Farney depth and goal-shy Galway

defenders has scored at least once in their campaign.

CROWD LIFT

Like-for-like, the Croke Park element of the All-Ireland quarter-finals was well down, as expected, but overall 217,864 watched the 12 games in comparison to 148,746 taking in the four games at headquarters over the same August Bank Holiday weekend last year.

GALWAY’S GOAL DEARTH

Galway’s goal-prevention mechanism has worked impressively all year but in the three Super 8 games they scored just one goal, Patrick Sweeney’s late effort against Kerry.

Monaghan have shown similar reticence with just McManus’s early strike against Kerry.

Can they be as reliant on goal prevention rather than creation in Croke Park against freewheeling Dublin and Tyrone teams?

ROSCOMMON, CROKE PARK AND FOUR-GOAL CONCESSIONS

Roscommon have much to ponder over the winter months but defending better has to be a priority.

Remarkably, they conceded the same score, 4-24, in both Croke Park games, against Tyrone and Dublin. But that ties into an uncanny trend which has seen them concede four goals in their last four Croke Park games, having shipped the same amount against Cavan in the Division Two league final, which they won, and the Ireland quarter-final replay defeat against Mayo last year.

SCHEDULING CHANGES

There’ll be an off-season clamour to give the provincial champions a home game first time out but Kerry will be pushing for a different change, whereby the losers in the first game will have home advantage in their second game to reduce the chances of dead-rubbers in the final round.

BLACK-CARD LULL

Red cards have infuriated Kildare, especially how the removal of Daniel and Neil Flynn impacted their last two games, but black cards have elicited a much lesser reaction over the last three weekends with just seven from the 12 games.

Has the penny dropped with players? Are referees turning a blind eye or is it just that all concerned have finally got accustomed to what’s at stake?