O’Neill faces Derry trip as Red Hand and Royals collide

CIAN O’NEILL faces a precarious round-one qualifier trip to Derry on Saturday week, with Kildare confidence on the floor after their shock Leinster SFC defeat to Carlow on Sunday.

That marked 12 competitive defeats in-a-row for the Lilies and they will be on guard against a Derry side that brought Mayo to extra-time last summer.

Meath and Tyrone are two more sides on retrieval missions in one of the ties of the round as Red Hand boss Mickey Harte tries to bounce back from defeat against Monaghan minus Lee Brennan and Mark Bradley.

His counterpart, Andy McEntee, watched the Royals fall to Longford in the Leinster SFC for the first time in 36 years and both sides have questions to answer ahead of their Navan clash.

Mayo’s backdoor journey begins with a trip to familiar territory to face Billy Lee’s Limerick, who lost to Clare. Elsewhere, London will be eyeing a scalp against a Louth side that fell tamely to Carlow.

Wicklow entertain Cavan in Aughrim while Paul Rouse’s first game as interim Offaly boss is on home soil against Antrim. Westmeath take on Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh and southeast neighbours, Wexford and Waterford, also collide.

All games will be played to a finish on June 9 – times and venues to be confirmed today – with a free-taking competition set to decide affairs if the sides are level after two periods of extra-time.

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIER ROUND ONE DRAW

Derry v Kildare Meath v Tyrone London v Louth Wicklow v Cavan Offaly v Antrim Limerick v Mayo Westmeath v Armagh Wexford v Waterford