GAA Preview – Saturday, from 5:00pm & Sunday, from 4:00pm
This weekend is a relatively quiet one in terms of numbers and the focus will rest squarely on the Ulster Championship with quarter-final action on Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, the northern provincial championship is well used to the pressure of being the focus early in the season and, of the four established provincial battlegrounds, Ulster has been a beacon of stirring competitive action over the last three decades.
Following on from last weekend’s upset wins for New York and Roscommon in the Connacht Championship, can Fermanagh and Monaghan match them with scalps in their games against Derry and Tyrone respectively?
Selections
Ulster kingpins should ease into contention
Fermanagh vs. Derry, Saturday 15th April, 5.00pm
– Live on BBC2 NI
Heading into the first of the Ulster quarter-finals, defending champions Derry are favourites at 7/4 to retain the Anglo-Celt Cup, while Saturday’s hosts Fermanagh are rank outsiders at 66/1.
It is, then, a tall order to imagine the Erne County will take out Rory Gallagher’s men here.
Derry strolled through Division 2 of the Allianz League, earning promotion to the top flight for next season with a near perfect record, before losing the final in Croke Park against Dublin.
No doubt that turned into something of a chastening experience for the Oak Leaf side, but they aren’t drawing swords with anything close to the calibre of Dublin this time out.
Like Derry, Fermanagh won six out of seven games in Division 3 but they were easily dismissed by Cavan in the decider at Headquarters, a restoration of sorts to the natural order of things in Ulster.
Derry shipped four goals against Dublin in Croke Park two weeks ago but that hardly told the entire story. The Dubs only managed six points to go with their goals and thus emphasised that it will remain tough to eke out scores against this Derry side.
Gallagher will know only too well that his team are on the tougher side of the Ulster draw, with either Tyrone or Monaghan next up, and he’ll want his side to make progress from Enniskillen with minimal fuss. They have the quality to see out that task.
Red Hands’ grasp is not secure
Tyrone vs. Monaghan, Sunday 16th April, 4.00pm
– Live on RTE2 / BBC2 NI
Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League final is a rematch of the 2022 All-Ireland final as Limerick, the best team in the country, face the last side to beat them in a knockout championship game.
Both Tyrone and Monaghan had to work hard to secure their Division 1 status in the league. Tyrone ultimately got the job done with something to spare, while Monaghan – as has become their wont – took it to the wire before squeezing out of trouble with a final day win down in Mayo.
They were aided there of course by Kevin McStay making sweeping changes to his line-up before the final against Galway, but it was nonetheless another testament to the battling spirit that exists in Monaghan’s ranks.
They’ll need to draw on that sort of spirit once more in Omagh on Sunday afternoon. Tyrone are second-favourites for Ulster glory at 16/5, with Monaghan trading at 10/1, and the Red Hands will start as strong favourites here with home advantage.
When these sides met on 19th March in the league, Tyrone came out on top by a score of 2-15 to 0-13. Goals ultimately left the Farney side with too much work to do that day.
With both now up to Championship pace, expect this to be a close-run encounter. Conor McManus may be into the veteran stages of his career now but the Monaghan forward produced a stellar display in that win over Mayo recently and a big performance from him could help his side provide the latest upset in the early knockings of the football championship.
There remains a vulnerability about Tyrone and McManus’ star quality could help expose it on Sunday.
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