Weekend previews

This weekend's matches previewed

Today

All-Ireland club SF semi-finals

Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) v Corofin (Galway), Mullingar – Three years ago Kilmacud walked into this stage a little too complacently and were unable to contain Salthill-Knocknacarra, who went on to win the All-Ireland.

The Dublin champions won’t be repeating that mistake and have overcome a poor winter campaign that saw them stumble to the Dublin and Leinster titles. Corofin didn’t have a terribly distinguished winter either, doing enough to win Galway. Their obvious difficulty is the lack of scoring potential in attack, with Alan O’Donovan the main contributor and likely to attract the attentions of the Dublin team’s troubleshooter Paul Griffin.

Kilmacud have plenty up front: Brian Kavanagh, Mark Vaughan and Mark Davenport, with Ray Cosgrove and Liam McBarron available off the bench. More significantly, they have hit form since Christmas and looked impressive when demolishing the Dublin seconds. They should be there to defend the county’s title in next month’s final.

Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) v Dromcollogher- Broadford (Limerick), Longford – A dogged tussle with Ballinderry in the Ulster final should have exposed any failing appetite on the part of the four-times champions but they did what they always do and wore away their opponents. The feeling in the club is they were too confident last year against St Vincent’s when losing their title.

Oisín McConville is fit again since stepping down from county activity and they will have a massive advantage in experience over the surprising Munster champions. Their credentials were impressively stated in the win over Nemo Rangers. Tom McLaughlin will need to reprise his Munster final display to keep tabs on John McEntee and at his best, Jason Stokes will make the Limerick side very competitive at centrefield.

But driven by last year’s disappointment the Armagh champions can go on.

NFL – Division Four

Leitrim v Carlow, Carrick-on- Shannon – After a disappointing defeat by Sligo last week, Mickey Moran’s side will expect to get back on track against Carlow.

Interprovincial SH semi-finals

Connacht v Munster, Pearse Stadium – A Munster team starting no one from Cork and a Connacht side that is more experimental than usual. With the GAA confirming the final for Abu Dhabi there will at least be an exotic destination for the winners with the visitors looking more likely to fit that bill.

Ulster v Leinster, Casement Park – Although missing some of the champions’ front-line players, Leinster call on seven Kilkenny players and that should be sufficient.

Tomorrow

All-Ireland club SH semi-finals Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) v Portumna (Galway), Thurles – An extraordinarily eagerly-awaited encounter, partly stemming from the clubs having won the last three All-Irelands between them and because the last time the clubs clashed at this stage, Portumna and the 2007 champions Ballyhale produced a dazzling semi-final, although the Galway champions pulled away in the end.

Both sides have potent attacks, Shamrocks with Henry Shefflin leading the way and Portumna having Joe Canning at the heart of their scoring threat.If the Kilkenny champions’ defence creaks as badly as it did against Toomevara two years ago Canning, Damien Hayes and Andy Smith will make hay. But Portumna don’t have an ideal marker to cope with Shefflin.

Just out of minors, Martin Dolphin has the potential but neither the experience nor the size and those with the physical presence such as Micheál Ryan or Aidan O’Donnell will find it harder to cope with Shefflin’s guile.

Although the Galway club shouldn’t have lost their edge after a straightforward run through the county, they are at a later stage of the cycle than their opponents and that bite can make the difference.

Ruairí Óg Cushendall (Antrim) v De La Salle (Waterford), Parnell Park – De La Salle are unlikely to fall into the trap Mount Sion fashioned for themselves when getting clipped by Dunloy in 2003.

As a side that relied on work-rate and a realistic appraisal of their capabilities throughout Waterford and Munster they won’t be caught napping by Cushendall but the Ulster side have a strong record against Munster champions, shaking Wolfe Tones in 1997 and taking then champions St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield to a replay three years later – and there are plenty of players with experience of those ties, although, unlike Dunloy, they haven’t actually won semi-finals.

Steered by their intercounty contingent of John Mullane, Brian Phelan and Kevin Moran the Waterford side can return to the All-Ireland stage six months after last September’s great disaster.

Seán Moran