WEEKEND GAA PREVIEWS
TODAY
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION1 FINAL (ET if necessary & winner on the Day)
Clare v Kilkenny Semple Stadium, 7.15pm (TG4)
To understand how finally balanced this one is, just go back to the group stage when both teams registered the very same amount in terms of scores for, and scores conceded. Clare took the bragging rights at the top of the table only by virtue of a narrow win at home against Kilkenny who have gone up a couple of gears since.
A first national trophy under Brian Lohan has to be a major motivation for Clare until you think that one eye has to be on a first round Munster championship meeting with Limerick in just over a fortnight and that Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and David McInerney have yet to come into the mix.
Kilkenny’s spirit and defensive discipline is always a thing to behold and TJ Reid and Eoin Cody are such dangerous ballwinners and finishers, they might just tip the balance.
VERDICT: KILKENNY
CONNACHT SFC QF London v Galway McGovern Park, Ruislip, 3.0
London has a deserved reputation for making life tough for visitors on their own patch, but that comes with the qualification of the opposition being within their own realm.
The reality is Galway, even with the injury-enforced absence of so many heavyweights, belong to a different world and while this might carry the promise of being somewhat competitive in the early stages, by the end the standard double-digit margin will separate them.
VERDICT: GALWAY
TOMORROW CONNACHT SFC QFS Leitrim v Sligo Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 3.30
A couple of great weeks for Leitrim football were capped off in midweek when the under-20’s defeated Mayo in the round robin stage in Connacht.
What revealed much, though, was that Andy Moran, who is in charge of both the under-20s and the seniors, selected Barry McNulty and Jason Foley, thereby ruling them out of this fixture. The result justified that decision but also signalled that Leitirm’s focus is not on a competition they can’t win but on making a better fist of one which they can be competitive in when the Tailteann Cup throws in next month.
VERDICT: SLIGO
New York v Mayo Gaelic Park, 8.0
Kevin McStay needs no warning about the perils of this trip given that in his maiden Connacht campaign as an inter-county manager, his Roscommon team were blessed to get out of the Big Apple unscathed in 2016.
McStay will judge the success of this trip on the basis that he maintains his team’s clean bill of health while the supporters will judge it on the craic and the duty free brought home.
As for the result? Well, that’s a given. VERDICT: MAYO
LEINSTER SFC ROUND 1 Wexford v Carlow Wexford Park, 2.30
Wexford probably did enough to get promoted to Division 3 but paid the ultimate price for losing out to a last-minute penalty against Leitrim that cost them on the head-to-head result.
In contrast, after a bright start to the spring, Carlow faltered and when these teams met last month, Wexford had 10 points to spare at the end.
There is enough in that to suggest that they will be the ones to go forward to play Louth in next weekend’s quarter-final.
VERDICT: WEXFORD
Longford v Meath Pearse Park 3.0
It was a good week for Longford as their minors scored a first championship win over Dublin in over 20 years, but this should qualify as a reality check although they hardly need one.
It was another disappointing spring for Paddy Christie’s side, never even getting close to Wexford in what was a must-win final round game to win promotion.
As for Meath, they were comfortable in staying in Division 2 but will be less so here with the booby prize on offer. Dublin are up next.
VERDICT: MEATH
Wicklow v Westmeath O’Moore Park, 3.30
Dessie Dolan’s biggest challenge may be getting his team grounded after last weekend’s Division 3 title success, but despite that temporarily securing Sam Maguire status they have a battle on their hands to keep it.
They will need to beat Kildare in next weekend’s quarter-final, so with eyes on that prize there can be no slip-up.
VERDICT: WESTMEATH
MUNSTER SFC QFS Cork v Limerick Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.0
There will hardly even be a pretence on Limerick’s part that they have a chance here. Jimmy Lee has lost half the panel that was relegated from Division 2 last season, begetting another winless spring. This is a fixture that reveals the utter dysfunctionality of the provincial system.
VERDICT: CORK
Waterford v Tipperary Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 2.0
Try this for GAA logic. Last weekend, the 16th ranked team in the game, Down, were as good as eliminated from the 16-team Sam Maguire. This fixture will see the 30th ranked team play the 32nd ranked team to earn a play-off to get into the top 16. This fixture is not about who wins, it is about how football loses.
VERDICT: TIPPERARY
ULSTER SFC PRELIMINARY ROUND Monaghan v Cavan St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 4.0
There is rarely little to choose between them, understandably given the rivalry, but Monaghan have the superior pedigree.
Much will hang on their bill of health. The absence of Stephen O’Hanlon hurt them in particular over the latter rounds of the league, but they still look the more likely for a quarter-final joust against Tyrone. VERDICT: MONAGHAN