Senior footballers set for duel with Lilywhites

Tue, 23rd June 2015

Five of the eight finalists in the senior provincial football championships have been decided and, barring draws, the other three will be settled next weekend.

It’s Cork v Kerry in Munster, Mayo v Sligo in Connacht while Monaghan have qualified for the Ulster title for a third successive year.

They will meet the winners of Saturday’s clash between Donegal and Derry in the final while the Leinster semi-finals follow on Sunday.

There are also four Round 1 qualifier games on the weekend programme.

The full line-up is as follows:

Saturday

All-Ireland SF qualifiers (Round 1B)

Armagh v Wicklow, Athletic Grounds, 2.30

Wexford v Down, Innovate Wexford Park, 6.30

Louth v Leitrim, Drogheda, 7.0

Ulster SF semi-finals

Donegal v Derry, Clones, 7.0

Sunday

Leinster SF semi-finals

Meath v Westmeath, Croke Park, 2.0

Dublin v Kildare, Croke Park, 4.0

All-Ireland SF qualifier (Round 1B)

Tyrone v Limerick, Omagh, 4.0

DUBLIN v KILDARE

Dublin are bidding to reach a 10th Leinster final in 11 seasons, having missed out in 2010 when they lost the semi-final to Meath. Kildare last reached the final in 2009.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2013: Dublin 4-16 Kildare 1-9 (Leinster semi-final)

2011: Dublin 1-12 Kildare 1-11 (Leinster semi-final)

2009: Dublin 2-15 Kildare 0-18 (Leinster final)

2002: Dublin 2-13 Kildare 2-11 (Leinster final)

2000: Kildare 2-11 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster final) Replay

Kildare have had two games in this year’s championship so far, drawing with Laois (0-16 each) before winning the replay by 3-18 to 1-11.

Dublin beat Longford by 4-25 to 0-10 in the quarter-final.

Kildare’s last win over Dublin in the championship was in the 2000 Leinster final replay.

Dublin have won their last seven Leinster games by margins ranging from seven to 27 points.

The last competitive game between Kildare and Dublin was in the 2014 Allianz football League, when Dublin won by ten points.

Kildare’s last Leinster semi-final win in Croke Park was in 2003 when they beat Meath. They reached the 2009 Leinster final by beating Laois in O’Connor Park, Tullamore.

MEATH v WESTMEATH

They meet in the championship for the first time since 2009 when they clashed in a qualifier tie. They last met in the Leinster championship in 2003.

Last five championship clashes

2009: Meath 1-15 Westmeath 1-5 (All-Ireland qualifier Round 2)

2003: Meath 1-11 Westmeath 0-5 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay

2003: Meath 2-13 Westmeath 2-13 (Leinster quarter-final) Draw

2002: Meath 1-12 Westmeath 0-11 (Leinster quarter-final)

2001: Meath 2-10 Westmeath 0-11 (replay) (All-Ireland quarter-final)

Westmeath have two wins behind them in this year’s championship, beating Louth by 3-14 to 0-16 and Wexford by 1-21 to 0-15. Meath beat Wicklow by 2-19 to 3-12 in their only outing so far.

Westmeath are seeking their first ever senior championship win over Meath, Their best results came in 2001 when they drew with the Royals in the All-Ireland quarter-final before losing the replay and in 2003 when they also drew (Leinster quarter-final) before losing the replay.

Meath are seeking to reach the Leinster final for a fourth successive year.

Westmeath are bidding to reach the Leinster final for the first time since 2004, when they won their first provincial title.

Meath beat Westmeath by 4-10 to 0-11 when the sides met in an Allianz League Division 2 game in Pairc Tailteann on March 7. Westmeath led by two points at half-time but Meath won the second half by 3-7 to 0-3. Meath also beat Westmeath by 1-13 to 0-10 in the O’Byrne Cup in January.

DERRY v DONEGAL

This will be the 23rd championship clash between the counties with each county having won 11 times from the previous 22 meetings. Donegal have won the last four meetings.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2014: Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-11 (Ulster quarter-final)

2012: Donegal 2-13 Derry 0-9 (Ulster quarter-final)

2011: Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-8 (Ulster final)

2009: Donegal 2-13 Derry 0-18 (After extra-time) (Third Round Qualifier)

2008: Derry 1-14 Donegal 1-12 (Ulster quarter-final)

? Donegal are heading for their third game in this year’s championship, having beaten Tyrone by 1-13 to 1-10 and Armagh by 2-11 to 0-8. Their top scorers are: Michael Murphy on 0-8 (0-7 frees), Paddy McBrearty and Martin McElhinney on 1-3 each.

? Derry have one win behind them, beating Down by 0-12 to 0-11. Eoin Bradley (0-3 frees) and Mark Lynch (0-2 frees) each scored 0-5 each for Derry.

? The counties clashed in last year’s Ulster quarter-final when Donegal won by 1-11 to 0-11 in Celtic Park.

? Donegal have won 15 of their last 16 Ulster championship games, beating Tyrone (four times), Derry (three times), Cavan (twice), Down (twice) Antrim (twice), Monaghan (once) and Armagh (once) Their only defeat came against Monaghan in the 2013 Ulster final.

? Derry are seeking their first championship win over Donegal since 2008. They have failed to score a goal against Donegal in their last four championships games.

? Donegal are bidding to reach the Ulster final for a fifth successive year.

The winners will play Monaghan in the Ulster final on July 19. If Donegal win, it will be the third year in a row that they played Monaghan in the final. If Derry win, their will play Monaghan in the final for the first time since 1985.

ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL QUALIFIERS

ARMAGH vs WICKLOW

This will be the fourth qualifier clash between the counties in four years. They drew (Armagh 0-19 Wicklow 2-13) after extra-time in a Round 2 game in the Athletic Grounds in 2011. Armagh won the replay in Aughrim by 2-9 to 0-10.

They met again in 2013 when Armagh won a Round 1 game by 2-21 to 0-2 in the Athletic Grounds.

Last year’s qualifiers: Armagh entered in Round 2 and went on to beat Tyrone, Roscommon and Meath to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals, where they lost to Donegal. Wicklow beat Offaly in Round 1 and lost to Sligo in the second Round.

This year: Donegal 2-11 Armagh 0-8; Meath 2-19 Wicklow 3-12.

WEXFORD vs DOWN

They meet for only the second time in championship history, with Wexford having won the first game by 2-13 to 0-12 in a Round 3 qualifier in Croke Park in 2008.

Last year’s qualifiers: Wexford lost to Laois (0-18 to 0-17) in Round 2. Down beat Leitrim (4-18 to 0-9) in the first round before losing to Kildare by 1-18 to 0-11 in Round 2.

This year: Westmeath 1-21 Wexford 0-15; Derry 0-12 Down 0-11.

LOUTH vs LEITRIM

This will be the first ever championship clash between the counties. Leitrim are seeking only their second win in the qualifiers, having won for the first time in 2012 when they beat Wicklow.

Last year’s qualifiers: Tyrone 2-21 Louth 0-10; Down 4-18 Leitrim 0-9

This year: Westmeath 3-14 Louth 0-16; Galway 1-13 Leitrim 0-8

TYRONE vs LIMERICK

They meet for the first time in the championship. Tyrone have an excellent record in the qualifiers, having won the All-Ireland titles in 2005 and 2008, via the second chance route.

Also, in 2004 and 2011, they reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals through the qualifiers and reached the semi-finals in 2013, via a similar route.

Last year’s qualifiers: Tyrone 2-21 Louth 0-10; Armagh 0-13 Tyrone 0-10

Limerick 1-16 London 1-13; Limerick 3-11 Antrim 0-15; Sligo 0-12 Limerick 0-10.

This year: Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-10; Clare 0-15 Limerick 0-13

GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 RESULTS & FIXTURES

CONNACHT

Round 1:

May 3: Galway 2-18 New York 0-8, Gaelic Park;

Quarter-finals:

Galway 1-13 Leitrim 0-8, Carrick-on-Shannon;

May 24: Roscommon 1-14 London 0-10;

Semi-finals:

June 14: Mayo 1-15 Galway 2-8, Pearse Stadium;

June 20: Sligo 1-14 Roscommon 0-13, Markievicz Park.

Final:

July 19: Mayo v Sligo

LEINSTER

Round 1:

Laois 3-16 Carlow 0-8, Netwatch Cullen Park;

Longford 0-16 Offaly 0-13, O’Connor Park;

Westmeath 3-14 Louth 0-16, Drogheda.

Quarter-finals:

May 31: Dublin 4-25 Longford 0-10, Croke Park;

June 6: Kildare 0-16 Laois 0-16, O’Connor Park;

June 13: Replay: Kildare 3-18 Laois 1-11, Tullamore (replay)

June 14: Meath 2-19 Wicklow 3-12, Páirc Tailteann; Westmeath 1-21 Wexford 0-15, Cusack Park.

Semi-finals:

June 28: Westmeath v Meath, (2.0), Dublin v Kildare, 4.0. Both in Croke Park.

Final:

July 12: Croke Park

MUNSTER

Quarter-finals:

May 24: Clare 0-15 Limerick 0-13, Ennis

May 31: Tipperary 1-24 Waterford 0-5, Thurles

Semi-finals:

June 14:

Cork 1-20 Clare 1-8, Pairc Uí Rinn

Kerry 2-14 Tipperary 2-8, Thurles.

Final:

July 5: Kerry v Cork, Killarney (2.0)

ULSTER

Preliminary round:

Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-10 Ballybofey

Quarter-finals:

Monaghan 0-16 Cavan 0-15, Kingspan Breffni Park

Fermanagh 1-13 Antrim 0-8, Brewster Park;

Derry 0-12 Down 0-11, Celtic Park

June 14: Donegal 2-11 Armagh 0-8, Athletic Grounds

Semi-finals:

June 21: Monaghan 1-20 Fermanagh 0-13, Kingspan Breffni Park

June 27: Donegal v Derry, Clones

Final:

July 19: Monaghan v Donegal/Derry

ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Qualifiers

Round 1A:

June 20: London v Cavan, Ruislip; Laois v Antrim, O’Moore Park; Longford v Carlow, Glennon Brother Pearse Park; Waterford v Offaly, Fraher Field, Dungarvan

Round 1B:

June 27: Tyrone v Limerick; Louth v Leitrim; Armagh v Wicklow; Wexford v Down.

Round 2A:

July 4: Offaly v Dublin/Kildare, Tullamore; Clare v Longford, Ennis; Cavan v Roscommon, Kingspan Breffni Park.

July 5: Fermanagh v Antrim, Brewster Park.

Round 2B:

July 11: Four 1B winners v four beaten provincial semi-finalists.

Round 3A:

July 11: Four 2A winners play off in two games;

Round 3B

July 18: Four 2B winners play off in two games.

Round 4A: