Relief must have been the feeling in the Derry and Galway football camps following their title wins in Ulster and Connacht. Coincidentally, both victories came from rather fortunate goals at crucial stages. But both counties are now in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Derry struggled to produce their true form in a dour Ulster final against Donegal while Galway found it difficult to reproduce the form they showed against Leitrim and Mayo before beating Roscommon in extra-time in a replay.

Neither side will be worried about the standard of football they serve up in this match. Semi-finals are not about quality football or heroics. Teams are there with the sole intention of getting to the final. Galway will be concerned by the fact that they shot far too many wides in their 170 minutes of football against Roscommon. In the second match and in extra-time, their forwards seemed reluctant to shoot, even when in reasonably good scoring positions, but I'm sure they will have worked on that facet of their game in the meantime. By and large this is an intriguing match which involves a clash of styles. Derry are physically strong and very experienced. They will field seven of the players who figured in the team which beat Cork in 1993.

Galway, on the other hand, have youth and great enthusiasm. They have pace and are good carriers of the ball. It remains to be seen which approach carries the day. Both sides seem to have difficulty getting scores and much will depend on which side makes the most of their chances.

Derry are always difficult to beat. They are strong and dogged and they seem to have recovered from off-the-field problems. Their win in the Ulster championship will have put new heart into the side. I felt that they were struggling a bit at full back, but Sean Martin Lockhart seems to have settled in well. I saw him play for Jordanstown in the Sigerson Cup this year and he was very impressive. He may struggle a bit in the air, but I don't think Galway's Padraig Joyce can fully exploit that.

Derry may have a problem at centre back. Henry Downey is a fine player, but he seems a little too eager to go forward and he could be exposed, particularly by the pace of Jarlath Fallon. Downey has a tremendous record, but he will have to curtail his runs forward if he is not to be exposed.

The Galway forwards are, potentially, the best forward unit in the game at the moment. They have great mobility and Michael Donnellan and Fallon will be hard to hold. At times they really look the part. But then sometimes they seem to lack confidence in themselves. What they have going for them is the fact that they played together at underage level for quite some time and they understand each other very well. Most of them also have experience of playing at Croke Park. That and their knowledge of each other's play should stand to them.

The midfield situation is interesting. Derry's Anthony Tohill lost his form in the last couple of years. This was caused by injury problems and also the retirement of Brian McGilligan.

McGilligan was the anchor at midfield and Tohill could afford to move back or forward as he pleased, knowing that his partner was looking after things. His new partner, Enda Muldoon, seems to have settled in and Derry should shade this area.

Galway have a problem here. Kevin Walsh pulled a calf muscle towards the end of the Roscommon match and his training has, apparently, been severely curtailed. He is a big man and needs training, and if he is not fully fit Galway could be in trouble.

There doesn't seem to be an obvious alternative and Walsh would be a great loss if he is not able to finish the match. Sean O Domhnaill is a good player but lacks the experience to be able to cope with a player of the calibre of Tohill.

Derry would also appear to have the edge in attack, where the full-forward line of 1993 is intact. Joe Brolly, Seamus Downey and Enda Gormley have a vast amount of experience. The only question is whether or not they still have the legs. Brolly is a remarkable player and cannot be ignored for a minute. He is one of the few players in the game capable of conjuring up a goal out of nowhere. He has that cheeky confidence which comes from being a very talented player.

It is interesting to note that Enda Gormley is preferred to Joe Cassidy in the left corner. Word was that Cassidy was playing well and the fact that the selectors went for Gormley seems to suggest that he is in top form also. This gives Derry several options. That brings us to the managers and again there is a contrast. I've know Brian Mullins since our playing days and he has always been a towering figure in more ways than one. He always had enormous fighting spirit on the field and never gave up. If he is able to inspire his players with that same do-or-die attitude, Derry will be a formidable force.

John O'Mahony is a totally different type. He is meticulous in everything he does. He is particularly astute in making substitutions and this is a vital quality nowadays with 70-minute matches played at 100 miles and hour. With a good midfield and with seven players who have been thought it all, it seems to me that Derry must be favourites, but I think it is going to be very close.

(In an interview with Sean Kilfeather)