Preview: All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals
Cavan manager Raymond Galligan. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Saturday, June 21
All-Ireland senior football championship, preliminary quarter-finals
Kerry v Cavan, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 3.30pm, GAA+
Even in the absence of Sean O'Shea, Paudie Clifford, Diarmuid O'Connor and Paul Geaney, Kerry's defeat to Meath last weekend was a big surprise.
With some of those players back - O'Shea and Diarmuid O'Connor both start while Clifford is on the bench - and home advantage in Killarney, they will fancy themselves to bounce back with a win. Anything else would be seen as a disaster in the Kingdom.
There are no guarantees though, just ask Mayo whose season is over mainly because of their Group 1 defeat to Cavan. Mayo had home advantage that day too.
Jack O'Connor will demand an improvement in all the fundamental areas; urgency, intensity, physicality, improvement around collection of the breaking ball and kick-outs. Establishing a stranglehold at midfield is vital.
He has made five changes in total, with O'Shea, O'Connor, Brian O Beaglaoich, Conor Geaney and Sean O'Brien all named to start.
Cavan will be desperate to avoid a fourth defeat in this year's Championship and the end of their campaign.
They need to summon the same chutzpah they showed against Mayo. Their press on the Tyrone kick-out last weekend, even if they were heavily defeated in the end, was effective at times and they may go after this again.
Ryan Donohoe has returned to the team at midfield and will partner Evan Crowe, with Oisin Kiernan dropping to the bench.
KERRY: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Brian O Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Gavin White; Joe O'Connor, Sean O'Brien; Diarmuid O'Connor, Sean O'Shea, Graham O'Sullivan; David Clifford, Conor Geaney, Dylan Geaney.
Subs: Shane Murphy, Dylan Casey, Killian Spillane, Tadhg Morley, Armin Heinrich, Micheal Burns, Evan Looney, Tom Leo O'Sullivan, Mark O'Shea, Paudie Clifford, Dara Moynihan.
CAVAN: Liam Brady; Niall Carolan, Killian Brady, Cian Reilly; Brian O'Connell, Ciaran Brady, Padraig Faulkner; Ryan Donohoe, Evan Crowe; Gerard Smith, Dara McVeety, Oisin Brady; Cormac O'Reilly, Paddy Lynch, Cian Madden.
Subs: Gary O'Rourke, Luke Fortune, Killian Clarke, Oisin Kiernan, Jason McLoughlin, Ruairi Curran, Luke Molloy, Gearoid McKiernan, Thomas Edward Donohoe, Ryan O'Neill, Sean McEvoy.
Con O'Callaghan in action against Brendan Rogers of Derry. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Dublin v Cork, Croke Park, 6.15pm, GAA+
When generational talents like Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello and Con O'Callaghan are on their game and fully firing, Dublin tend to win.
That was proven against Derry, last weekend, and previously against Galway in the group stage of the All-Ireland SFC.
When Dublin's senior players are not around, however, or not on top form, all sorts of possibilities open up for their opposition as Dublin's defeats to Meath and Armagh in this year's Championship highlighted.
That's the really intriguing thing about Dublin this weekend - which version will show up? Their five-game record since the start of the Leinster SFC reads; won, lost, won, lost, won. For that sequence to continue, and for Dublin to lose again, Cork will need to do something they haven't done in 15 years - beat Dublin in a Championship game at Croke Park.
Cork manager John Cleary was giving off positive vibes immediately after the draw was made. "I think we always play reasonably well against them," he offered.
Paul Walsh's quad injury, picked up against Roscommon hasn't prevented him from being named again in an unchanged Cork team. Sean Walsh was an injury concern too but has also been selected.
Dessie Farrell has gone with the same team too, leaving Eoin Murchan as an experienced defensive option on the bench.
DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; Theo Clancy, Sean MacMahon, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Ciaran Kilkenny; Killian McGinnis, Sean Bugler, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Cormac Costello.
Subs: Evan Comerford, Luke Breathnach, Nathan Doran, Alex Gavin, Tom Lahiff, Greg McEneaney, Ross McGarry, Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Lorcan O'Dell, Eoghan O'Donnell.
CORK: Micheal Aodh Martin; Sean Meehan, Daniel O'Mahony, Maurice Shanley; Brian O'Driscoll, Sean Brady, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O'Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Sean Walsh, Sean McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Chris Og Jones.
Subs: Patrick Doyle, Neil Lordan, Rory Maguire, Sean Powter, Luke Fahy, Conor Cahalane, Eoghan McSweeney, Ruairi Deane, Conor Corbett, Cathail O'Mahony, Hugh O'Connor.
Galway manager Pádraic Joyce. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Sunday, June 22
All-Ireland senior football championship, preliminary quarter-finals
Down v Galway, Pairc Esler, Newry, 1.45pm, GAA+
It's no great surprise that Galway are considerable favourites to win this one and to march on to an All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.
They failed narrowly after all to win the Sam Maguire Cup last year while Down operated in the tier below, winning the Tailteann Cup.
But Conor Laverty continues to make rapid progress with Down who posted big group wins over Clare and Louth last month. And if it wasn't for Monaghan's greater experience and game management down the stretch in Armagh City last Sunday, they might have pinched another win to secure their quarter-final place.
Second place in Group 3 at least guaranteed them home advantage for this one in Newry and a special atmosphere awaits.
Laverty is committed to fast, attacking football and has the players in Ryan McEvoy, Odhran Murdock, Danny Magill and Pat Havern - the latter struck 12 points against Monaghan - to make it work. Eugene Branagan's return to the half-forward line, the only change to their team from the Monaghan game, brings more skill and craft.
The problem for Down is, if Galway play to their potential few teams can match them. Shane Walsh turned it on against Armagh, scoring 0-9, and Down must pick the right man to mark him, perhaps Pierce Laverty.
Walsh starts again while reigning Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy is back in at midfield, replacing Peter Cooke. Cian Hernon starts in defence in place of Jack Glynn. The availability of injury plagued forward Damien Comer is significant. He is included among the substitutes.
DOWN: Ronan Burns; Patrick McCarthy, Peter Fegan, Ceilum Doherty; Ryan Magill, Pierce Laverty, Miceal Rooney; Daniel Guinness, Ryan McEvoy; Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock, Eugene Branagan; James Guinness, Pat Havern, John McGeough.
Subs: John O'Hare, Ruairi McCormack, Aaron McClements, Donal Scullion, Eoin McCrickard, Adam Crimmins, Oisin Savage, Caolan Mooney, Finn Murdock, Patrick Brooks, Conor McCrickard.
GALWAY: Conor Flaherty; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Liam Silke; Dylan McHugh, Sean Kelly, Cian Hernon; Paul Conroy , John Maher; Cein Darcy, Matthew Tierney, Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Matthew Thompson.
Subs: Connor Gleeson, Jack Glynn, Cathal Sweeney, Sean O Maoilchiarain, Daniel O'Flaherty, John Daly, Peter Cooke, Kieran Molloy, Tomo Culhane, Johnny Heaney, Damien Comer.
Ciaran Downey of Louth kicks a point. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Donegal v Louth, MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, 4pm, GAA+
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness has a little inside information when it comes to what makes Louth tick.
When the Naomh Mairtin club, home of current Louth captain and talisman forward Sam Mulroy, won their first ever Louth SFC in 2020, McGuinness was part of the backroom.
It gave McGuinness a vital insight into the key figures in Louth football and he will come up against many of them again.
Throw in the fact that Ulster champions Donegal will be at home in Ballybofey, a venue where they have traditionally thrived, and the good vibes in their camp after beating Mayo narrowly last weekend, and you get a feeling for just how stiff a test this is for Louth.
Daire O Baoill came on and scored a two-pointer against Mayo and has been retained in the starting lineup, the only alteration to the Donegal team.
Louth lost All-Ireland SFC group games to neighbours Monaghan and Down immediately after winning the Leinster title.
A hangover period after such a landmark triumph was perhaps to be expected and boss Ger Brennan will be hoping that after beating Clare last weekend to set up this fixture, they can pull off another win for the ages.
All-Star wing-back Craig Lennon and goalkeeper Niall McDonnell went off against Clare with injuries though both have been named to start again.
The only change that Brennan has made to his team is in the full-back line where Dermot Campbell is preferred to Dan Corcoran.
At the other end of the field, Ciaran Downey, fresh off his 1-5 haul against Clare, and Ciaran Keenan have the flair to hurt Donegal, as does captain and full-forward Sam Mulroy.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell; Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.
Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Mark Curran, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Eoin McHugh, Caolan McColgan, Jason McGee.
LOUTH: Niall McDonnell; Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Emmet Carolan, Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Dara McDonnell; Conal McKeever, Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes; Ciaran Keenan, Sam Mulroy, Ryan Burns.
Subs: Tiernan Markey, Liam Jackson, Anthony Williams, Sean Callaghan, Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Byrne, Dan Corcoran, Conor Branigan, Ryan Walsh, Daire McConnon, Paul Matthews.
