No quarter given: Who will remain in the hunt for Sam Maguire after the last-eight ties?
WITH THE QUARTER FINAL pairings confirmed, we look at how the race for Sam Maguire will catch fire this weekend.
When the format of the All Ireland championship eventually arrived at the point it is now, the seasoned observers felt one thing above everything else: injuries would become a much bigger factor.
In losing Shane Walsh to a hamstring injury early on against Monaghan, Galway have yet another bit of wear and tear. All of that comes from their mini-meltdown in the closing stages of the final group game against Armagh when they passed up the chance of a win.
Paul Conroy poses for selfies.
Meanwhile, Dublin were able to put their feet up for the last week after they produced their own spectacular rescue job to draw against Mayo in Dr Hyde Park. That rest will go a long way.
Verdict: Dublin.
Donegal v Louth
You should be left in no doubt that when defeat came for Donegal, as it did against Cork in the group stages, manager Jim McGuinness would have smiled a wry smile.
He had a cautionary tale for his team, the sting of defeat and the long road back from Cork to digest it all. No wonder they minced Clare early on in the next game.
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Louth’s continued improvement under Ger Brennan also comes with a greater tactical sophistication than their previous three seasons under Mickey Harte.
Sam Mulroy with his mother Bernie.
They kept Dublin honest in a surprisingly close Leinster final and were already qualified from the group stages after two games.
These two met in round five the league in Ballyshannon. It turned in the last 20 minutes with a Jack McKelvey goal. A Donegal win is expected, but Louth won’t be found lacking tactically like some of their opponents so far.
Verdict: Donegal.
Armagh v Roscommon
At the final whistle in Omagh yesterday, Roscommon fans embraced each other and hailed one of their greatest days.
No matter how far Tyrone have fallen back, travelling to a venue like that and pulling a deserved result out of the bag, leading all the way through, shows the appetite Davy Burke’s men have and the undoubted class of the likes of Ciaran Lennon and Enda Smith.
Armagh have put their Ulster final horror behind them. You suspect if and when they lose again this year, they won’t die wondering. This is a damn good thing for the Armagh players as they have to throw their conservatism off and make a sprint towards the finish from now on.
Verdict: Armagh.
Kerry v Derry
The context for all of this is worth far more than you might first think.
Kerry are acutely aware of how Derry caught them off guard with a helter-skelter positive type of football in last year’s semi-final.
Going down to beat the Kingdom in the league, with Conor Glass along with them, sent out messages that Derry were targeting the Big Door Prize this year and weren’t apologising for it.
Penalty king Conor Doherty.
Their progress in the last few months has been incredible. A complete collapse, followed by tentatively building it all back up again. Winning the way they did against Mayo was as good as it could get for them, Chrissy McKaigue forcing extra-time was a show of defiance.
By now, they look out on their feet. But teams can often appear that way before a massive challenge appears. Kerry are untested and raw and can’t do right for doing wrong in beating whatever has been set in front of them.
The hardest one to call, by far.
Verdict: Kerry.