Previews SFC qualifiers, round two

A preview of the games to be played

TODAY

Kildare v Laois, Portlaoise, 7pm (Live on TV3) – On the basic premise that Kildare have better form this summer and are significantly further down the tracks in terms of development under the current management, then Justin McNulty’s first season in charge of Laois is due to end in ignominious circumstances tonight.

Even comparing both the recent defeats to Dublin makes the Lilywhites runaway favourites. Laois crumbled miserably in Croke Park on June 5th, losing by eight points, while Kildare were only seen off due to a controversial late free awarded against, and highly disputed by, corner back Andriú Mac Lochlainn.

Kildare and their manager Kieran McGeeney have that pain to cling to and nurture them past this obstacle. Only problem is McNulty knows McGeeney better than most. They have slaved together in the Ulster trenches and are even club-mates from Mullaghbawn. There will always be a chance of an upset when Laois and Kildare meet.

If Laois find their unquestioned stride in attack and McNulty succeeds where so many decent managers have failed before him, by having his defensive plans heeded in a dressingroom littered with opinions and loose fingers poised near iPhones, then Laois can spring a surprise.

For this to occur, MJ Tierney and Ross Munnelly must shoot the lights out. Also, Brendan Quigley, Donal Kingston and Colm Begley must dominate the middle third. And Kildare must continue to rack up a high wide count.

McGeeney appears to have addressed this ongoing issue by selecting the new full-forward line of Robert Kelly, Tomás O’Connor and Fionn Dowling. Alan Smith and James Kavanagh are dropped.

He has spent four years steeling this panel for a tilt at the All-Ireland and their pedigree should see them through, providing Laois don’t turn the magical touches littered throughout their team into a collective performance.

In the last episode: Kildare had the edge on them in the 2009 Leinster semi-final in Tullamore, winning comfortably 2-18 to 0-9.

You bet:Laois have a three-point handicap at evens. They are 5/2 otherwise, with Kildare at 4/9.

On your marks: The Laois defence must improve dramatically if they are to halt the early and constant overlapping Kildare runs.

Gaining ground:O'Moore Park on a summer's evening with the neighbours visiting should ensure a carnival atmosphere around Portlaoise.

Just the ticket:Terrace tickets still available but the main stand will be packed.

Crystal gazing:Kildare to progress, providing they maintain the standard set against Dublin because there is a dying kick in Laois.

KILDARE: S Connolly; A McLoughlin, M Foley, H McGrillen; G White, M O’Flaherty, O Lyons; J Doyle, H Lynch; P O’Neill, E O’Flaherty, E Callaghan; R Kelly, T O’Connor, F Dowling.

LAOIS: E Culliton; C Healy, K Meaney, M Timmons; D Strong, S Julian, P McMahon; P Clancy, B Quigley; C Begley, J O’Loughlin, N Donoher; R Munnelly, D Kingston, MJ Tierney.

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).

Meath v Galway, Páirc Tailteann, 7pm – News this week that Graham Geraghty’s much talked of return to the Meath panel has ended, before it ever really got going, with an Achilles injury is a heavy blow to Séamus McEnaney.

The Monaghan man tempted the 38-year-old Geraghty out of retirement to make a statement of intent but all that has happened is a few selectors quit in protest. And now the 1999 All-Ireland winning captain is gone from the panel yet again.

This probably doesn’t impinge too greatly on the current players’ preparation; particularly Cian Ward, fresh from his excellent four-goal dismantling of Louth the last day.

Meath have a good history in the qualifiers, making All-Ireland semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 without ever really looking like All-Ireland contenders. However, they possess enough quality to handle a Galway team that were atrocious against Mayo.

Tomás Ó Flatharta’s arrival this year doesn’t seem to have galvanised the group that desperately needs Michael Meehan to have regained peak match fitness. But even that might not be enough.

Meath’s physicality and scoring power through Ward, Joe Sheridan, Stephen Bray and Shane O’Rourke should be enough.

MEATH: TBA.

GALWAY: A Faherty; J Duane, F Hanley, C Forde; G Bradshaw, D Blake, G Sice; J Bergin, F Ó Curraoin; T Flynn, M Hehir, M Clancy; M Meehan, P Joyce, C Bane.

Referee: M Collins (Cork).

Longford v Tyrone, Pearse Park, 7pm – Tyrone may be an ageing side but they still possess some of the most dangerous footballers around. Just look at Stephen O’Neill and Brian McGuigan so far in the current campaign. They are also playing with the best system and if not for Joe McMahon’s injury, would probably have beaten Donegal in the Ulster semi-final.

Still, this is a dangerous place to go in the qualifiers. Longford beat Mayo last year and almost caught Laois back in May.

But Tyrone should find their stride. The Ulster championship, while it has delivered silverware, has got in the way of their ultimate goal. It has been three years since they made the run to September and there is enough evidence to suggest Longford will be clinically dismissed tonight.

Martin Penrose has recovered from illness so Owen Mulligan is dropped again. Enda McGinley is back fit and on the bench, while the McMahon brothers, Joe (concussion) and Justin (hamstring), are also available, with the former starting at full back so even a concern about O’Neill’s hamstring shouldn’t unduly trouble Mickey Harte. The former footballer of the year has been passed fit to start.

There was an assumption put out there this week by Longford’s Brian Kavanagh that Tyrone will shoot from the hip, but they never do. It will be calculated and it should be a comfortable victory.

TYRONE: P McConnell; M Swift, Joe McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, P Harte; M Penrose, M Donnelly, S O’Neill.

LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, B Gilleran, D Reilly; S Mulligan, K Diffley, N Farrell; B McElvaney, M Brady; D Barden, D Masterson, P Barden; D McElligott, B Kavanagh, S McCormack.

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).

Armagh v Wicklow, Morgan Athletic Grounds, 7pm – The stage is set for Mick O’Dwyer’s final farewell. Of course, he will never really be gone, such is his legacy, but the great Kerry man would love nothing better than to repeat the heroics of two seasons back and earn just one more day patrolling the line in Croke Park.

That is unlikely despite Wicklow’s fine dismissal of an alarmingly regressive Sligo in Round One. Paddy O’Rourke’s Armagh showed more of their potential in the defeat of Down, with five points to spare, than the disappointing loss to Derry in the Ulster semi-final.

O’Rourke reacted by making four changes in personnel, with Paul Duffy, Finnian Moriarity, James Lavery and Brian Mallon replacing Vincent Martin, Kieran Toner, Tony Kernan and Billy Joe Padden.

In theory they should have too much for Wicklow but theory has never really applied to O’Dwyer.

WICKLOW: TBA.

ARMAGH: P Hearty; A Mallon, B Donaghy, P Duffy; A Kernan, C McKeever, F Moriarity; J Lavery, C Vernon; K Dyas, B Mallon, M Mackin; M O’Rourke, S McDonnell, J Clarke.

Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).

London v Waterford, Ruislip, 6.30pm – The London footballers are on the cusp of reaching Round Three of the qualifiers for the first time without having lost a championship game over 70 minutes. They forced Mayo to extra-time in the Connacht opener before beating an – albeit depleted – Fermanagh side in Round One. And now they are rightly seen as 4/6 favourites to progress here.

That they registered 2-10 against Mayo and 0-15 in victory over Fermanagh is sufficient proof of their ability to compete with most mid-tier counties. This may be a sign of things to come as more and more decent club footballers move to London in search of employment.

Waterford manager John Owens has brought in Cillian O’Keeffe and Patrick Whyte to the attack as Waterford seek to spring a surprise.

LONDON: TBA.

WATERFORD: K Cotter; M O’Gorman, T O’Gorman, E Walsh; T Grey, K Connery, W Hennessy; M Ahearne, G Hurney; C O’Keeffe, S Fleming, P Whyte; B Wall, B Phelan, P Hurney.

Referee: S Doyle (Wexford).

Down v Leitrim, Newry, 3pm – Again, this seems like a fixture that last year’s All-Ireland finalists should have little problem in progressing beyond. That is until you look beneath the surface at a Down side that has struggled with injury of late and, undoubtedly, form.

Despite the quality of Marty Clarke and Danny Hughes, if fully fit, they seem to miss Ambrose Rodgers around midfield. Only for a goal line intervention by Conor Laverty they would probably have been dumped out of the qualifiers by Clare in Round One. They also lacked the expected vigour against Armagh but Caolan Mooney and Liam Doyle have, at least, returned from injury.

There is also the Mickey Moran factor at work here. A Derry man, he would like nothing better than to put one over on his Ulster neighbours. Leitrim showed enough quality shooting against Sligo to be respected, although a measly six point return against Roscommon, exposed a glut of flaws.

Moran reacted to that terrible performance with five changes. John McKeon and Daniel Beck come into the defence at full back and right half back as Ronan Gallagher and Wayne McKeon make way. Darren Sweeney is at midfield for Tomas Beirne, with Colm Clarke and Brian McDonald coming into the forwards for Paul Brennan and Conor Beirne.

Down to coast home but some foundations must be laid if bigger challenges are to be overcome on the road ahead.

DOWN: TBA.

LEITRIM: C McCrann; D Reynolds, J McKeon, P Maguire; D Beck, G Reynolds, B Prior; D Lowe, D Sweeney; R Lowe, E Mulligan, C Clarke; B McDonald, J Glancy, A Croal.

Referee: M Sludden (Tyrone).

Limerick v Offaly, Gaelic Grounds, 2pm – Despite the absence of midfield colossus John Galvin this year, due to a cruciate ligament injury, Limerick remain a decent footballing outfit with plenty of physicality as well.

A chink of light for Offaly then as Limerick’s dual duo, Stephen Lucey and Mark O’Riordan, have opted to play hurling in Parnell Park against Antrim as a scheduling clash forced them to make an unfortunate choice.

The further loss of Jim O’Donovan (back) and Eoin Joy (hamstring) means a third of the usual starting XV is unavailable to rookie manager Maurice Horan.

Offaly surprised many with their comprehensive defeat of Monaghan and this performance will confirm if that was all their own doing or down to Monaghan’s inability to lift themselves. Scott Brady is named at centre forward although he lined out at centre back last time.

They looked terrible when losing by 14 points to Wexford in May but Offaly could easily be still playing football in late July.

LIMERICK: TBA.

OFFALY: A Mulhall; B Darby, J Quinn, S Pender; S Lonergan, R Brady, K Slattery; R Dalton, N Smith; C McManus, S Brady, N Darby; B Allen, K Casey, N McNamee.

Referee: M Condon (Waterford)

Antrim v Carlow, Casement Park, 3pm – Hard to gauge how interested Carlow are in the remainder of the championship. The continuing exodus of players, like Seán Gannon and Alan Curran, due to plans other than playing championship football for their county, makes it very difficult to see them replicating the excellence that saw off Louth over 70 minutes.

But manager Luke Dempsey will have a plan in place. Their first-half display against Wexford in the Leinster semi-final showed a tactical awareness that forced the likes of Redmond Barry and Ben Brosnan to rush shots from acute angles. In the historic defeat of Louth they also displayed a comprehensive opening 35 minutes.

It is the closing stages against Wexford, when they were overrun, that must be the main concern. They require inspiration from Brendan Murphy to progress.

Antrim showed enough signs of quality to make a provincial final last year and will be accused of underachievement if they fall here. Goalkeeper Seán O’Neill should be available despite Europa League commitments with Crusaders.

ANTRIM: TBA.

CARLOW: T O’Reilly; A Murphy, C Lawlor, B Kavanagh; P Cashin, S Redmond, K Nolan; Brendan Murphy, D Foley; P Hickey, T Walsh, E Finnegan; Brian Murphy, W Minchin, D St Ledger.

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois)