Cork v Galway, Croke Park, Sunday, 2.15 (Network 2)

As we reach the last round of the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland qualifiers, teams are close enough to the big time to be able to put recent defeats behind them.

At least that's the theory. In Cork's case it probably holds true. They were better than many thought against Kerry last weekend but if the many miscarriages of justice Cork suffered obscured the fact a little, it still has to be recognised that the champions were deserved winners. But Larry Tompkins's players were still able to take a number of positives out of the Munster final.

With Galway the process was the other way around. A tight, nervy win over a (groundlessly as it turned out) fancied Armagh team should have done wonders for flagging morale. It did up to a point but there were quite a few nagging questions posed by the same match - principally how did a team cruising at 0-12 to 0-5 deep into the second half end up relying on an exceptional injury-time point to salvage the win?

John O'Mahony's team has reached higher peaks of championship performance in recent years than Cork have managed but actual meetings between the counties since Galway's All-Ireland have favoured the Munster team.

One of the first serious markers laid down by what was to become the championship's best defence came from the Cork backs in a National Football League match in February 1999 when Owen Sexton in particular gave a memorable display on Michael Donnellan. That back six is largely the same as that which takes the field tomorrow and Sexton was again in excellent form last Sunday.

But all of this is to accentuate the positive for Cork. They will find differences between Kerry and Galway tomorrow and the first relates to the above-mentioned half-back zone. Sexton - whose tussle with Jarlath Fallon will be fascinating - and his wingers will encounter more opposition from Galway all of whom are physically strong and will contest the ball as well as using what comes their way. The Cork backs will also have to cope with Michael Donnellan's surges.

Cork welcome back Nicholas Murphy to centrefield where he was much missed a week ago. In his absence four different players got a gallop without making much impact. Galway give Kevin Walsh his first start of the campaign, with Seβn ╙ D≤mhnaill ready to come in at some stage after his wedding today (the rest of the panel will be staying in Dublin tonight far from the nuptial feast).

Colin Corkery was superb against Kerry and will be a major concern for Galway but the display on Seamus Moynihan also places a deal of pressure on the Cork captain and he will need better back-up. But from where? Philip Clifford is out of form and Joe Kavanagh is struggling with a back injury.

There does seem in the half forwards a lack of the sort of pace that is Tomβs Mannion's only significant vulnerability at the heart of Galway's defence, which out-performed expectations against Armagh. Overall Galway look strong where they need to be and to have an edge in other, critical areas.