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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals - all you need to know
After three rounds of group games in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 16 has become 12 in the race for Sam Maguire. From here, it's knockout territory, with no second chances, and the dozen teams remaining on the dancefloor know what is expected to secure the ultimate prize. Advertisement Tyrone, Meath, Monaghan and defending champions Armagh - who all topped their respective groups - have the luxury of a free weekend as they await the winners of this weekend's preliminary quarter-finals in the last eight. For the eight teams in action this weekend, they must now win four games in five weeks, a gruelling schedule where fitness levels and squad depth will be tested to the limit. Last year, Galway made it all the way to the final from the preliminary quarter-final stage - the only team to do so since this current format was introduced in 2023 - and they will have to navigate that route again if they are to make the ultimate step. Let's dive into the four preliminary quarter-finals. Advertisement Who is playing and when are the games? As mentioned, eight teams will battle it out this weekend in the preliminary quarter-finals with two games on each day. Saturday - Kerry v Cavan, Fitzgerald Stadium, 15:30 BST Saturday - Dublin v Cork, Croke Park, 18:15 BST Sunday - Down v Galway, Pairc Esler, 13:45 BST Sunday - Donegal v Louth, Ballybofey, 16:00 BST Three of the teams in action this weekend were involved at the same stage last year: Louth, Cork and Galway. In fact, Louth beat Cork in a rousing victory in Inniskeen. Two of those involved at this stage last year - Tyrone and Monaghan - have already gone one better by moving straight through to the quarter-finals. Has the quarter-final draw been made? Due to the policy of avoiding repeat pairings from earlier in the competition, the draw will be made after the completion of this weekend's preliminary-quarter finals, most likely on Monday morning. Advertisement However, depending on how results fall this weekend, there is the very real possibility of an Armagh-Kerry quarter-final due to the above repeat pairing rule, but let's not get ahead of ourselves because as this year has shown, shocks can and often do happen. What to look out for this weekend It is difficult to look past Sunday's game in Newry between Down and Galway as the standout fixture this weekend. Despite suffering relegation from Division Two in the league, Down acquitted themselves well and were somewhat unlucky to suffer the drop on six points, but a defeat against Louth - which they avenged in the championship - proved fatal. Advertisement However, they bounced back to overcome Fermanagh in Ulster, only to lose out to eventual winners Donegal. Still, they entered the All-Ireland series with confidence, overcoming Clare and Louth. Their direct route to the last eight faded late on against Monaghan last week, however, Sunday despite some superb shooting from Pat Havern, whose ability to land two-pointers is a major asset for Conor Laverty's team, kicking three against the Farneymen. But then Galway are no slouches in that regard and in Shane Walsh, they have a man in form. When the chips were down against Armagh and with the exit door staring the Tribesmen in the face on Saturday, Walsh kept his side in the hunt: the last of his nine points with the final kick sealed victory and a spot in the knockout phase. In their three games, Galway have drawn to Derry, lost to Dublin by a point and beaten Armagh by one, so another nail-biter could be in store. Eoghan Ban Gallagher scored Donegal's goal in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final win over Louth at Croke Park [Getty Images] Later on Sunday, the Ulster and Leinster champions meet as Donegal host Louth in Ballybofey. Advertisement Despite a last-gasp victory over Mayo last week, they finished second behind Tyrone in Group One, with the Red Hands finishing top on the head-to-head rule courtesy of their victory over Donegal. Still, two victories on the spin will have gone a long way to putting that opening-round defeat behind them and they seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. Donegal face a Louth side who finished third in Group Three. Sam Mulroy and Ciaran Downey have been in flying form for Ger Brennan's men, with Craig Lennon continuing his All-Star form from 2024. However, this is a huge test of their credentials. Advertisement The weekend's opening game takes place in Killarney with Cavan facing a daunting trip to Kerry, who will be smarting from their shock loss to Meath which meant they failed to finish top for the first time in this format. Kerry have shown some vulnerability at times, with Cork so close to stunning them in Munster and Meath finishing the job in Tullamore last time out. They will be a wounded animal, and while Paudie Clifford is one of a host of absent Kingdom players, in David Clifford they have a generational talent. The Breffnimen have shown an ability to get it done on the road, with their opening round win away to Mayo ultimately proving enough to see them claim third in Group One, but heavy defeats by Donegal and Tyrone also suggest beating Kerry is a tall ask. Advertisement Paddy Lynch and Cormac O'Reilly shone for Raymond Galligan's men against Tyrone, but in order to beat Kerry, they will need to find another level. Con O'Callaghan returned to the Dublin fold in last weekend's win over Derry [Getty Images] Finally, Dublin return to home comforts at Croke Park on Saturday evening when they host Cork. The Dubs are fresh from their win over Derry in Newry which will have helped put their error-strewn loss to Armagh in the rear-view. With three-time All-Star Con O'Callaghan back, the Dubs have a much sharper end to their attack and will be favourites to advance against a Cork side which can blow hot and cold. John Cleary's men held their nerve to squeeze past Roscommon in a de facto knockout game in Portlaoise on Saturday, but will need to find the level of performance they produced against Kerry in Munster when they take on another of their traditional rivals this week. Are the games televised? All four games will be streamed live on GAA+. What about the Tailteann Cup? Of course, the weekend action is not limited to the race for Sam Maguire with both Tailteann Cup semi-finals taking place at Croke Park on Sunday. Advertisement First up, Oisin McConville's Wicklow - fresh from a famous triumph over Westmeath - take on Limerick, who swept past Wexford to reach the final four. Later on Sunday (16:00 BST), Kieran Donnelly's Fermanagh take on pre-competition favourites Kildare, who just about got over the line against Offaly in the last eight. The Ernemen enjoyed a good win over Sligo to reach this stage of the competition for the first time and will seek to continue their run as they look to emulate Down's success last year and earn a spot in the 2026 All-Ireland series. How can I follow on the BBC? The BBC Sport website will provide live text commentaries, reports and reaction from Sunday's games, in addition to reports from Saturday's games. Advertisement There will also be updates from Sunday's Tailteann Cup semi-finals: Wicklow v Limerick (14:00) and Fermanagh v Kildare (16:00).
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
GAA: Double-header in Croke Park confirmed for Saturday
The fixture details have been announced for the preliminary quarter-finals of the All-Ireland football championship. On Saturday, Kerry and Cavan will get the action underway in Fitzgerald Stadium at 3:30 pm, with Dublin hosting Cork at Croke Park at 6.15pm. Advertisement This will be part of a double header, with Limerick taking on Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-finals at 4pm. Galway will face Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds in the second hurling quarter-final, with throw-in at 6.15pm. On Sunday, the preliminary quarter-finals continue, with Down hosting Galway at 1.45pm. This will be followed by Donegal hosting Louth at 4pm. In the Tailteann Cup semi-finals, it is a double header at Croke Park, with Wicklow v Limerick up first at 2pm, followed by Kildare v Fermanagh at 4pm. The four SFC preliminary quarter-finals will be shown live on GAA+, while the hurling quarter-finals and Tailteann Cup semi-finals will be televised live on RTÉ. Saturday June 21st All-Ireland preliminary football quarter-finals Kerry v Cavan, Fitzgerald Stadium, GAA+, 3,30pm. Dublin v Cork, Croke Park, GAA+, 6.15pm. All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals Limerick v Dublin, Croke Park, RTÉ, 4pm. Tipperary v Galway, Gaelic Grounds, RTÉ 6.15pm. Sunday June 22nd All-Ireland preliminary football quarter-finals Down v Galway, Newry, GAA+. 1.45pm. Donegal v Louth, Ballybofey, GAA+, 4.00pm. Tailteann Cup semi-finals Wicklow v Limerick, Croke Park, RTÉ, 2pm. Kildare v Fermanagh, RTÉ Croke Park, 4pm.
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kerry put away Roscommon with three-goal scoring spree in second half
All-Ireland SFC: Kerry 3-18 Roscommon 0-17 A 10-point win is a 10-point win in any money, but Kerry packed this victory, more or less, into a 10-minute window in the second half when David Clifford, Paul Geaney and Gavin White raised green flags to catapult their side from a five-point lead into a 14-point one. That is the long and the short of this Group 2 opener, played under tar-melting temperatures in front of a paltry 6,814 spectators in Fitzgerald Stadium. Having been somewhat flattered to lead by five at the interval having played with a stiff breeze in Killarney, Kerry needed Clifford's 50th-minute goal to kill off the Roscommon resistance and start to put the game beyond the visitors. Kerry had Diarmuid O'Connor back in midfield after a two-month absence – and he marked his return with two points in a solid performance – but Paudie Clifford's absence was more keenly felt by a Kerry side that seemed to lack energy for much of the first half. READ MORE Roscommon took the lead in the first minute through Ronan Daly's point, and four minutes later Brian Stack doubled their lead, and the seven changes manager Davy Burke made from the team that were beaten by Galway seemed to have the desired effect. Kerry were back to parity by the ninth minute through Paul Geaney's mark and a Diarmuid O'Connor point, but Keith Doyle kicked Roscommon back into the lead after 12 minutes. Kerry were back in front two minutes later when Clifford converted a two-point free on the sideline. Then Eddie Nolan and Joe O'Connor traded points, and Ben O'Carroll levelled it at 0-5 apiece in the 25th minute. Seán O'Shea converted a two-point free, and though Daire Cregg's 27th-minute point halved the deficit, Diarmuid O'Connor and Joe O'Connor raised white flags and then a breach of the three-up rule by Roscommon presented O'Shea with another two-point free, which he converted to see Kerry take a 0-11 to 0-6 half-time lead. Kerry's Joe O'Connor is challenged by Keith Doyle of Roscommon during the game in Killarney. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho The sides exchanged two points apiece in the 15 minutes after the restart before Clifford cut through the Roscommon defence to score the game's first goal to make it 1-13 to 0-8. Kerry added two more points before O'Shea and Paul Geaney played a slick one-two for the latter to tap in a goal on 54 minutes as the Kingdom went 2-15 to 0-8 clear. Kerry's third goal arrived on the hour mark with White palming Paul Geaney's inviting pass, and though Roscommon finished with two-point scores from Daly, Conor Cox and Diarmuid Murtagh, this was as elementary a win for Kerry as was expected. Kerry now prepare for a rematch with Cork in a fortnight back in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, while Roscommon host Meath the same weekend in Dr Hyde Park. KERRY: Shane Ryan (0-0-1, 45); Dylan Casey, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Brian Ó Beaglaoich (0-0-1), Mike Breen, Gavin White (1-0-0); Diarmuid O'Connor (0-0-2), Barry 'Dan' O'Sullivan; Joe O'Connor (0-0-2), Seán O'Shea (0-2-3, 2 tpf, 1f), Micheál Burns; David Clifford (1-1-1, tpf), Paul Geaney (1-0-1, 1m), Dylan Geaney. Subs: Tony Brosnan (0-0-1) for D Geaney, Graham O'Sullivan for M Burns (both 47 mins); Killian Spillane for D Clifford (61); Tadhg Morley for B Ó Beaglaoich, Mark O'Shea for B D O'Sullivan (both 62). ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll; Niall Higgins, Brian Stack (0-0-1), David Murray; Senan Lambe, Ronan Daly (0-1-1), John McManus; Eddie Nolan (0-0-1), Keith Doyle (0-0-1); Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Conor Hand; Daire Cregg (0-0-1), Ben O'Carroll (0-0-2), Ciaráin Murtagh (0-0-2, 1f). Subs: Diarmuid Murtagh (0-1-1) for K Doyle (42 mins); Tim Lambe for D Ruane (52); Shane Killoran for E Smith, Ciaran Lennon for S Lambe (both 55 mins); Conor Cox (0-1-1, 1f) for C Hand (57). Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
