Preview: Weekend's Allianz Football League action

Allianz Football League Division 1

Saturday, February 21

Dublin v Kerry, Croke Park, 7pm - TG4

Dublin will be keen to build on a badly needed first win of the campaign against Monaghan last time out.

It was far from a perfect performance, and they might have come out on the wrong side of the result had Monaghan been more clinical in front of goal, but they showed some resolve to stay in the game when it looked like it was going against them and then finish strongly to take the spoils.

Ger Brennan revealed afterwards he has run the rule over 164 players since taking charge of the team with 54 of them seeing competitive action so far this year.

This is clearly then a period of transition for the Dubs, but against Monaghan it was notable that familiar faces like Con O’Callaghan, Ciarán Kilkenny, and Sean Bugler were their main men.

If they’re to challenge for silverware this year they’ll need the younger generation to shoulder a greater burden of responsibility.

Kerry have had inconsistent start to the League, within games as much as from game to game. At times they’ve played some sparkling attacking football, but at others they’ve been defensively very fragile.

Both sides of that coin were in evidence in last weekend’s draw with Galway. Leading by 12 points at one stage, Kerry suffered a mini-collapse in the second-half as Galway took a deserved share of the spoils.

Jack O’Connor has so far used the League to give opportunities to players like Keith Evans, Cillian Trant, and Tomás Kennedy and they’ve all performed well so as an exercise in increasing the depth of his panel he’ll probably be happy enough with how the League has gone so far.

He’ll also want Kerry to start building some momentum with wins and no better place to do that than in Croke Park against Dublin where Kerry’s League record in recent years has been very poor.

Galway v Roscommon, Pearse Stadium, Salthill, 7pm

After a chastening opening round defeat to Mayo, Galway showed a lot of resolve to reel in big deficits to against Armagh and Kerry to take a win and a draw from those two games respectively.

The nature of their second-half performance against Kerry last weekend was especially impressive as they dominated breaking ball in the middle third of the field which gave them the platform to come from 12 points down to claim a share of the spoils.

Many people predicted a tough League campaign for Roscommon this year but they’ve been the surprise packets of Division 1

They were very unfortunate not to claim at least a draw with Kerry in the first round and have since won back-to-back games against Monaghan and Armagh.

They’ve scored more than any other team in the division – an average of 25 points per game – with players like Daire Cregg, Diarmuid Murtagh, and Enda Smith, in a rich vein of scoring form.

They can now start filtering St. Brigid’s players like Shane Cunnane, Ruaidhrí Fallon, Conor Hand, and Ben O’Carroll back into the team so at this stage in the season it looks like Mark Dowd’s panel has an enviable strength in depth.

This is likely to be a very tight game but Galway’s big men in the middle third like John Maher, Matthew Tierney, and Sean Kelly could give them a ball-winning edge.

Sunday, February 22

Monaghan v Mayo, St Tiernach's Park, Clones, 1.45pm - TG4 player

After an impressive start to the campaign Mayo were given a dose of reality by Donegal in Round 3.

An expansive style of play with an emphasis on kick-passing that had opened up Galway and Dublin ran aground against Donegal’s supremely organised defence and Andy Moran’s team just didn’t have a Plan B.

This game against a Monaghan team that has lost three from three presents an ideal opportunity for the Connacht side to get things back on track.

Moran couldn’t be better briefed for the challenge given he coached the Farney County under manager Gabriel Bannigan last year.

Monaghan have scored less than any other team in the division – an average of 17 points per game – and were especially profligate last weekend against Dublin when they failed to finish a glut of genuine goal-scoring chances.

They’re always a tough nut to crack in Clones but the form-line favours Mayo.

Armagh v Donegal, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 3.45pm - TG4

Donegal have made a hugely impressive start to the campaign with three wins from three by an average of five points each.

They’ve conceded less than another team in the division and going forward they have been just as impressive.

Forwards like Conor O’Donnell and Oisin Gallen are in great form, but what makes Donegal so difficult to play against is that they attack you from all sorts of angles with a multitude of players capable of taking a score.

In their three wins to date against Dublin, Kerry, and Mayo, an average of nine players per game got on the scoring sheet.

Armagh have actually scored more than Donegal so far in the campaign but they’ve been let down by some soft defending that has seen them concede seven goals so far with six of them coming in their last two games against Galway and Roscommon.

If Kieran McGeeney’s team can tighten things up at the back they have enough scoring power to go toe to toe with Donegal, but it’s hard to look beyond another win for Jim McGuinness’ team here.

Allianz Football League Division 2

Saturday, February 21

Derry v Offaly, Find Insurance Celtic Park, Derry, 6pm

It’s been a tough start to the League for an injury-hit Offaly team who have lost their three matches to date by an average of six points each.

After losing their opening round match against Meath, Derry have found some impressive form with wins over Tyrone and Kildare.

The likes of Shane McGuigan, Conor Glass, Lachlan Murray, and Brendan Rogers are all playing really good football and should keep their team’s promotion drive on track here.

Sunday, February 22

Cork v Meath, Páirc Uí Rinn, 2pm

This is a top of the table clash between two teams who have both won their three matches to date.

Cork’s victories have come against the three bottom teams in the division – Louth, Cavan, and Offaly – so this game will give us a greater insight into how well equipped they are to secure a return to Division 1 for the first time since 2016.

The Rebels have certainly packed a punch in attack so far this year with players like Steven Sherlock, Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, and Colm O’Callaghan all catching the eye.

Much like Meath, their style of football seems very well suited to the space provided by the new rules.

There has been a lot to admire about how the Royals have gone about their work so far this year.

The opening round win over Derry looks even better now considering how the Oak Leaf county have since beaten Tyrone and Derry.

Robbie Brennan’s team then showed great resolve to beat both Cavan and Meath via last gasp two-pointers from Jack Flynn.

In a match of fine margins, home advantage could give Cork a slight edge.

Louth v Tyrone, DEFY Páirc Mhuire, 2pm

Tyrone got a much needed first win of the campaign last weekend against Cavan as Darragh Canavan ran riot, scoring nine points.

This match will be the last he’ll play until the championship though as he’s heading to Australia for a month so you’d imagine he’ll be keen to sign off in style.

It’s a blow for Tyrone not just because of what Canavan brings to the table, but it also interrupts what looks like being a great on-pitch relationship between him and rising star Eoin McElholm.

Louth could be feeling little deflated by last weekend’s defeat to Meath when they roared back from 11-points down at half-time to take the lead late on only to succumb to a last-gasp Jack Flynn two-pointer.

Sam Mulroy and Craig Lennon were inspirational in that second-half and the star duo will need to produce big performances again here if Louth are to ease their growing relegation worries.

Cavan v Kildare, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 3pm

After two narrow defeats against Cork and Meath when they performed creditably, last weekend’s heavy reverse to Tyrone was surely a morale-sapping one for Cavan.

They badly need a first win of the campaign here but that won’t be easy against a young Kildare team that has played some very good football so far in the campaign, drawing with Tyrone, beating Offaly, and then giving Derry a great game last weekend.

Young players like Ben Loakman, James Harris, Eoin Lawlor, and Padraic Spillane have caught the eye and it really does look like the Lilywhites are building towards a brighter future.

This will be another good test of Brian Flanagan’s team because although Cavan’s form-line isn’t that impressive, they’re always a tough team to beat in Kingspan Breffni.

Allianz Football League Division 3

Sunday, February 22

Westmeath v Fermanagh, TEG Cusack Park, 2pm

It’s been a poor start to the campaign for Fermanagh who have lost all three of their games by an average of five points each.

Westmeath have been much better and are very much in the hunt for promotion with two wins from three. Their only defeat came last weekend against Down but they’ll take a lot of encouragement from the fact they came from 11 points down to only lose by three in the end.

Luke Loughlin has been on fire this year and is a likely match-winner here again.

Clare v Laois, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, 2pm

This is a big game for both counties. Win it and you’re in the promotion picture. Lose it and you’re worrying about relegation.

It’s hard to make sense of Laois’ form. They drew with Limerick then suffered a chastening 14-point defeat to Wexford before bouncing back with a seven-point win over Sligo.

Clare have been more consistent. Even though they lost their first two games against Down and Westmeath they were very competitive in both games and finally got off the mark last time out against Fermanagh.

Forwards like Mark McInerney, Aaron Griffin, and Eoin Cleary can give the Banner County an edge here.

Sligo v Limerick, Markievicz Park, 1pm

Limerick showed great guts to claim a last-gasp win against previously unbeaten Wexford last weekend.

Their only loss of the campaign so far has been a one-point defeat to table-toppers Down so they’re in good form. They’re never likely to blow the opposition away, but their mean defence means they’re always competitive.

A Sligo team well beaten last weekend by Laois aren’t as consistent so you’d fancy the Shannonsiders here.

Wexford v Down, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2pm

Wexford started the campaign with impressive wins over Fermanagh and Laois but were sickened last weekend when beaten by an injury-time Limerick goal.

They’ll go into this game as underdogs but they have the meanest defence in the League and that should ensure at the very least this will be a tight game.

You’d still fancy a Down team with three wins from three and an impressive range of attacking threats to get the job done.

Allianz Football League Division 4

Saturday, February 21

Carlow v Waterford, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm

Joe Murphy is getting a nice tune out of the Carlow footballers. They’re the only team in Division Four with three wins from three thanks to victories over Antrim, Wicklow, and Tipperary.

All of those teams would have fancied their own chances of being in the promotion picture, which only makes Carlow’s body of work to date all the more impressive.

Waterford, in contrast, have lost three from three so the form line heavily favours the home team here.

Sunday, February 22

Wicklow v London, Echelon Park, 1pm

After defeat to Carlow in Round 2, Wicklow got their promotion push back on track with victory over Waterford last weekend.

London will be deflated by letting a 10-point half-time lead slip against Leitrim last weekend, but you wouldn’t write them off all the same.

A big win away to Longford in Round 2 proved they no longer suffer from the sort of travel-sickness they did in the past.

This will be tight, but home advantage should tell for Wicklow.

Leitrim v Antrim, Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 2pm

Leitrim will have their tails up after a heartening come from behind win over London last weekend.

Barry McNulty was the hero of the hour, kicking a remarkable six two-pointers after coming on as a sub.

Antrim have been very poor so far this year losing their three games by an average of seven points each and another tough afternoon cold be in store here.

Longford v Tipperary, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2pm

Longford’s two wins of the campaign have come against the two teams that have lost three from three – Antrim and Waterford.

Tipperary’s form-line is slightly more convincing. They drew away to a London team that beat Longford and were narrowly beaten last weekend by table-toppers Carlow.