Simmering for the longest while, the football championship has suddenly been brought to the boil.
Mayo v Galway next Sunday in Salthill, just to qualify for an All-Ireland quarter-final. Not so much a winner takes all as a loser goes home with nothing. It has all the ingredients for a classic.
The new All-Ireland SFC structure has its critics but it also has the ability to serve up delights like this.
On Saturday the other three preliminary quarter-finals will take place and the significance of a second-place finish in the group, securing home advantage, will become clear.
Cork will be at home to Roscommon in Páirc Ui Chaoimh while Kildare, ostensibly, will have home advantage against Monaghan at their chosen ground, Tullamore’s O’Connor Park.
Meanwhile, the meeting of Donegal and Tyrone in Ballybofey on Saturday evening could yet prove to be the game of the weekend.
Beyond that, group winners Kerry, Armagh, Dublin and Derry will all have a weekend off following automatic qualification to the quarter-finals.
That quarter-finalists Armagh have already lost two games in the championship, compared to preliminary quarter-finalists Galway’s one, is an anomaly for another day.
What we can say with certainty following the reduction of the football championship from 16 teams to 12 is that the serious stuff starts now. Dublin manager Dessie Farrell even seemed a little put out to have earned a free pass and to be a mere onlooker this weekend.
“It wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world because we’ve still only played one Division One side all year,” said Farrell. “So getting another test, you’d see the silver lining in that for sure, against better quality opposition.
“But ultimately having two weeks to prepare was the better option for us. You have two weeks to prepare properly and get a bit of work done in advance of the next one.”
Now that we’re down to the knock-out stage, and with Dublin and holders Kerry safely through to the last eight, it’s no great surprise that they have been installed as joint-favourites.
Derry and Armagh are some way back in the rankings, then Mayo and Galway. The winners of Sunday’s huge Pearse Stadium clash will be fancied by many to be still standing come the end of July. But for the losers, it will be nothing short of a disaster as their season turns to dust.
If only Mayo had lost by two points to Cork last Sunday instead of three, they’d have finished second in the table and been at home themselves this Sunday in Castlebar. Mind you, if Galway had scored just once more in their own one-point defeat to Armagh they’d have finished top of Group Two and would have bypassed this stage entirely. On such fine margins are championship campaigns fought.
From the media huddle after the loss to Armagh in Carrick-on-Shannon, a voice asked Pádraic Joyce if he’d been hoping to qualify directly for the quarter-finals. It should have come with a silly question alert.
“Of course we were, hoping isn’t the way to say it – we wanted to qualify, of course we did,” shot back Joyce.
Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Maybe they’ll get a win that ignites their All-Ireland bid. Injuries are an issue. Damien Comer didn’t feature at all against Armagh, Dylan McHugh the same. Sean Kelly limped off against the Orchard.
“They’re big players, big injuries for us, we’ll just have to regroup and see where we go,” said Joyce when asked if they’ll make it for next weekend.
Croke Park will host both Tailteann Cup semi-finals on Sunday. Down, the new tournament favourites after beating Cavan, will play Laois at 4pm while Meath will take on an Antrim team managed by 2022 Royal County boss Andy McEntee at 2pm.
Almost exactly a year ago, when he stepped down after six seasons managing Meath, McEntee said he was probably done with inter-county management. At the very least, he ‘couldn’t see myself managing another county’.
It will be a curious clash when his reinvigorated Antrim face a new-look Meath moulded by his successor Colm O’Rourke.
“It would be nice to continue with them for a few more weeks, I think they would really prosper by more training but we will be ready for next year no matter when this year finishes,” said O’Rourke.
Saturday, June 24th
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals
Cork v Roscommon (Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pm, Streaming on GAAGO)
Kildare v Monaghan (Glenisk O’Connor Park, 4.45pm, Streaming on GAAGO)
Donegal v Tyrone (MacCumhaill Park, 7pm, Streaming on GAAGO)
Sunday, June 25th
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals
Galway v Mayo (Pearse Stadium, 3pm, Live on RTÉ 1)
Tailteann Cup semi-finals
Meath v Antrim (Croke Park, 2pm, Live on RTÉ 2)
Down v Laois (Croke Park, 4pm, Live on RTÉ 2)
