this weekend's action

Qualifier Round 2

Down v Laois, Newry
this has the makings of a very good game, by that i mean there two equally average teams. one question what has happened to bennie coulter? only a goal against london? he seems to have gone right off the boil in recent months and this will be key. Laois to win my a couple of points in a tight match, laois 1-11 down 0.12

Monaghan v Derry, Clones
round two, rocky 2, rambo 2 whatever you want to call it this is the tie of the round and whatever you opinion on both these two teams no-one will be able to not watch it, Monaghan have a huge advantage here in so far as they have got there dissapointment out of there way with the win over Armagh while derry have self-distructed in the last couple of weeks or so it looks from the outside. If i was a monaghan man i would be asking the electricians to strike up around croker next as there seems to be a big thing going on there in relation to monaghan as they never seem to get an easy game in the qualifiers. they will win this though .

Monaghan 0. 12 Derry 0.07


Longford v Kerry, Pearse Park
kerry to start there regrouping process with a win here after a strong fisrt half showing from longford kerry to mve through the gears and win by 6-7 points at the end, kerry to unleash a new game plan unheard of before in this game that will be there starting piint of the season.

kerry 2. 12 longford -.0.11

Wexford v Roscommon, Wexford Park
a bad game in store he i feel, a poor battered and bewildered roscommon team travel to wexford for there last gamein the championship this year wexford to kick on and win well

wexford 1.14 roscommon 0.07
Tipperary v Sligo, Thurles
a tough game for both teams here, sligo realing from the loss to galwal tipp on the way up after a strong league and a win over louth, very tight first half in store with sligo coming out of the blocks fast int eh second half and building a 6 point lead one which ever though tipp will come back they will not reliquish, sligo by 2

sligo 0.13 tipp 1.08
Donegal v Clare, Ballybofey
a boring match with two poor teams donegal will win with relative ease

donegal 2.11 clare 1.09
Westmeath v Meath, Mullingar
a local derby, a chance for redemption, a first win agaisnt your rivals westmeath hold all the aces trouble is there not good enough to get the scores to win, meath on the other hand a poor team with a few indivuals who can win a game and will

meath 0.13 westmeath 0.09

Wicklow v Cavan, Aughrim
cracker in store with two teams who will fancy there chances, wicklow have already beat fermanagh as doid cavan but cavans heads have to be down after there no show agaisnt antrim, expect a draw here after a close battle all day with cavans scoring power seeing them trough in extra time

cavan 1.11 wicklow 1.11 aet cavan 1.16 wicklow 1.13


Sunday 12 July

Leinster Senior Football Championship final

Dublin v Kildare, Croke Park
this is the one all dubs have been waiting for the challenge before a 1/4 final, how they have longed to be giving a tough game in leinster, here it is the two form teams of leinster on a collision course all year and they will go head to head in an epic battle. dublin will come out of the traps like a rocket and here is where the game will be desided for kildare. if they contain the dubs in that period to 4-6 points in the first 20 mins then we will have a right game on our hands and a terrific battle.

i am going with the dubs but only after a huge game and a massive scare.

dublin 0.16 kildare 1.12

To be fair if I'm the only one tipping Longford to win in the Tipster, I dont think I should subject people to the agony of a full analysis thread on the issue

Did anyone read Glenn Ryans interview on the back of yesterdays Evening Herald?
I expected to hear all about the aerial threat of the twin towers Walsh and Donaghy or Longford players wanting revenge for 2006 or even don't underestimate Kerry but no, not one bit.
Mr Ryan chooses the eve of the Longford v Kerry game to talk about the Leinster Final and to tell the country that the Dubs have Big Questions to answer and that Dermot Earley will expose their defensive weaknesses etc;

Now in all seriousness, what the hell has the Leinster final got to do with him? When Longford played Kerry in 2006, the full back that was marking Donaghy was roasted and didn't kick a ball in anger for Longford until the league this year. He hasn't been great this year so far but what does Ryan do? Names him at number 3 for todays match. And he's talking about Dublins defensive weaknesses.

If you put it into context, Davy Fitz hasn't been spouting about the Clare v Galway game because he has much bigger fish to fry with Waterford v Tipperary on Sunday so maybe Ryan should take a leaf out of his book.
I'm sorry but Glenn, if you dont want to be here then theres the door. He's obviously a bit bitter that Kildare went for Geezer and not him but its fairly obvious when you compare Longford and Kildares fortunes this year that they made the right decision.
I will be down in Pearse Park today, cheering the lads on until the end but I'm not overly optimistic. If the managers head is not on the game then what hope have the players?

Sorry I know this is more a rant than analysis but for the reasons mentioned above I unfortunately think it will be a massacre

god i could not have been further away on those predictions