All Ireland senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 1
1. Westmeath v's Fermanagh
Cusack Park, Mullingar
Throw In: Saturday, 3pm
Westmeath travelled to Croke Park for their Leinster Championship Quarter Final tie with Dublin with a spring in their step after a successful League campaign and promotion back to Division 1 for next season. However, it was a chastening experience with the Dubs releasing their full artillery in the wide spaces of Croker. This qualifier tie now gives them the opportunity to get back up off the canvass and get their season back running again. Likewise, Fermanagh and manager Peter Canavan, will be bitterly disappointed that in a game where they did not show up at all in the first half, that their stirring second half performance did not yield more in their Ulster Championship Quarter Final tie with Cavan. With talisman Dessie Dolan back in the frey for the Lake County men and Denis Glennon the focal point of their forward division, take them to advance to the next round.
Verdict: Westmeath
2. Derry v's Sligo
Owenbeg, Derry
Throw In: Sunday 5pm
Both of these sides will be bitterly disappointed with their provincial championship defeats but where Derry sparkled in the first half, they ran out of steam in the second and were reigned in by Down. On the other hand Sligo only woke from their slumber against London in the final ten minutes but by then they had given themselves too much of a mountain to climb. Derry full forward Eoin Bradley was in sparkling form in the Down game but his subsequent unfortunate shoulder injury is a blow to the Oak Leaf county men. Sligo manager Kevin Walsh to his credit held his council after the London defeat despite the cloak and dagger challenge to his managerial capabilities by former player Eamon O'Hara on the national airwaves. He is bound to get a response from his troops but travelling to Derry's back yard is never easy at the best of times so take Brian McIvers men to advance.
Verdict: Derry
3. Monaghan v's Cavan
Clones
Throw In: Saturday 7pm
Cavan have strung two Ulster Championship wins back to back this year for the first time since 2001, over Armagh and Fermanagh respectively, and they have played a game more than Monaghan, who got to this stage as a result of their quarter-final win over Antrim. Pundit Pat Spillane had his well publicised views of the quality of the fair in these encounters but this will matter not one bit to these neighbours if one of them can advance to an Ulster Final meeting with heavyweights Donegal. Cavan manager Terry Hyland has been very pleased with the manner of his sides' two wins so far, and how they forged out the results when the games got tight. For Monaghan boss Malachy O'Rourke, the challenge is to break the impressive Cavan defence down. They found them extremely hard to break down in their league encounter in February where Cavan ran out comfortable eight point winners. With Cavan forwards Martin Dunne and Eoghan Keating also in sparkling form at the other end, confidence could not be higher. It might just be a step too far for this young team this year though against experienced campaigners such as Owen Lennon, Dick Clerkin and Paul Finlay.
Verdict: Monaghan
Pods-itivity Treble: 3/1
Other mentions:
In the other All Ireland Qualifiers Round 1, Laois to overcome Carlow, Tyrone to win in Tullamore, Louth to beat Antrim, Longford to pip Limerick, Galway to get past Tipperary, Armagh to get better of Wicklow
In the Leinster Football Championship semi finals, Meath to halt Wexford and Dublin to power past Kildare. In the Connacht Championship semi final replay, Leitrim to take second chance against London
In the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Phase 1, Waterford to defeat Westmeath and Wexford to defeat Carlow. In the Leinster Hurling Championship semi final replay, Kilkenny to get better of Dublin second time around. In the Ulster Hurling Championship semi final, Down to defeat Derry
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