Leinster SF Championship
Laois v Westmeath (Croke Park 3.30)
Two counties who have been enjoying considerable under-age success in recent years go head-tohead for the second successive summer in the championship.
Westmeath have stood tight since the fall-out from the Carlow `red card' match and are still on a high after the All-Ireland victory of the U-21 team. Laois had a rough league and a bit of disillusionment set in when it seemed their minor success wasn't translating at senior level.
Team News
Pat Conway joins his brother Chris on the Laois team while goalkeeper Fergal Byron passed a late fitness test and also plays. Pat Conway has been selected at corner back while Chris lines out at centreforward. David Sweeney remains on the injured list with a broken arm. Laois have left one vacancy at halfback, the spot usually taken by Colm Parkinson who has departed the camp in cloudy circumstances.
Westmeath's Russell Casey and Paul Conway both failed fitness tests on Wednesday. Their places are taken by David Murphy (fullback) and Mark Staunton (centre forward).
Key Confrontation
Westmeath went on something of a scoring spree against a fairly decent Longford defensive unit and are soaring in confidence right now. Des Dolan makes a lively target man in the corner and they are also well served by Ger Heavin and the attack-minded David O'Shaughnessy. Laois, with one newcomer in defence, will have to graft solidly over the hour as they may not have the same sharpness up front as their opponents right now.
View From The Camps
"Last year there was talk of lads drinking. I talked to all of them individually about what we needed. They have been brilliant. People are saying this is the best prepared Laois team in a long time."
- Pat Gribben (Laois manager).
"It's getting harder all the time and we are under pressure to keep this momentum going. But Brendan Lowry has us finely tuned and we'll be ready to pick it up again on Sunday." - Aidan Canning (Westmeath player).
Verdict: Westmeath.
LAOIS: F Byron; E Delaney, D Rooney, P Conway; D Conroy, K Fitzpatrick, AN Other; T Maher, G Doyle; I Fitzgerald, C Conway, M Lawlor; S Kelly, H Emerson, D Delaney.
WESTMEATH: D Ryan; D Brady, D Murphy, F Murray; A Lyons, A Canning, K Lyons; R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy; D Healy, M Staunton, S Colleary; G Heavin, M Flanagan, D Dolan.
Ulster SF Championship
Cavan v Derry (Casement Park, 3.30)
That these two teams have been the Ulster champions over the past two years serves to illuminate the nose-dive in standards across the province. Derry scraped through a maudlin affair against Donegal last July and were then blitzed by Galway in Croke Park.
This year, they took to the league with a certain amount of uncertainty before finally collapsing against Cork at the quarter-final stages. Since then their preparation has been beset by in-house difficulties. Cavan revolted against the management team at Christmas but showed few subsequent signs of rediscovering the form that ended the barren decades in 1997.
Team News
Geoffrey McGonigle gets a well deserved start at corner forward for Derry, who lose Joe Brolly through injury. Henry Downey centres the defence after minimal league appearances. There are debuts for goalkeeper Shane O'Kane and wing-back Fergal Crossan.
Cavan have left two vacancies on their side but goalkeeper Brendan McCormack is expected to recover from flu. Peter Brady returns to county colours after a long lay-off.
Key Confrontation
Eamon Coleman has a wealth of size around midfield and although Anthony Tohill returns to partner Ronan Rocks, Enda Muldoon and Dermot Dougan, both half-forwards are also at home there. With Henry Downey back in defence, Cavan could well find themselves starved of possession. A big game is needed from Dermot McCabe, Bernard Morris and Ronan Carolan if Cavan are to live with Derry.
View From The Camps
"Cavan have been quiet and that's a worry. We remember what they did to us a couple of years back. This won't be easy."
- Geoffrey McGonagle (Derry forward).
"We have progressed in the past couple of months fitness wise and the sharpness seems to have returned again." - Val Andrews (Cavan man- ager).
Verdict: Derry
CAVAN: AN Other; C Brady, P Sheils, T Farrelly; A Forde, B Morris, P Reilly; D McCabe, P Smyth; AN Other, R Carolan, J Coffey; J Reilly, L Reilly, M Graham.
DERRY: S O'Kane; K McKeever, S M Lockhart, D O'Neill; F Crossan, H Downey, G Coleman, A Tohill, R Rocks, E Muldoon, D Dougan, J McBride; G McGonigle, D Heaney, J Cassidy.
Armagh v Donegal (Clones 3.30, extra-time if necessary)
After last week's frenetic drawn game in Ballybofey, popular opinion is that Armagh need merely to turn up at Clones to earn themselves a win. But their hesitant display will have quelled all the heady talk about them rushing Ulster. They are a limited team without Diarmuid Marsden and creaky defensively.
Donegal continue to mix the good with the awful and are a bit light physically for the rigours of championship warfare. They won't get a two-goal start this time but nor will they miss the frees they squandered at home.
Team News
The substitutes who made an impact in last week's draw all get a run. John McEntee, Alan O'Neill and David Wilson come in for Peter Loughran, David McNeilland Cathal O'Rourke. Diarmuid Marsden is again consigned to the bench. Michael Hegarty replaces John Duffy in the Donegal attack while Shane Carr comes in at left corner back for Eamon Reddin.
Key Confrontation
Donegal couldn't buy possession for a long period last time thanks to the dominance of Jarlath Burns, Kieran McGeeney and Paul McGrane. If Armagh are given a similar percentage of possession, they will win. Donegal can take solace in remembering the way they carved Armagh open with direct ball. If they can move the ball at speed and keep the slower Armagh contingent moving, they will be in with a good shout.
View From The Camps
"I talked things over with every one of the players individually. A number of them said they had lost focus after 10 minutes, took their finger off the pulse after such a great start and when they tried to pick it up again they couldn't.
- Declan Bonner (Donegal manager).
"I could have done with another week to prepare for the replay. I suppose only plaster will keep us thick Irish fellows from playing in these matches," - John Rafferty (Armagh player).
Verdict: Armagh.
ARMAGH: B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, J McNulty; C Hughes, K McGeeney, A A McCann; J Burns, P McGrane; A O'Neill, J McEntee, J Rafferty; D Wilson, P McKeever, O McConville.
DONEGAL: T Blake; D Diver, M Crossan, S Carr; N Hegarty, M Coll, N McCready; J McGuinness, J Ruane; M Hegarty, A Sweeney, J Gildea; B Roper, T Boyle, B Devenney.
