Weekend Quarter Finals

[manfromdelmonte]

Any views on the games in Croker this weekend?


Would love to see Down beat Kerry, though Down just don't have the backs to hold them tight
Tyrone should take the Dubs
Meath should have too much for Kildare, as long as they perform to capabilities
Does anyone give our neighbours in Roscommon a chance?

[Offaly2010]

Kerry by 5
Tyrone by 3
Kildare by 2
Cork by 7

Kerry should have too much for Down but I would love to see Down win.
Dublin over-reliant on Bernard Brogan whereas Tyrone have a greater scoring threat.
I think having four qualifier matches under their belt will benefit Kildare and they are hitting form at the right time.
Cork should have too much fire power for the Rossies.

[Lone Shark]

If I had to punt an underdog it would be Down, but realistically they're probably not quite at the required level yet. Galvin and Ó'Sé's absence will give them a chance, but a chance is all it is. I do rate this current Dublin team but Tyrone were absolutely awesome against Monaghan and the only logical play there is Tyrone on the handicap, which will presumably be roughly 6/5 -3 or else 4/5 -2.

The Rossies might stay within the handicap on the grounds that Cork aren't scoring too well at the moment, but to win the match I'd want to be getting 70/1 before I'd be betting, never mind 7/1.

Meath and Kildare is tricky. There is really no substitute for games but that Leinster final could easily have been a galvinising force in the Meath camp. They tend to thrive on being disliked and I can see them revelling in the atmosphere of Sunday's match. This is a game I'm really looking forward to from a viewing perspective, however there is no way that I'd be backing here either.

Maybe Meath to lead at half time, based on the fact that Kildare have started very slowly in every game they've played this year.

[jimbob17]

down to beat kerry. kerry struggling with injuries and suspensions and have never been as weak. appear to be going back for aidan o mahoney after he didn make the championship panel. another interesting fact is that down have never lost to kerry in championship football, beat them four times.

Cork by 5 or 6
Kildare by 4
tyrone by a point or two in a tight encounter

you would get good odds on an accumulator

[naasmanxrhode]

Kildare to win by at least 3 points
Cork to win by at least 10 points
Tyrone to win by at least 4 points
Down to cause a surprise, 4/1 in a two horse race is some price. Kerry are not the same team without Galvin and will struggle.

[john locke]

Once Tyrone kick the crap out of Dublin everything will be as it should in the world , and Maybe the auld lilywhites dish out a bit of karma to Meath wouldn't be harm either

[the bare biffo]

I wouldnt be so sure that Dublin will take a pasting. Mainly because I am not sure Tyrone are good enough to do it but also because Dublin have developed a very high work rate which may not win them games against the better teams, but it will see that they don't take too heavy a beating either. Someone said they rely too much on B Brogan, that was not the case last week. The full forward reminded me a lot of Roy Malone in 97 the way he took his scores. Of course Tyrone will be better than Louth but this is a chance for the Dubs to step up, if O'Gara, B Brogan and A Brogan score as they can and Culen, Quinn and even Cluxton, chip in with a few there could be a surprse on the cards. The biggest worry would be Dublins full back line, particularly the full back, but someone as old as me is around long enough to remember a lad call Gerry Hargan being dismissed as a puller and dragger before developing into one of the stickiest full backs of his time.

Normally I would favour Meath over Kildare any day but this year I would like to see karma for Meath and Dermot Earley Jnr progress as far as possible in the championship.

I'd expect Kerry to have too much for Down although I wounder will Kerry be any way ring rusty ? Down have momentum.

As Fergie O'Donnell said, Roscommon are in bonus territory and will probably play with abandon and will be guaranteed large fanatical support. Cork didnt look impressive against Limerick but Roscommon will play a more open direct game and probably turn over a lot more posession than Limerick did to give Cork enough opportunities to win the game.

[Bord na Mona man]

The tables have turned today with Kerry and Tyrone getting dumped out.
Again it shows that while Offaly are down the pecking order, there are no teams we should be in awe of.
We played Down off the pitch in Tullamore two weeks ago for the first 15 minutes. Perhaps a lack of self-belief and experience meant that Offaly didn't finish them off.
Down have raised their game since, but certainly aren't operating in a different stratosphere than Offaly.

[first_touch]

I would agree with BNM man. Offaly should take great belief from that Down performance today. We were quite unlucky to lose to them and look at what they did to Kerry today. It should encourage Offaly to put in a big effort next year and know that with hard work and a bit more self belief they can go further in the championship. All the more reason to hold onto the manager.

[OffalyDub]

Once Tyrone kick the crap out of Dublin everything will be as it should in the world

things wont be as they should be this year so!

I have to say I thought Dublin would make a game of it, but wasn't expecting to go through. What ever happens now, it's good to see it wide open at this stage.

I would agree with BNM man. Offaly should take great belief from that Down performance today. We were quite unlucky to lose to them and look at what they did to Kerry today. It should encourage Offaly to put in a big effort next year and know that with hard work and a bit more self belief they can go further in the championship. All the more reason to hold onto the manager.

Have to agree with you there. Too many managers passing through in recent years. Is Cribben getting everything right? No would be my answer, but more right than wrong, and more right than others in recent years. We all know that there are players in Offaly who have more ability than some of this year's panel, however, if they are not will to commit to the cause, then Cribben is right not to have them there.

[Offaly2010]

I was up in Croke Park yesterday lads for the Cork vs Roscommon and Meath vs Kildare Quarter-Finals.

Cork didn't have to be brilliant to beat Roscommon. Roscommon were still in it at half time,only a point down,and they started the second half very well and actually went 0-8 - 0-7 up but it just went downhill from there.
Just a quick word on the Roscommon support yesterday,I thought they were absolutely fantastic and were right behind their time until the very end!

Kildare were absolutely fantastic throughout except for the first 15 minutes(as usual)and played some brilliant football considering the conditions. I thought Meath were too reliant on Joe Sheridan but Kildare had him well marked throughout.
That said,0-3 in the second half is never going to be enough to win an All-Ireland Quarter-Final.

From what I have seen over the weekend I'm going to say a Dublin vs Kildare All-Ireland Final and I'm tipping the Lillies to take Sam!

[john locke]

Yeah Did nt Think The Dubs had a Chance ... 16 Wides by Tyrone didnt help matters for themselves , Great to see Kildare winning

[black and red exile]

Thanks offaly2010 you really are after cheering me up with that prediction NOT . Surely with Kerry and Tyrone out of the way and with the bitter experiences of the last few years this is Cork's big chance. In my opinion it will be a Cork Kildare final with Cork just shading it hopefully, but you know if your prediction is right and it's Kildare v Dublin then I do believe these fecking lillies with take sam and if that happens I will buy a caravan and move back home again because I can tell ye it's bad enough living among this lot right now, I'm getting the shakes thinking the unthinkable. Come on Cork Down Dublin, PLEASE.

[naasmanxrhode]

Down to cause a surprise, 4/1 in a two horse race is some price. Kerry are not the same team without Galvin and will struggle.

Where does this leave Offaly now, would we be a top 10 football county going just on our performance against Down and their performances against Sligo and then Kerry. We must have a good crop of minors from the last 6 years comming through???Again the question is 'are the current selectors + Cribben the ones to see us give it a good lash in the league and championship next year, I'm not sure that they are.