GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Championship Previews

Eight will (barring replays) become four by Sunday evening as the GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Championship reaches the quarter-final stage, with provincial champions going up against those sides who have emerged from the qualifiers.

No games looks to be a cut-and-dried call and attempting to predict which four teams will be left standing in the semi-finals is a difficult task.

GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Championship – Quarter-final

Croke Park: Roscommon v Cork, 2.00pm, Sunday

Last year, three wins – against Waterford, Kerry and Limerick – had Cork at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage and this time around, they are also after three victories, though by the more circuitous route, to get to the last eight.

In beating Cavan, Wexford and Limerick, Cork had it relatively easy in the first two games but last Saturday’s win away to the Shannonsiders will have surely told them a thing or two about how they are shaping up.

The 20 minutes of extra time in that game will not have exactly helped the Rebels however and Roscommon, with a two-week break after a first Connacht title since 2001, will hope to use this to their advantage.

In that fine victory against Sligo, Rossies midfielders Karol Mannion and Michael Finneran were both excellent, and they will need to be again on Sunday, as Limerick showed – in the first half, at least – what can be achieved against Cork if you beat them at midfield.

Donal Shine’s free-taking has been excellent all summer and there are few transgressions that he will not punish, while he is also dangerous from open play. Cork’s Michael Shields, however, has nullified Seanie Johnston, Mattie Forde and Ian Ryan in recent weeks and will relish the challenge here.

A lot could come down to how many other Roscommon forwards are able to ease the weight on Shine and chip in with their own scores, especially as Cork have been very solid defensively for the most part this season.

In attack, Cork have laboured at times, but they would look to be improving as the year goes on and will certainly provide a stern test for the Connacht side’s backs.

It is this great scoring power that makes Cork favourites, and should probably see them over the line, though Roscommon would enjoy making the experts eat their words again this summer.

GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Championship – Quarter-final
Croke Park: Meath v Kildare, 4.00pm, Sunday

An all-Leinster clash and possibly the toughest game of the weekend to call as both sides come into this match with momentum behind them.

In winning a first Leinster title since 2001, Meath have lifted a weight from their shoulders, and should be in confident mood going into this tie.

For Kildare, however, it will be the sixth consecutive week playing in the All-Ireland championship and Kieran McGeeney and his selectors will surely have a better idea about their side than they did before the Leinster loss to Louth.

Forwards Johnny Doyle and James Kavanagh have been the most impressive for Kildare in their journey through the back door, while Dermot Earley has once again been a colossus at midfield.

All three, and the likes of Alan Smith and Ronan Sweeney, will need to perform if the Lilywhites are to reach a first All-Ireland semi-final since the qualifiers were introduced, but they will know that they won’t get anything easy from the Royals.

The perception all summer has been that Meath are a team of two, quite distinct parts, namely an attack that is the equal of any in the country but possessing weak defence.

The relocating of Anthony Moyles to the half-back line though, allowing Kevin Reilly to slot in at full-back, has been good for both the players and Meath and Kildare will have to work hard for any scores.

At the other end, the skill of Shane O’Rourke, Joe Sheridan, Stephen Bray, Cian Ward et al will ensure that Meath make an impact on the scoreboard. The challenge for Kildare will be trying to match that from their own sharpshooters’ point of view and the success of Doyle’s free-taking could be a factor in who wins.

It is set to be a very close-run thing, and a goal could prove to be the difference.