Football Previews

LEINSTER SFC FIRST ROUND
Westmeath v Offaly, Croke Park, 4.0, Live on RTÉ 2 - The obvious starter for this match is the last meeting between the sides in 2004, when Offaly had genuine cause to claim a disputed point in the 0-11 to 0-10 victory for Westmeath. That result turned the season of both teams, with Westmeath going on to land their first Leinster title, while Offaly were dumped out in the qualifiers by Wexford.

That will probably give Offaly extra incentive. These teams arrive in Croke Park going in opposite directions, with Westmeath promoted from Division Two and Offaly relegated from Division One.

Offaly's form has been so inconsistent Westmeath could probably have started as firm favourites, had they not been missing their star forward, Dessie Dolan. Ruled out of action for 10 weeks with a groin injury, Dolan's loss deprives Westmeath of their main playmaker and scoring threat.

Experienced defender Damien Healy takes the captain's armband in Dolan's absence but manager Tomás Ó Flaharta also introduces four championship debutants: Gary Glennon is named at left wing back after some impressive showings in the league, and Gordon Duffy starts at right wing forward. John Smyth, from county champions The Downs, plays his first senior competitive match for the county at left wing forward, and PJ Ward, a Leinster minor medallist in 2000, also gets his first start, at right corner forward.

Elsewhere though, there is real experience in midfielder David O'Shaughnessy and forwards Gary Dolan, Denis Glennon and Alan Mangan, and the feeling is Westmeath are recovering the form of 2004. If they come close to doing that they should progress to meet Kildare in a fortnight's time.

You just never know exactly what you're going to get with Offaly. Manager Kevin Kilmurray is well capable of getting the best out of his players, proven with their impressive win over Fermanagh in the final round of the league. There are obvious problems, though, not least in their defence. Corner back Nigel Grennan and right wing back Kevin Lynam, for example, make their championship debuts, and the other concern is that their workhorse midfielder Ciarán McManus is carrying an ankle injury.

Up front they're a little more settled, with Colm Quinn, Niall McNamee, Neville Coughlan and Pascal Kellaghan all capable scorers in the open spaces of Croke Park. If the Offaly talents show up then a victory is possible, but otherwise Westmeath should still have enough in reserve to progress.

WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; J Davitt, M Ennis, J Keane; D Healy, D O'Donoghue, G Glennon; D Duffy, D O'Shaughnessy; G Duffy, G Dolan, J Smyth; PJ Ward, D Glennon, A Mangan.

OFFALY: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Sullivan, N Grennan; K Lynam, S Brady, K Slattery; A McNamee, C McManus; C Quinn, N Coughlan, J Reynolds; T Deehan, P Kelleghan, N McNamee.

CONNACHT SFC FIRST ROUND

New York v Roscommon, Gaelic Park, New York, 8.0 (Irish time) - Roscommon manager John Maughan has planned a week in the Catskill Mountains north of New York after this match, and the assumption is the players are going up to train rather than drown their sorrows.

Maughan will know from his time with Mayo how to handle the New York challenge, which is basically to meet it head on. He's named a largely experienced side, with Stephen O'Neill at midfield, with Enda Kenny and Stephen Lohan among the forwards. Making their championship debuts will be Richard Dooner (left wing back), Stuart Daly (right wing back), Seán Fahy (right corner forward) and Kenny (left corner forward). New York usually make it a good contest but Roscommon will be ready for a tough training week.

NEW YORK: C Greene; N Corbett, J Mitchell, D Rooney; C McKeever, A Rooney, P Murphy; K O'Connor, G Dowd; A McCarron, S Munnelly, D Dorgan; M Dobbin, R Moran, V Gavin.

ROSCOMMON: D Lennon; P O'Connor, D Casey, S McDermott; S Daly, J Nolan, R Dooner; S O'Neill, B Mullin; S Lohan, G Heneghan, M Finneran; E Kenny, G Lohan, S Fahy.