Senior footballers face Westmeath for 20th time in SFC action

Fri, 6th November 2020

Stand by for a hectic weekend! No fewer than nine games are on the agenda next Saturday and Sunday as the pace quickens towards the GAA football provincial finals.

By Sunday evening, the line-ups for the Connacht and Munster finals will be known, as will the semi-finalists in Leinster and Munster.

The programme is as follows:

SATURDAY

Connacht semi-final: Galway wo Sligo scr, Pearse Stadium, 1.15

Ulster semi-final: Cavan v Antrim, Kingspan Breffni Park, 1.15

Leinster quarter-finals: Dublin v Westmeath, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 6.15

Munster semi-final: Limerick v Tipperary, LIT Gaelic Grounds, 1.15.

SUNDAY

Connacht semi-final: Roscommon v Mayo, Dr. Hyde Park, 1.30

Leinster quarter-finals: Wicklow v Meath, Aughrim, 1.30; Longford v Laois, Glennon Brother Pearse Park, 1.30; Offaly v Kildare, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 5.30.

Ulster quarter-final: Fermanagh v Down, Brewster Park, 1.30.

Munster semi-final: Cork v Kerry, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 4.0

DUBLIN v WESTMEATH

They meet in the championship for the 20th time with wins at 16-3 in Dublin’s favour from the previous 19 games. Westmeath’s last win over Dublin was in 2004. Their only other wins were in 1967 and 1931.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2017: Dublin 4-29 Westmeath 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)

2016: Dublin 2-19 Westmeath 0-10 (Leinster final)

2015: Dublin 2-13 Westmeath 0-6 (Leinster final)

2013: Dublin 1-22 Westmeath 0-9 (Leinster quarter-final)

2009: Dublin 4-26 Westmeath 0-11 (Leinster semi-final)

*Dublin haven’t lost in the Leinster championship since going down to Meath in the 2010 semi-final.

*Westmeath are chasing their first win in the Leinster championship since beating Offaly in a quarter-final replay in 2017.

*Westmeath haven’t scored a goal (Michael Ennis) against Dublin in the championship since the 2008 Leinster semi-final. The counties have met five times since then, with Dublin winning by margins of 27-16-13-15-31 points.

*The winners will play Longford or Laois in the semi-final.

WICKLOW v MEATH

They meet in the Leinster championship for the first time since 2015 when the Royals won by four points in Pairc Tailteann.

2015: Meath 2-19 Wicklow 3-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

2013: Meath 1-17 Wicklow 1-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

2012: Meath 0-16 Wicklow 0-11 (Leinster first round)

2004: Meath 2-13 Wicklow 1-8 (Leinster quarter-final)

1999: Meath 2-10 Wicklow 0-6 (Leinster quarter-final)

*Wicklow are seeking their first championship win over Meath since 1957 when they won the Leinster quarter-final by 3-6 to 1-11 in Athy.

*Meath are bidding to reach the Leinster final for the eighth time in nine years while Wicklow last reached the semi-final in 1995.

*Wicklow beat Wexford by 2-9 to 0-11 in the quarter-final last Sunday; Meath will be having their first outing in this year’s championship.

*The winners will play Offaly or Kildare in the semi-final.

KILDARE v OFFALY

They meet in the championship for the first time since 2016 when Kildare won a qualifier clash by five points in Newbridge.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2016: Kildare 1-22 Offaly 2-14 (Qualifier Round 2)

2015: Kildare 1-15 Offaly 1-13 (Qualifier Round 2)

2013: Kildare 0-19 Offaly 1-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

2012: Kildare 0-19 Offaly 0-6 (Leinster 1st round)

2009: Kildare 1-16 Offaly 1-10 (Leinster 1st round)

*Kildare have beaten Offaly in their last five championship meetings. Offaly’s last win over the Lilywhites was in the 2006 Leinster quarter-final (3-9 to 0-15).

*Offaly beat Carlow by three points in the first round last Sunday: Kildare are facing into their first game of the campaign.

*The winners play Meath or Wicklow in the Leinster semi-final.

LONGFORD v LAOIS

They meet for the first time since 2017 when Laois won a Leinster first round clash by 11 points in Portlaoise.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2017: Laois 4-15 Longford 0-16 (Leinster first round)

2012: Longford 1-10 Laois 0-12 (Leinster first round)

2011: Laois 0-10 Longford 0-9 (Leinster first round)

1994: Laois 4-15 Longford 2-4 (Leinster first round)

1980: Laois 5-12 Longford 1-10 (Leinster first round)

*Longford beat Louth by two points in the first round last Sunday while Laois are having their first outing of the campaign.

*Laois are bidding to reach the Leinster semi-final for a third successive year; Longford were last in the

semi-final in 2018.

* The winners will play Dublin or Westmeath in the semi-final.

CORK v KERRY

One of football’s greatest rivalries heads for another intriguing instalment in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday when they meet in the Munster semi-final.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2019: Kerry 1-19 Cork 3-10 (Munster final)

2018: Kerry 3-18 Cork 2-4 (Munster final)

2017: Kerry 1-23 Cork 0-15 (Munster final)

2015: Kerry 1-11 Cork 1-6 (Munster final) Replay

2015: Kerry 2-15 Cork 3-12 (Munster final) Draw

*Cork haven’t beaten Kerry in the championship since 2012. It’s their longest barren spell against their great rivals since going from 1974 to 1983 without a win.

* Cork v Kerry has been by far the busiest championship rivalry since 2000. They have met 30 times, with Kerry winning 19 to Cork’s five while there were six draws.

*Kerry won the Division 1 Allianz League title last month (five wins, one draw, one defeat); Cork won the Division 3 title (seven wins from seven games).

*The winners will play Tipperary or Limerick in the Munster final

on November 22.

LIMERICK v TIPPERARY

They meet for a second successive year, following Limerick’s seven-point win over Tipperary in the quarter-final last year.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2019: Limerick 3-11 Tipperary 1-10 (Munster quarter-final)

2014: Tipperary 2-14 Limerick 1-11 (Munster quarter-final)

2009: Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9 (Munster quarter-final)

2008: Limerick 1-8 Tipperary 1-5 (Munster quarter-final)

2004: Limerick 0-16 Tipperary 3-5 (Munster quarter-final)

*Both had impressive wins last weekend – Tipperary, who finished fifth in Division 3, beat Clare, who had finished sixth in Division 2 while Limerick ran out easy winners over Waterford.

*Conor Sweeney top-scored on 1-4 (0-2 frees) for Tipperary in their win over Clare.

*Hugh Bourke on 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘mark’) and Cillian Fahy (1-1) were Limerick’s top scorers in the win over Waterford.

*Tipperary are bidding to reach the Munster final for the first time since 2016 while Limerick’s last ap-pearance in the decider was in 2010.

ROSCOMMON v MAYO

Roscommon are having their first outing of the 2020 championship while Mayo have a win behind them, secured with an 11-point win over Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon last Sunday.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2019: Roscommon 2-12 Mayo 0-17 (Connacht semi-final)

2017: Mayo 4-19 Roscommon 0-9 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Replay

2017: Mayo 1-12 Roscommon 2-9 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Draw

2014: Mayo 0-13 Roscommon 1-9 (Connacht semi-final)

2013: Mayo 0-21 Roscommon 0-9 (2013 Connacht semi-final)

*Mayo are bidding to reach the Connacht final for the first time since 2015 while Roscommon are attempting to reach the decider for a fifth successive season.

*If Mayo are beaten, it will be their longest period without reaching the Connacht final since 1956-63.

*If Roscommon win it will the first time they have qualified for five successive Connacht finals since 1976-80.

*Cillian O’Connor scored 1-9 (0-4 frees, 0-2 ‘45s’) in the 2-15 to 0-10 win over Leitrim last Sunday.

FERMANAGH v DOWN

They had contrasting fortunes in this year’s Allianz League, with Fermanagh dropping out of Division 2 and Down earning promotion from Division 3.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2012: Down 2-10 Fermanagh 1-8 (Ulster quarter-final)

2009: Fermanagh 0-13 Down 0-10 (Ulster first round)

2005: Down 1-11 Fermanagh 0-7 (All-Ireland qualifiers)

2003: Down 2-10 Fermanagh 0-11 (Ulster semi-final)

1984: Down 3-6 Fermanagh 0-8 (Ulster quarter-final)

*Red Hand v Red Hand on the sideline! Tyrone men, Paddy Tally and Ryan McMenamin will pit their managerial wits against each other. Tally is in his second season as Down manager while McMenamin is in his first year as Fermanagh boss.

*The winners will play Cavan or Antrim in the semi-final.

ANTRIM v CAVAN

Cavan’s superb win over Monaghan in the preliminary round last Saturday set them up for a first Ulster championship clash with Antrim since 2009.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2009: Antrim 0-13 Cavan 1-7 (Ulster semi-final)

2008: Cavan 1-19 Antrim 1-14 (Ulster first round)

2005: Cavan 1-15 Antrim 2-6 (Ulster quarter-final) Replay

2005: Cavan 0-11 Antrim 0-11 (Ulster quarter-final) Draw

2003: Antrim 2-9 Cavan 1-10 (Ulster quarter-final)

*Antrim, who finished third in Division 4 last month, are having their first championship outing and are bidding to reach the Ulster semi-final for the first time since 2014.

*Cavan are bidding to reach the semi-final for a second successive year.

*The winners will play Fermanagh or Down in the Ulster semi-final.

GAA ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020

CONNACHT

Nov 1: Quarter-final: Mayo 2-15 Leitrim 0-10, Carrick-on-Shannon

Nov 7: Semi-final: Galway wo Sligo scr, Pearse Stadium.

Nov 8: Semi-final: Roscommon v Mayo, Dr.Hyde Park.

Nov 15: Final

LEINSTER

Nov 1: First round: Wicklow 2-9 Wexford 0-11, Chadwicks Wexford Park; Offaly 3-14 Carlow 0-20, BNM O Connor Park; Longford 1-9 Louth 1-7, TEG Cusack Park.

Nov 7: Quarter-final: Dublin v Westmeath, MW Hire O’Moore Park.

Nov 8: Quarter-finals: Wicklow v Meath, Aughrim; Offaly v Kildare, MW Hire O’Moore Park; Long-ford v Laois BNM O’Connor Park.

Nov 15: Semi-finals: Wicklow/Meath v Offaly/Kildare, Croke Park; Longford/Laois v Dublin/Westmeath, Croke Park.

Nov 21: Final, Croke Park.

MUNSTER

Oct 31: Quarter-final: Limerick 2-14 Waterford 0-9, Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

Nov 1: Quarter-final: Tipperary 2-11 Clare 1-11, Semple Stadium.

Nov 7: Semi-final: Limerick v Tipperary, LIT Gaelic Grounds

Nov 8: Cork v Kerry, Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Nov 22: Final

ULSTER

October 31: Preliminary round: Cavan 2-15 Monaghan 1-17 (aet), Clones