Preview: Tailteann Cup quarter-finals

Saturday, June 13

Tailteann Cup quarter-finals

Offaly v Wexford, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 1pm - GAA+

Offaly entered the Tailteann Cup on the back of eight successive League and Championship defeats but have been a rejuvenated force in this competition.

The injury-epidemic that blighted the first half of their season has largely cleared up, with only long-term absentees Paddy Dunican, John Furlong, and Cathal Flynn still unavailable.

Cormac Egan was a doubt for this match with a groin strain but has been passed fit to play which is a major boost for the Midlanders.

Based on their wins over Clare and pre-tournament favourites, Down, Offaly are the form team in the Tailteann Cup thus far.

They were remarkably clinical in that stunning win over Down, and if they can replicate that sort of shooting here you’d fancy them to advance.

Wexford will be a tough nut to crack, though. They haven’t quite gotten back to the level they produced in the Division 3 Final against Down ever since, but there were signs in their most recent match against Leitrim that they’re finding some form again.

There’s not likely to be much between these two teams, but Offaly’s form-line is the more convincing one.

OFFALY: Conor Melia; Shane O'Toole Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Marcas Dalton; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins, Keith O'Neill, Aaron Leavy; Dylan Hyland, Shane Tierney, Nathan Poland. Subs: Sean O'Toole, Aidan Bracken, Jack Bryant, Eoin Dunne, Rory Egan, Niall Furlong, Harry Goulding, Daire McDaid, Ciaran Murphy, Harry Plunkett, Cathal Ryan

WEXFORD: Darragh Brooks; Eoin Porter, Gavin Sheehan, Dylan Furlong; Liam O Connor, Eoghan Nolan, Glen Malone; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Páiric Hughes, Patrick Breen, Michael Kinsella; Ben Brosnan, Mark Rossiter, Robbie Brooks. Subs: William Gaul, Sean Barden, Ciaran Hourihane, Shane Doyle, Darragh Lyons, Cathal Kehoe, Tom Byrne, Colum Feeney, Martin O Connor, Sean Ryan, Shane Pettit

Antrim v Wicklow, Corrigan Park, 2pm

Both of these teams recorded victories over Tipperary in their most recent outing, with Antrim beating the Premier County by six points and Wicklow getting the job done a tad more comfortably by eight.

Not much in the difference there and we can expect this game to be a tight affair.

Antrim are always a hard nut to crack in Corrigan Park but Wicklow won’t lack for confidence on the back of restorative wins over Limerick and Tipperary.

They scored an average of 25 points across those two games and in players like Kevin Quinn, Oisin McGraynor, Pádraig O’Toole, and Dean Healy have players in a good vein of form.

Antrim have also looked very sharp in attack in recent weeks and what makes them hard to handle is that on any given day a range of players are capable of getting the scoreboard moving.

Nine players got on the scoreboard in their win over Carlow while 11 were on the mark against Tipperary.

It’s a tough game to call but Antrim could benefit from having an extra week to prepare.

ANTRIM: John McNabb; John Morgan, Joseph Finnegan, Kavan Keenan; Eoghan McCabe⁠, Peter Healy, Marc Jordan; Paddy McAleer⁠, Conor Hand⁠; Tiernan McCormack, Ryan McQuillan, Ronan Boyle; Pat Shivers, Niall Burns, Dominic McEnhill⁠. Subs: Luke Mulholland, Eunan Walsh, Benen Kelly, Jack Lenehan⁠, Cathal Hynds, Niall Hynds, Tomas McCann, Tom Shivers, Jamie Gribbin, Adam Loughran, Patrick Finnegan

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Tom Moran, Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone; Darragh Fee, Eoin Murtagh, Gavin Fogarty; Dean Healy, Jack Kirwan; Jonathan Carlin, Padraig O'Toole, Christopher O'Brien; Oisin Mc Graynor, Kevin Quinn, Eoin Darcy. Subs: Cathal Fitzgerald, Mark Kenny, Cian Deering, Joe Prendergast, Liam O Neill, Jack Hardy, Conall Ó Gallchobhair, Jacques Mc Call, Conor Fee, Sean Murphy, Cathal Baker.

Laois v Down, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 4pm - GAA+

Down remain most people’s favourites to win this competition despite their loss to Offaly, but they seem like a team struggling to reset their goals since dropping back down into the Tailteann having likely thought they’d have a run in the All-Ireland SFC.

If they play to their full potential then you’d fancy them to win here, but a match away to Laois represents a very stiff challenge.

The Midlanders have shown good form so far in the competition with wins over Wicklow and London, and forwards like Evan O’Carroll, Pa Kirwan, Paddy O’Sullivan, and Paul Kingston are all looking sharp.

If they win the battle for possession in the middle third then Laois have a chance, but otherwise a Down team that possesses serious scoring power in the shape of men like Pat Havern, Miceal Rooney, Ceilum Doherty, Daniel Guinness and Odhran Murdock should be good enough to advance .

LAOIS: Killian Roche; Alex Mohan, Trevor Collins, Jack Lacey; Patrick O'Sullivan, Simon Fingleton, Pa Kirwan; Conor Heffernan, Robert Tyrrell; Mikie Dempsey, Ronan Coffey, Kevin Swayne; Brian Byrne, Daragh Galvin, Evan O'Carroll. Subs: Matthew Byron, Darren Brennan, Ciaran Burke, Killian Byrne, Niall Corbett Ben Dempsey, Josh Hogan, Paul Kingston, Rioghan Murphy, Cian Nolan Cian Ryle

DOWN: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Patrick Brooks; Callum Rogers, Shane Annett, Ryan Magill; Ryan McEvoy, Odhran Murdock; Daniel Guinness, Ceilum Doherty Miceal Rooney; John McGeough, Pat Havern, Eamon Brown. Subs: John O'Hare, Finn McElroy, Caolan Mooney, Tom McCarroll, Patrick McCarthy, Ruairi McCormack, Ross Carr, Ruari O'Hare, Tom Close, Órán Cunningham, Adam Crimmins

Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, 5pm

When these two teams met at the same stage of last year’s Tailteann Cup it was Fermanagh who advanced after a tight-battle.

More recently, Sligo came out on top when the sides met in Division Three of the Allianz Football League.

Based on form in this competition though, you’d make Fermanagh favourites to come out on top here.

They’ve won both of their matches against Longford and Wexford whereas Sligo were beaten by Tipperary and laboured to wins over Waterford and London.

Forwards like Darragh McGurn, Stephen McGullion, and Conor Love have been in good form for Fermanagh recently, and they have a very strong looking bench with players like Garvan Jones, Ultan Kelm, and Oisin Kelm to bring in.

Those two factors combined along with home advantage should see them come out on top here.

FERMANAGH: Seán McNally; Luke Flanagan, Oisin Smyth, Shane McGullion; Jonathan Cassidy, Ronan McCaffrey, Josh Largo Elis; Conor McGee, Stephen McGullion; Brandon Horan, Seán Cassidy, Joe McDade; Conor Love, Darragh McGurn, Ciaran Corrigan. Subs: Ethan McCaffrey, Garvan Jones, Ultan Kelm, Mattie McDermott, Declan McCusker, Oisín Kelm, Cian O'Brien, Lughaidh Donnelly, James McMahon, Conor O’Hanlon, Aogán Kelm

SLIGO: Aidan Devaney; Tommy Ross, Luke Casserly, Jack Lavin; Canice Mulligan, Conor Sheridan, Nathan Mullen; Darragh Cummins, Gavin Gorman; Lee Deignan, Alan McLoughlin, Cian Lally; David Quinn, Niall Murphy, Shane Deignan. Subs: Keelan Harte, Michael Lavin, Eddie McGuinness, Kyle Cawley, Pat Spillane, Joshua Flynn, Daire O'Boyle, Conor Walsh, Paul Kilcoyne, James Donlon. Mark McDaniel