SFC quarter-final previews
July 30, 2010Saturday July 31st
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final - Kerry v. Down
The defending All-Ireland champions have been quietly working away in preparation for this match and now they know their opponents. Kerry must plan without the suspended Tomas O Se and Paul Galvin, while they have injury doubts over Killian Young, Padraig Reidy and Seamus Scanlon, which has left manager Jack O'Connor with a number of selection problems. The lay off since the Munster final will not have helped the Kingdom either, but they are used to being in this situation and are the one team in the country that can adapt to waiting for a quarter-final.
Down have looked impressive in the qualifiers and wins over Longford, Offaly and Sligo have earned them a place in the last eight. The demolition of Sligo will have given them a boost in confidence, but it came at a price as both defender John Rafferty and forward Benny Coulter had to leave the field injured and both are rated doubtful. If these two fail to make it for Saturday's game then Down will be up against it.
The return of Ronan Murtagh is an added bonus to the Ulster side as he kicked 1-5 from play after being introduced as a second half sub against Sligo. Down are a young hungry side eager to leave their mark on this year's championship. Kerry will do well not to take them for granted, but the Munster side will come through, but it may well be a lot closer than people think. Verdict: Kerry
Ladbrokes.com odds: Kerry 3/10; Draw 9/1; Down 10/3
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final - Dublin v. Tyrone
Two years ago the sides met at the same stage and no one will forget Tyrone's demolition of the Dubs that day, especially the Dubs, who will be driven on by revenge. The Dublin side that will take to the field on Saturday will have a very different look to the one that played in 2008, but nonetheless they will have been reminded of that match this week.
The qualifiers have brought Pat Gilroy's charges on leaps and bounds. Granted they missed a number of scoring opportunities against Louth and if they do that against Tyrone, they will be beaten. Eoghan O'Gara looks to be the find of the summer, but he will face his toughest test to date against Justin McMahon and that should be an interesting duel. Bernard Brogan needs to regain the form he has shown this year after a quiet match against the Wee County, while their defence has to be more economical when distributing possession.
Once again Tyrone were written off by many and once again they have proved their critics wrong. They smothered Monaghan out of the Ulster final and they will do the same to Dublin if given the chance. Their style of play sees them dictate the pace of games and this is where their main strength lies. Dublin cannot allow this to happen if they are to go through to the last four, but stopping Tyrone is a task not many counties are capable of doing. Verdict: Tyrone
Ladbrokes.com odds: Tyrone 4/9; Draw 15/2; Dublin 5/2
Sunday August 1st
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final - Roscommon v. Cork
The Rossies caused one of the surprises of the year by defeating Sligo in the Connacht final and it would be a bigger surprise if they could defeat Cork. Even though it was certainly a team effort in winning the provincial title, their reliance on Donie Shine is plain to see and if Cork can keep the fouling down to the minimum, then they will go a long way to booking a place in the All-Ireland semi final.
Roscommon need big performances from the likes of Cathal Cregg and Ger Heneghan, while midfielders Michael Finneran and Karol Mannion need to produce another workmanlike performance to ensure a decent supply of ball into the forwards.
Not many were impressed by Cork's performance against Limerick, but that is very unfair to the Shannonsiders, who gave it their all against one of the best teams in the country.
The return of Nicholas Murphy, Alan O'Connor and Paul Kerrigan means that the Leesiders are edging towards full strength just at the right time. They have come through the qualifiers and each game seems to have brought them on, while last Saturday's game was as good as two championship matches.
The Connacht side deserve their day out in GAA headquarters, but it is hard to see anything other than a win for Cork. Verdict: Cork
Ladbrokes.com odds: Roscommon 15/2; Draw 11/1; Cork 1/9
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final - Meath v. Kildare
These old rivals square up for what could be the tightest of the four quarter-finals this weekend. Both have played Louth in this year's championship and some might say both lost, but the fact is Meath are Leinster champions. It was a lacklustre performance by the Royals in the provincial decider with only Graham Reilly really shining in the forward line.
For Sunday's game, they need everyone on top form. Kevin Reilly has bolstered the defence since his return from injury, but they still have problems in midfield where Kildare duo Daryll Flynn and Dermot Earley have been in outstanding form. Meath showed against Dublin that they are genuine contenders for the All-Ireland, but they need to regain that form this weekend.
Kildare have bounced back from their defeat to Louth and they have made steady progress through the qualifiers ever since with their wins over Derry and Monaghan being particularly impressive. Even though John Doyle didn't have one of his better games last time out, they had other players to take over and in particular James Kavanagh, who was outstanding last weekend.
Meath have a point to prove to the whole country, but Kildare are improving by the game and they might just shade this one. Verdict: Kildare
Ladbrokes.com odds: Meath 21/20; Draw 15/2; Kildare 21/20 Tweet
