of this rivalry has been one-way traffic in Donegal’s favour – or at least it was until last season when Tyrone finally turned the tables to secure a sweet Ulster title.
Tyrone started out the season with the more settled of the two squads, but despite losing a lot of experience from the panel, Donegal’s new faces haven’t been wandering aimlessly through a transitional period as many expected.
Paddy McBrearty is expected to be fit for Rory Gallagher’s side and could make his first start since February.
Christy O’Connor says: “In their five championship meetings since 2011, Tyrone have only managed to score one goal against Donegal in the championship. Donegal meanwhile have scored five goals in the same timespan, an average of one per game.”The average score in those five previous championship games sees Donegal ahead by 1-10 to 0-11, which shows just how low-scoring and tight the matches have been between the two teams.”When the sides met in the league in March, one of the standout stats was how well Donegal shut down Tyrone’s counter-attacking game. Donegal forced as many turnovers-in-possession (12-12) as Tyrone managed, while Tyrone only scored two points off those counter-attacks.”
The42′s verdict: Donegal
Roscommon v Leitrim
Connacht SFC semi-final
When? Sunday, 3.30pm
Where? Dr Hyde Park
TV? No
Relegated Roscommon struggled through their Division 1 campaign with just one win from seven games, but the word from inside the camp is that the championship was always the priority this season. Even without a major resurgence in form, you would still expect them to be too strong for this Leitrim side.
Christy O’Connor says: ”Sunday will be Leitrim’s first appearance in a Connacht semi-final since they lost to London after a replay in 2013. Their last win in the province came that season when they defeated New York in the quarter-final but their provincial results ever since have largely been a tale of woe. Their average losing margin in the last three years is nine points. Last year, they lost to Roscommon by 13. Leitrim will target a win against Roscommon on Sunday but a solid and competitive performance will be their first priority.”
The42′s verdict: Roscommon
Meath v Kildare
Leinster SFC semi-final
When? Saturday, 7pm
Where? O’Connor Park, Tullamore
TV? Sky Sports 5
Both of these counties will arrive in Tullamore on Saturday night full of confidence on the back of their quarter-final wins. Meath put up an impressive 0-27 against Louth, but there were some worrying moments in defence, and Andy McEntee will know that they won’t have the same margin for error against Kildare.
It’s eight years since the Lilywhites were in a Leinster final. After securing promotion back to Division 1 at Meath’s expense this spring, now Cian O’Neill’s side are just 70 minutes away.
Christy O’Connor says: “When Kildare won the 2013 Leinster U21 title, nobody was in any doubt that it was a talented team which would frame a huge part of the future senior team. That is certainly now the case. Twelve of that U21 starting team have played senior championship, nine of whom saw game-time against Laois two weeks ago. Furthermore, Paddy Brophy, one of the best players on that U21 team, is just back from time spent in the AFL, while Kevin Feely (probably Kildare’s best player this spring) didn’t play on that U21 team as he was pursuing a soccer career cross-channel at the time.”
The42′s verdict: Kildare
Offaly v Westmeath
Leinster SFC quarter-final replay
When? Saturday, 2pm
Where? TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar
TV? No
Anybody who watched last weekend’s drab draw could be forgiven for giving this one a miss – but surely both Offaly and Westmeath will bring a bit more adventure to their play at the second time of asking in the hope of booking a Croke Park date against the Dubs.
Offaly squandered more, and better, chances in Tullamore but if home advantage and the conditions bring Westmeath out of their shell a bit more, they have enough quality in attack to capitalise.
Christy O’Connor says: “Last Sunday against Westmeath, Offaly led on four different occasions but they couldn’t close the game out. Offaly did lose two players to double yellow cards and failed to seize the match when it was there for the taking but failing to win a game in Leinster has been a recurring trend. In the last decade, Offaly have only won one Leinster championship match – against Longford last year.”
The42′s verdict: Westmeath
Waterford v Derry
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers Round 1A
When? Saturday, 3pm
Where? Dungarvan
TV? No
Waterford came within touching distance of a huge shock against Cork a fortnight ago, and while the Rebels were their own worst enemies that day, that shouldn’t gloss over the better parts of Waterford’s performance. Derry were a distant second-best in their own championship opener against Tyrone, but they are rightly favourites to progress here.
The42′s verdict: Derry
Louth v Longford
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers Round 1A
When? Saturday, 5pm
Where? Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda
TV? No
A toss-up, with the balance just tipping in Louth’s favour. They have been the more consistent of the two this season, and took their chances to put Meath under real pressure for long stretches of their quarter-final. Longford will need to be much improved from their defeat to Laois.
The42′s verdict: Louth
Wicklow v Laois
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers Round 1A
When? Saturday, 5pm
Where? joule Park, Aughrim
TV? No
Laois were seven-point winners when the sides met in the Leinster championship last summer and anything other than a repeat would be a serious shock.
The42′s verdict: Laois
Sligo v Antrim
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers Round 1A
When? Saturday, 5pm
Where? Markievicz Park
TV? No
There was only a point between the sides when they met in Division 3 this season, Antrim shading victory in Corrigan Park. Sligo gave Mayo plenty to think about in the Connacht quarter-finals, and were still within touching distance with five minutes to play, although they never really threatened. At home against a league rival, they will surely feel the freedom to play a bit more football on Saturday.
The42′s verdict: Sligo
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
