For quite some time now, the Ulster SFC has been the most competitive of all four provinces and this year is no exception.

All roads lead to Ballybofey on Sunday week for the standout fixture involving champions Donegal and Tyrone at the quarter-final stage.

It is no exaggeration to say that the outcome could go along way towards deciding who gets their hands on the Anglo Celt Cup this year.

The holders sacrificed their Division 1 league status to concentrate on their preparations for this crunch clash while Tyrone adopted a different approach in qualifying for the league decider where they narrowly lost out to Dublin.

That loss was by no means a disaster, however, as they were forced to line out minus the services of injured pair Stephen O'Neill and Peter Harte.

The recent return of 'Footballer of the Year' Karl Lacey to training has given Jim McGuinness and his team a timely boost ahead of the crunch fixture.

Whoever comes out on top in this battle will still have work to do against Derry or Down in a semi-final.

Derry are riding high on the crest of a wave following their recent FL Division 2 success while Down - defeated finalists 12 months ago - can never be written off, even if they are badly affected by injuries.

The other side of the draw is wide open and all of the five teams involved will harbour ambitions of reaching the decider.

Cavan and Armagh get the championship underway this weekend when they meet in the preliminary round at Breffni Park.

Armagh will fancy their chances of progressing but they won't underestimate a Cavan side who are bolstered by players from their three-in-a-row Ulster U21 winning sides.

The loss of influential midfielder Gearoid McKiernan will undermine the Breffni County's chances of a first provincial win since 1997.

Peter Canavan's Fermanagh await the winners in the last eight while Antrim and Monaghan are also in this section of the draw.

Malachy O'Rourke and Monaghan savoured Division 3 league success and could be the team to navigate their way through to the final but Tyrone are tipped to capture their 16th provincial crown.

Winners: Tyrone

Runners-up: Monaghan Tweet

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