Senior footballers face new challenge in promoted Cavan

The sparring is over and now it’s time for action as the 2017 Allianz Football League gets underway at 16 venues next weekend. Saturday night stages three games with thirteen on Sunday.

A total of 112 games will be played between this weekend and April 2, after which all four divisions will stage finals on April 8/9.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: WILL DUBLIN EXTEND UNBEATEN RUN?

SATURDAY (7pm): Mayo v Monaghan, Elverys MacHale Park;

SUNDAY (2 pm): Cavan v Dublin, Kingspan Breffni Park; Donegal v Kerry, Letterkenny; Tyrone v Roscommon, Omagh.

March 1st 2015: Kerry 0-15 Dublin 1-10, Allianz Football League, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. That was the last time Dublin, who are attempting to win the Allianz Football League Division 1 title for a fifth successive year, tasted defeat in League or Championship. Since then, they have won two All-Irelands, two Allianz Leagues and two Leinster titles in a 29-match unbeaten run. Now it’s Cavan’s turn to attempt to break the remarkable sequence when they host Jim Gavin’s men in Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday.

Cavan, who are under new management with Tyrone-man, Mattie McGleenan at the helm, are back in Allianz Football League Division 1 for the first time in 13 years.

Kerry, last year’s beaten League finalists after finishing second in the table, begin their campaign away to Donegal, who finished fourth last year, before losing a semi-final to Dublin. Kerry beat Donegal by five points in last year’s League.

Mayo finished fifth last year, finding themselves in the unusual position of missing out on a semi-final place on scoring difference and avoiding relegation by the same route. They won three of seven games, as did Donegal, Cork and Monaghan, making scoring difference vital. Their opening tie is against Monaghan, whom they beat by two points in last year’s League.

Roscommon (third last year before losing to Kerry in the semi-final) travel to Omagh to take on Tyrone, who return to Division 1 after one season in Division 2.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: CAN CORK RETURN TO DIVISION 1 AT FIRST ATTEMPT?

SATURDAY (7 pm): Down v Fermanagh, Newry.

SUNDAY (2 pm): Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium; Derry v Clare, Celtic Park; Meath v Kildare, Pairc Tailteann.

Having been relegated to Allianz Football League Division 2 on scoring difference in 2016 (three wins from seven games), Cork will be hoping to emulate Tyrone who returned to the top flight at the first attempt. The Rebels, whose last season in the Allianz Football League Division 2 was in 2009, travel to Pearse Stadium to take on Galway, who finished third in the group last year, missing out on promotion after losing to Cavan in the final round. Galway’s last season in the Allianz Football League Division 1 was in 2011.

Down, who joined Cork in the relegation zone last year after losing all seven Allianz Football League Division 1 games, host Fermanagh, who finished fourth in Division 2 last year.

Clare, who enjoyed an excellent 2016 during which they won the Allianz Football League Division 3 title and later reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals, make the long trip to Derry, who finished sixth in Allianz Football League Division 2 last year, avoiding relegation on scoring difference ahead of Armagh.

It’s an all-Leinster clash in Navan, where Meath host Kildare, who were promoted from the Allianz Football League Division 3 at the end of last season. The last Allianz League clash between this pair was in 2015 when Meath won a Allianz Football League Division 2 tie by two points.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3:WILL TIPPERARY BUILD ON LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP SURGE?

SATURDAY (7pm): Laois v Louth, Portlaoise

SUNDAY (2pm): Longford v Offaly, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park; Tiperary v Antrim, Thurles; Sligo v Armagh, Markievicz Park.

Laois and Armagh, who find themselves in Allianz Football League Division 3 after disappointing Allianz Football League Division 2 campaigns last year, will be very anxious to make a quick exit from a group that also includes Tipperary, who reached last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Laois begin their promotion bid at home to Louth, who were promoted from the Allianz Football League Division 4 last April. Armagh travel to Markievicz Park to take on Sligo, who finished fifth last year. The counties last met in the Allianz League in 2015 when Sligo won by 11 points in the final round of the Allianz Football League Division 3 games. However, Armagh had already clinched promotion by then.

Much is expected from Tipperary this year and they will be looking for a bright start to their campaign against Antrim, who were promoted at the end of last season. Tipperary finished 6th in the Allianz Football League Division 3 table last year after winning two, drawing three and losing two of their seven games.

It’s Longford v Offaly in the remaining game as the neighbours continue their busy rivalry. Next Sunday’s game will be the eighth between them in League and Championship since the start of 2014. They met twice last year with Offaly winning both games. They won the Allianz League clash by two points and the Leinster first round game by eight points. Both finished on eight points in last year’s League with Offaly edging into third place on the table behind Kildare and Clare on scoring difference.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: WESTMEATH DERMINED TO BEGIN FIGHBACK

SUNDAY (2 pm unless stated): Waterford v London, Lemybrien, 1.0; Westmeath v Carlow, TEG Cusack Park; Wicklow v Leitrim, Joule Park Aughrim; Wexford v Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park.

Westmeath have slipped from Allianz Football League Divisions 1 to 4 in successive seasons, leaving them under pressure to begin the return trip by winning promotion this season. They start the challenge at home to Carlow, who finished fifth on the Allianz League table last year. Limerick, who were relegated with Westmeath, travel to Wexford to take on the home side who finished in third place behind Antrim and Louth last year. Wicklow, fourth last year, and Leitrim, seventh last year, clash in Aughrim. Wicklow beat Leitrim by a point last year.

Waterford, sixth last year, take on London, who finished bottom of the table in 2016. London beat Waterford by a point last year.