A look at this weekend's football matches

Today

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers - Round Two

Derry v Kildare - Celtic Park, 4pm

Boasting one of the worst records in football qualifier history, Kildare were particularly desperate for a win against Cavan last week, but in the end delivered it with a bit of style.

Players such as John Doyle and Ronan Sweeney reminded the home crowd what they're capable of and, while it was far from the most consistent display, Kildare were deserving of their five-point win. However, Dermot Earley remains a doubtful starter with a foot injury, and he's one player they can't afford to be without.

Derry were badly caught out by Donegal's slick running in their Ulster semi-final, but if they can reproduce the doggedness that got them past Tyrone last month they'll be very hard to beat. The suspended Enda Muldoon is a loss up front, but the Bradley brothers, Paddy and Eoin, are never shy of a score.

Westmeath v Limerick - Cusack Park, 5pm

Just when it seemed Westmeath were headed for a truly miserable summer, things are looking a lot brighter. They drew London in Round One, just what they needed to recover from the horrors of the Leinster first round, and now Dessie Dolan returns to the starting line-up - along with Alan Mangan and Joe Fallon.

Limerick won't need any reminding of their horrendous show against Cork, and surely they're better than that. Captain Muiris Gavin returns from a calf muscle injury and that should add a settling affect, but Westmeath have put the qualifiers to great use in the past, and look well set up now to do it again.

Meath v Roscommon - Páirc Tailteann, 7pm

Rarely do championship games turn so quickly as Roscommon discovered against Galway two weeks ago.

Yet, that performance clearly displayed the potential of this young Roscommon team, now in the capable hands of John Maughan. Team captain Stephen Lohan is back in the starting line-up, and while youth still dominates, older hands such as Séamus O'Neill and Karol Mannion still make them tricky opposition.

Meath's current form remains bafflingly hard to predict. One thing certain, though, is that Meath remain particularly hard to beat in Páirc Tailteann, and if Joe Sheridan and Graham Geraghty are in the right mood they could win this one quite impressively.

Longford v Tipperary - Pearse Park, 7pm

What a difference a game makes. No one expected to see much of Longford in this year's championship, and cringed at the thought of what Dublin might do to them in the Leinster championship. Instead, they came out of that game as unlucky two-point losers, comfortably beat Waterford in the first round of the qualifiers, and now have home advantage for the visit of Tipperary.

Tipperary still boast one of the best forwards in the country in Declan Browne, and assuming he'll chip with a healthy score, Longford will have to match that at the other end. If Longford can repeat the bit of flair and determination they showed at this venue four weeks ago they should win, otherwise Tipperary will sneak past them.

All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers - Round Two

Westmeath v Laois - Mullingar, 7pm

This is a super chance for Westmeath, home advantage against a struggling Laois with a win all but guaranteeing survival for next year's MacCarthy Cup.

Manager Séamus Qualter has raised eyebrows by omitting Enda Loughlin and his Laois counterpart Dinny Cahill is able to name a stronger team than the one trimmed by Galway, but the home side's composure and hurling against Kilkenny and Waterford together with the win over Dublin suggests that they can pull off a memorable coup.

WESTMEATH: M Briody; C Jordan, C Murtagh, P Greville; G Gavin, D McCormack, N Gavin; J Shaw, B Connaughton; D McNicholas, B Murtagh, A Mitchell; B Kennedy, D Carty, J Clarke.

LAOIS: P Mullaney; B Campion, Packie Cuddy, J Walsh; C Healy, D Rooney, M McEvoy; J Phelan, J Fitzpatrick; E Meagher, J Young, Z Keenan; T Fitzgerald, M Rooney, D Culleton.

Dublin v Clare - Parnell Park, 6pm

Both did better than anticipated in the first round of matches, but Dublin will have found the narrow defeat by Offaly more instructive than Anthony Daly did the bloodless march past Limerick. Nonetheless, the visitors have too much in hand.

DUBLIN: G Maguire; P Brennan, K Ryan, T Brady; D O'Reilly, M Carton, G O'Meara; D Sweeney, J McCaffrey; L Ryan, D Curtin, J Kelly; K Flynn, A McCrabbe, S McDonald.

CLARE: TBC

Offaly v Limerick - Tullamore, 7pm

Richie Bennis and his new management would presumably have preferred Dublin as their first step towards rehabilitation - but then the Dubs would have preferred it that way as well. Changes have been made, but Offaly will still fancy their chances of deepening the gloom in Limerick with this, virtually an All-Ireland quarter-final play-off.

OFFALY: TBC

LIMERICK: B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, S Hickey; W Walsh, B Geary, M Foley; B Foley, S Lucey; N Moran, D O'Grady, C Fitzgerald; D Ryan, B Begley, A O'Shaughnessy.

Tomorrow

Leinster SFC Semi-final

Wexford v Offaly - Croke Park, 2.10pm

So, two weeks later than scheduled, five weeks after their quarter-finals, and having waited on several layers of appeal procedures to decide if five substitutes equals six, Offaly and Wexford finally get to play for a place in the Leinster football final.

Wexford are thankful for the delay in that it has allowed Rory Stafford recover from a calf strain and take his place in midfield. That means Paul Bealin has made just one change from the team that beat Meath back on May 28th, with David Fogarty returning to the starting line-up at wing back and Redmond Barry reverting to a defensive role.

It's a difficult game to call, not least of all because both teams were impressive in their own way in their respective quarter-finals. Wexford had six points to spare over Meath, and while that may have flattered them a little, there was no denying the superb displays of two individuals - goalkeeper John Cooper and full forward Matty Forde.

Offaly boss Kevin Kilmurray is definitely getting the best out of this team. There are two changes from the Kildare game, with Damien Hunt and John Reynolds both coming into the half forward line.

If Offaly play to their strengths they have the physical and probably even mental edge on Wexford. But if they allow Forde to work his magic again they could well pay the ultimate price.

OFFALY: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Sullivan, N Grennan; P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery; A McNamee, C McManus; D Hunt, N Coughlan, J Reynolds; T Deehan, P Kellaghan, N McNamee.

WEXFORD: J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; R Barry, D Murphy, P Curtis; R Stafford, D Kinsella; C Deely, P Colfer, D Fogarty, L Murphy, PJ Banville, M Forde.

Leinster SHC Final

Kilkenny v Wexford - Croke Park, 4pm

Even its sunny location is failing to engender too much optimism in the south-east with preliminary reports suggesting that this fixture will struggle to get near 40,000. Bad news for the Leinster Council who have benefited from the at times unfeasible high spirits in Wexford but after the Nowlan Park semi-final against Offaly, it's probably not too surprising either.

It's ironic, though, because Kilkenny are nowhere near as settled as they have been in recent years. Manager Brian Cody has begun the process of refurbishing the team with recruits from the quality under-21 sides of recent years.

Even among the blue chips there is still a lack of definition. JJ Delaney played full back during the league but where will he settle once Noel Hickey returns to the edge of the square? Where is the best position for Henry Shefflin, Martin Comerford - not to mention Tommy Walsh? Tomorrow will be of great assistance in sorting it all out - big occasion and opponents, who are likely to raise their game.

Of course, Wexford will need to do just that if the world of hurling isn't to be plunged back into depression after rallying with last week's gripping Munster final. On the positive side, their defence looked excellent against Offaly, although there is the caveat that the opposition hit 11 wides in the first half. Last year there were also good performances at the back.

But it is the attack that gives rise to most Wexford forebodings. The ambush of 2004 featured a great game-plan and good, fast movement. To an extent, the same approach worked last year, but there is a lack of penetration in the forwards.

If Kilkenny aren't quite sure of their best starting line-up, they do equally have a useful bench and will use it. And they have too much firepower up front.

The champions certainly are well positioned to get more out of Wexford than vice versa.

WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry; M Travers, D O'Connor, K Rossiter; R Kehoe, D Ruth, D Lyng; E Quigley, C Kenny; R McCarthy, D Stamp, PJ Nolan; S Doyle, R Jacob, M Jordan.

KILKENNY: See Page 1

All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers - Round Two

Waterford v Galway - Walsh Park, 2pm

We'll assume this fixture isn't going to go the way of its Group B equivalent and flat-line in front of an expectant audience. Therefore, it should be the best match of the day.

Paradoxically, the two sides are sufficiently bona fide contenders to regard without panic the notion of playing Cork or Kilkenny in a quarter-final, but the benefits of avoiding such an opposition are ample motivation.

There has been a feeling about Waterford that the team availed a little too easily of the alibi provided by injury and suspension when checking out of the Munster championship. With everyone back, they're expected to be formidable, but this is still a staging post.

Eoin Kelly returns and his dire need of match practice might have resulted in his not starting, but for continuing problems up front. Séamus Prendergast is injured, whereas Paul Flynn's thigh injury has avoided the need for management to make a call on his poor form.

Declan Prendergast hasn't played championship since the 2004 All-Ireland semi-final, but given the miscalculation of playing Denis Coffey on Tipperary ace Eoin Kelly, that switch was inevitable.

For Galway, this is their one chance to get to the pace of serious championship hurling before the safety nets are removed. There are minimal changes from the team that started the 2005 final, the main difference being Richie Murray's move to full forward, with Niall Healy on the bench and Andrew Keary coming in as a prospective ball-winner, a demanding task for last year's minor.

Ger Farragher, whose work-rate has reportedly soared, plays on the other wing. The hunch is that Galway have momentum in a way that Waterford don't just yet.

GALWAY: L Donoghue; D Joyce, T Og Regan, O Canning; D Hardiman, S Kavanagh, David Hayes; F Healy, D Collins; G Farragher, D Forde, A Keary; Damien Hayes, R Murray, A Kerins.

WATERFORD: C Hennessy; D Prendergast, T Feeney, E Murphy; T Browne, J Murray, B Phelan; K McGrath, D Bennett; D Shanahan, E Kelly, S O'Sullivan; J Mullane, M Walsh, E McGrath.

There will be a collection taken up at all the approach roads to Walsh Park tomorrow in order to raise funds for the family of the victims of the recent house fire in Waterford city, which claimed the lives of Brian O'Regan, his wife Johanna and their baby daughter Niamh. The three surviving children are being cared for by their grandparents.