Tomorrow's NFL semi-final replay might be a monumental inconvenience to Dublin's county board with 13 county championship matches thrown into disarray, but it is a welcome enough development for the management teams of Dublin and Armagh. It gives both sides a second match regardless now of whether they reach next week's final.
Both counties need the extra outing, albeit for different reasons. The sense is that Armagh have superior momentum to Dublin and that a place in next week's final is there for the taking. They have played well within themselves throughout the League and have obvious room for improvement.
Diarmuid Marsden was a constant threat although his less-than-complete rehabilitation from injury limited the actual damage done. Oisin McConville had a very good match and substitute Peter Loughran caused jitters for Paddy Moran's isolated marking in the second half.
Cathal O'Rourke is also on the verge of a comeback which combined with the availability of John McEntee gives Armagh an opportunity for organic improvement.
Dublin on the other hand may have passed on their best chance of getting through. Tom Carr's best team is for better or for worse fairly obvious at this stage and the play-off stages have been for fine-tuning. Injury and suspension has broken up the first-choice half-back line but elsewhere on the field, only the return of Jason Sherlock is required to complete the probable championship line-up.
Of the problem areas, centrefield has enjoyed rising stock in the last couple of matches although the question of how the Ciaran Whelan-Enda Sheehy combination will get on this summer must necessarily wait a few weeks. The full-back line hasn't excelled although Paddy Christie has shown good form against Kildare and Armagh; like Christie, both Shane Ryan and Paddy Moran appear happier in the corner - which leaves the full back problem unresolved.
In attack, Dublin have shown some good form but two nagging doubts remain. As grumbled about in the county, the team hasn't shown much sign of scoring goals throughout this campaign. It's hard to win championship matches carrying so little firepower. The impressive points totals of late might also be harder come by in the more claustrophobic confines of championship marking. Tomorrow is a good opportunity to allay some of these misgivings.
Ominously, there doesn't appear a huge amount of room for manoeuvre. Des Farrell was on top of Ger Reid but there was insufficient movement off-the-ball to make the most of the captain's possession. Declan Darcy was obviously carrying an injury but even in the full of your health, Kieran McGeeney is a formidable marker.
Armagh have more room for improvement and can make that potential count.
The Railway Cup has an unusual look with Munster playing Connacht in Tuam for the first time in a final for 17 years. Munster's defeat of holders Ulster was impressively achieved over two matches but Connacht have been improving and are in a good position to copperfasten the enhanced standing of the province.
This weekend sees the All-Ireland under-21 semi-finals taking place. Roscommon take on champions Kerry this evening in Ennis (7.00) with the Munster champions going for a fourth title in five years. Their greater experience may be enough against Roscommon who had an impressive win over Sligo in the provincial final.
Monaghan had a hard job defeating Donegal in the Ulster final but have played well this season. Opponents Westmeath looked to have missed the boat at this grade after losing last year to Laois just as their All-Ireland minor winners of 1995 were coming up to the age. Their recent defeat of Laois after a replay was a tenacious display and they will be marginally favoured for tomorrow's curtain-raiser at Croke Park (2.00).
Armagh - B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; K Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; J Burns, P McGrane; J Hanratty, J McNulty, O McConville; P McKeever, AN Other, D Marsden.
Dublin - D Byrne; P Moran, S Ryan, P Christie; T Lynch, P Curran, K Galvin; C Whelan, E Sheehy; J Gavin, D Dacry, B Stynes; N O'Donoghue, D Farrell, B O'Brien.
