Jason Sherlock Football Column - July 30

We have reached All-Ireland Quarter Final weekend.

"It’s a defining weekend for most teams, for some, to be still playing football in August would have represented the height of their ambition at the start of the year. For others, this is where their season starts."

When trying to assess this weekend’s fixtures I believe this is a crucial factor in who might prevail in each fixture.

This Weekend's Predictions

Kerry v Down
The reigning champions kickstart the weekend and no doubt they have being itching to get back to play in Croke Park. Of all the quarter finalists, Kerry have been inactive for the longest so there may be a possibility of some ring rustiness. There were initially some questions about the form shown in their Munster Final victory but once again Limerick proved that they are a very difficult opponent to dispose of against Cork last weekend.
Whatever chance Down had of arriving in Croke Park under the radar was dashed with their impressive tally of 3-20 against Sligo. Even taking into account that Sligo suffered from the six-day syndrome, it is a massive total and it proves how potent the Down attack can be. This is epitomised by their talisman Benny Coulter and it is very refreshing to see a player backing himself and going for the jugular at every given opportunity. It will also be great to see Marty Clarke arrive on the big stage after cutting short his time in Australia.
There is no doubt that Down have a massive opportunity to pull off an upset. For them to win, they will need goals and they may just have the forwards to get them. Taking into account the suspensions to Paul Galvin and Tomás Ó Sé, this will probably be the weakest team that Kerry will field in this year’s All-Ireland series. However, Kerry have proved so far this year that they now have a panel of guys who they know can perform on the big day and in “Star” and “the Gooch” they have the most awesome forward combination I have ever seen. This game has the makings of a good old fashioned shoot-out and I think that Kerry’s big time game experience will see them through.
Verdict - Kerry

Tyrone v Dublin
These teams met at the same stage two years ago but there is no question that there is a totally different opinion of where both teams are in their development this year. Back then, Tyrone had stumbled into a quarter final overcoming Mayo in a scrappy game whereas Dublin came in on the back of a resounding Leinster final victory over Wexford. It looked liked the only logical outcome was that Dublin were primed to dispose of an aging Tyrone team but on the day that certainly wasn’t the case and Tyrone proved they had a lot more big performances in them.

This year there has almost been a role reversal. Tyrone arrive on the back of the most comprehensive performance of the championship so far versus Monaghan. Playing Dublin is just the challenge Mickey Harte’s men will revel in as they are a big game team.

"When I think of Tyrone’s strengths the first word that springs to mind is versatility, not only in their style of play but also in how they can finish a game out and do whatever is necessary. Most teams have a plan A and B but with Tyrone you would struggle to work out where their next attack will come from."

Dublin on the other hand arrive on the back of some confidence boosting wins in the qualifiers but without much proof that they can mix it with the big boys yet. Pat Gilroy has been keen to stress all year that this is a transition year for his Dublin team so it would be very hard to make a case for Dublin this Saturday. However, I believe that reducing the burden of expectation from Dublin will help them perform to their potential, something Dublin have come nowhere near to doing in their last two quarter final appearances.

Most logic will convince you that this is a bridge too far for this Dublin team and they are only a stepping stone for Tyrone to overcome on the way to bigger and better things.

"But I can’t get the performance that Dublin produced to beat Tyrone in Omagh in the league out of my head, Dublin have proved to themselves that they can beat Tyrone in their back yard and they go into this game as massive underdogs, something that has not happened in a long time. I’m not sure if it’s my heart overruling my head but I can see the Hill 16 faithful getting a performance to be proud of on Saturday evening."

Verdict - Dublin

Roscommon v Cork
On paper, this looks the most one-sided of the quarter finals. By Roscommon manager Fergal O’Donnell’s own admission, they are in bonus territory now. His team and their supporters can relish their visit to Croke Park this Sunday. There will be no pressure on his team to win and a lot of teams play their best football when they have nothing to lose. If Roscommon can match the energy and drive they produced in the Connacht Final they will provide Cork with a stern test.

Cork on the other hand will see this game as a great opportunity to get to a semi-final. They will not be fazed by being red hot favourites to progress as their focus has to be on their own performance. It was clear to see that they didn’t play up to the standards we expect from them against Limerick but the positive side to that is that Conor Counihan will now have players that will all feel they have a chance to get into the starting 15 and you can’t beat having a competitive panel pushing for game time at this time of year.

There is no reason why Roscommon cannot perform to their maximum this Sunday but the element of surprise is now gone and they are facing a Cork side that have major ambitions this year. A big factor in their Connacht Final victory was the performance of Donie Shine. Sligo could not cope with the big full forward. However, there is not a more physical team in the country than Cork and I believe they will have more than enough to snuff out the threat of Shine & Co. and go on to win this game comfortably.
Verdict – Cork

Meath v Kildare
It was evident in the performance of Louth that the emotional baggage from the Leinster Final had taken its toll on them. This Meath team would be a lot more experienced than Louth but it will be interesting to see if their provincial title victory has any effect on them. Meath have proved that they have some blue chip forwards who only need a sniff of a chance. When you have players of the calibre of Stephen Bray, Joe Sheridan and Cian Ward it instils a lot of confidence in your team because you always have a chance no matter what the score is. They can conjure up a goal from nothing.

Kildare have been consistent in starting slowly in their games but finishing very strongly. One of the traits Kieran McGeeney has brought to Kildare is that nothing seems to faze them. When it wasn’t working out for Johnny Doyle in front of the posts against Monaghan they didn’t panic and up stepped James Kavanagh to guide them home in front. In recent years if Doyle didn’t perform Kildare lost but this team has a lot more class and maturity nowadays.

Meath go into this game as slight favourites but I would see this game slightly differently. If you had offered Meath at the start of the year a provincial title beating the Dubs on the way there is no doubt that this would be seen as a successful season. Kildare on the other hand have been knocking on the quarter final door for the last couple of seasons, the only sign of progress for them will be to go one step further. For me, they have shown enough over the last few weeks to suggest that they will have enough to overcome Meath this Sunday.
Verdict - Kildare