NHL Division 1A relegation play-off
(Extra-time if necessary)
Dublin v Galway, Tullamore, 2.30; Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath) – Truly, the league is a strange beast. Team A takes a thrashing from Team B in the first game of the season, goes on to win not a single game and finishes rock bottom of the table and still they go into a play-off against Team B as favourites. If Galway feel slighted by the consensus, now’s the time to show it.
The return of Conor McCormack, Ross O’Carroll and most notably Peter Kelly and Paul Ryan to the starting line-up lends Dublin a sheen of class coming into this. Galway have replaced a third of their team since the final-round beating in Kilkenny but have been able to bring no such ballast. Plus, they’re still without Joe Canning.
Regardless of matters in Croke Park, this is the match of the weekend. Expect Dublin to treat it as such and thus preserve their status for next year.
NHL Division 1B relegation play-off
(Extra-time if necessary)
Wexford v Laois, Nowlan Park, 2pm, Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Offaly) – The rise of Jack Guiney has been just about the sole silver lining in a pretty cloudy spring for Wexford – although at least they have that, which is more than Laois can say. Liam Dunne’s side should come through here pulling up. Anything else is too grisly to contemplate.
Other hurling fixtures –
NHL Division 2A final: Carlow v Westmeath Nowlan Park, 4pm;
NHL Division 2B final: Kildare v Meath Parnell Park, 4pm; NHL Division 3A final: Fingal v Monaghan – Fingal win by a walkover; NHL Division 3A relegation play-off: Donegal v Sligo Brewster Park, 4.30; NHL Division 3B final: Fermanagh v Warwickshire Parnell Park, 2pm
NFL Division One semi-finals
(Extra-time if necessary)
Kerry v Mayo, Croke Park, 2pm
The loss of Aidan O’Shea from Mayo’s midfield unavoidably drains a little of the colour from this fixture. Arguably his side’s best player against Dublin and Kerry, O’Shea is looking at a long spell on the sidelines due to a flare-up of an old injury to the base of his spine.
Had he been able to take his place and then hold his own around the centre, Mayo’s prospects here would have been ample. As it is, the three-point spread has an inviting look about it.
Kerry have named just about as strong a team as Jack O’Connor can lay his hands on. Short of only Eoin Brosnan and Tomás Ó Sé from what will be his championship side, he’s plainly not coming to Croke Park to spare the horses.
In Paddy Curtin, they look to have found a ball-winning upgrade on Kieran O’Leary in the forward line. Curtin’s use tomorrow will make for an interesting watch, given that Kerry spent the first half of their All-Ireland semi-final last year hoisting high balls into Kieran Donaghy with little success. You’d imagine they’ll be a touch more inventive here.
Mayo came with a good run towards the end of the league and well deserve their place in the semi-final. Hard to see them jumping this particular hurdle though.
Cork v Down, Croke Park, 4pm
Down can’t exactly be bouncing at the sight of advancing Cork jerseys at this point. The sides have met four times over the past two years and the closest James McCartan’s players have come is the one-point defeat in the 2010 All-Ireland final.
Last summer when Cork were sleepwalking their way out of the All-Ireland series, Conor Counihan’s side still perked up for long enough to hand Down a 12-point hiding in the qualifiers. Even the league encounter between them in February turned into a cakewalk, with Cork winning at home, 4-11 to 0-10.
As if the task wasn’t onerous enough, Down had Dan Gordon and Danny Hughes ruled out during the week and are already without Liam Doyle and Damien Rafferty. Paul McComiskey is back in the squad but he hasn’t played a game yet.
For all that, they finished the league in much better fettle than they began it, winning three of their last four games including victories over Mayo away and Dublin at home in successive weekends.
McCartan joked about being careful what you wish for during the week and you get the feeling that he could have done with some time off to get everyone fit and ready for Fermanagh on June 3rd. Cork will surely oblige him here.
NFL Division Four
Waterford v London, Frahers Field, 1pm; Fermanagh v Leitrim, Brewster Park, 2.30. Limerick v Carlow, Gaelic Grounds, 2.30. Wicklow v Clare, Aughrim, 2.30.
– With Fermanagh already up, the main event of the day takes place in Aughrim where the winner will be promoted, although a draw will be enough for Clare.
Malachy Clerkin
