Preview: Weekend’s All-Ireland SFC Preliminary Quarter-Finals:
All-Ireland SFC Preliminary Quarter-Finals
Saturday 22nd June
Galway v Monaghan in Pearse Stadium at 4pm, GAAGO
Buoyed up by a vital win over Meath, Monaghan will head for Salthill heartened.
Vinny Corey’s team have endured plenty of pain in 2024, but last weekend’s success over the Royals’ was significant.
Barry McBennett made a valuable contribution scoring 1-2, while Jack McCarron, Micheál Bannigan, and the splendid Conor McCarthy were others to impress.
Galway performed well against Armagh, but were punished in the closing stages as Kieran McGeeney’s charges recovered to earn a share of the spoils.
Ultimately, it meant Galway were forced to go down the preliminary quarter-finals route, but the Tribesmen do have cause for optimism.
Dylan McHugh continues to impress, while Rob Finnerty and Shane Walsh have enjoyed good moments in attack for Galway recently.
Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin; Paul Conroy, Seán Kelly; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Céin D’Arcy; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Cillian McDaid.
Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel O’Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cian Hernon, Johnny Heaney, Cathal Sweeney, Liam Ó Conghaile, Damien Comer, Tomo Culhane.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Killian Lavelle, Jason Irwin; Ryan McAnespie, Ryan O’Toole, Conor McCarthy; Gary Mohan, Barry McBennett; Stephen O’Hanlon, Micheál Bannigan, Michael Hamill; Andrew Woods, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus.
Subs: Darren McDonnell, Colm Lennon, Stephen Mooney, Kevin Loughran, Dessie Ward, David Garland, Micheál McCarville, Ciarán McNulty, Joel Wilson, Seán Jones, Thomas McPhillips.
Tyrone v Roscommon in O’Neill’s Healy Park at 5pm, GAAGO
Another intriguing contest beckons in Omagh with Tyrone and Roscommon eager to claim a place in the last eight.
Tyrone did what was required against Cork last weekend with Mattie Donnelly and the in form Darragh Canavan influential figures in that victory.
Niall Morgan remains a key performer for Tyrone, who will be aware of Roscommon’s threat.
Davy Burke’s side needed to overcome Cavan and that is precisely what they did, chiefly due to the excellence of Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith.
Now Roscommon face an awkward away assignment against Tyrone, who will be prepared for a demanding encounter.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Padraig Hamspey, Niall Devlin; Ben Cullen, Peter Harte, Michael O’Neill; Brian Kennedy, Mattie Donnelly; Ciarán Daly, Ruairi Canavan, Kieran McGeary; Darren McCurry, Darragh Canavan, Seán O’Donnell.
Subs: Oisín O’Kane, Frank Burns, Conal Devlin, Cormac Donnelly, Nathan McCarron, Eoin McElhone, Lorcan McGarrity, Cathal McShane, Shea O’Hare, Tiernan Quinn, Michael Rafferty.
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Niall Higgins, Brian Stack, Robbie Dolan; David Murray, Ruaidhri Fallon, Eoin McCormack; Enda Smith, Ultan Harney; Dylan Ruane, Diarmuid Murtagh, Shane Cunnane; Daire Cregg, Conor Cox, Donie Smith.
Subs: Colm Lavin, Niall Daly, Conor Hussey, Ronan Daly, Keith Doyle, Andrew Glennon, Conor Hand, Adam McDermott, Tadhg O’Rourke, Cathal Heneghan, Ciarán Lennon.
Mayo v Derry in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park at 6.30pm, GAAGO
Mayo came within a whisker of taking Dublin’s prized scalp at Dr Hyde Park on Sunday.
Cormac Costello’s sweet last gasp fisted point, though, ensured Mayo were sent into this stage and a tough home draw followed against Derry.
The Allianz Football League Division One champions endured plenty of Championship disappointment losing to Donegal, Galway, and Armagh before defeating Westmeath.
Ciarán McFaul and Diarmuid Baker were instrumental in securing that win for Mickey Harte’s team. Derry’s panel is sprinkled with class and they will want to show that in Castlebar.
In the opposite camp Mayo, with Tommy Conroy, Aidan O’Shea, and Ryan O’Donohgue all impressing, are hopeful of earning a return to Croke Park.
Donnacha McHugh and Mattie Ruane are others making an impact for Mayo in 2024.
This will be a revealing 70 minutes in the west.
Mayo: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Donnacha McHugh; Rory Brickenden, Sam Callinan, Eoghan McLaughlin; Stephen Coen, Mattie Ruane; Tommy Conroy, Darren McHale, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O’Shea, Jack Carney, Ryan O’Donoghue.
Subs: Rob Hennelly, James Carr, Enda Hession, Conor Loftus, Cillian O’Connor, Diarmuid O’Connor, Eoin O’Donoghue, Padraig O’Hora, Michael Plunkett, Paul Towey, Bob Tuohy.
Derry: Odhran Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Chrissy McKaigue, Diarmuid Baker; Ciarán McFaul, Eoin McEvoy, Donncha Gilmore; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Ethan Doherty, Emmett Bradley, Paul Cassidy; Eunan Mulholland, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray.
Subs: Ryan Scullion, Declan Cassidy, Conor Doherty, Mark Doherty, Shea Downey, Ruairi Forbes, Danny McDermott, Gareth McKinless, Cahir McMonagle, Cormac Murphy, Niall Toner.
Sunday 23rd June
Louth v Cork in Inniskeen at 3pm, GAAGO
Ger Brennan is carrying out diligent work with Louth, who face Cork in an interesting final 12 tussle on Sunday.
Victories over Clare and Donegal illustrate Cork’s potential, but the defeat to Tyrone was a setback.
Nonetheless, John Cleary and his panel will be encouraged about how Cork have fared in recent months with a tricky task awaiting in Inniskeen.
Steven Sherlock, Mark Cronin, and Chris Óg Jones were prominent against Tyrone for Cork.
Louth were defeated by Kerry following dynamic displays against Meath and Monaghan where a win and draw were registered.
Sam Mulroy and Conor Grimes remain influential players for Louth, alongside the effective Ciarán Keenan.
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Donal McKenny, Dermot Campbell, Dan Corcoran; Conall McKeever, Anthony Williams, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Bevan Duffy; Paul Mathews, Ciarán Keenan, Conor Grimes; Ryan Burns, Sam Mulroy, Ciarán Byrne.
Subs: Craig Lynch, Chris O’Neill, Peter McStravick, Liam Jackson, Dylan McKeown, Ciarán Murphy, Seán Marry, Leonard Grey, Tadhg McDonell, Conor Early, Tom Jackson.
Cork: Christopher Kelly; Kevin Flahive, Daniel O’Mahony, Maurice Shanley; Rory Maguire, Tommy Walsh, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Seán Powter, Brian O’Driscoll; Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock.
Subs: Mícheál Aodh Martin, Seán Meehan, Darragh Cashman, Thomas Clancy, John O’Rourke, Killian O’Hanlon, Eoghan McSweeney, Jack Cahalane, Ruairi Deane, Conor Corbett, Brian Hurley.