A look at this weekend's football matches.
Today
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers - Round Two
(Extra-time if necessary)
Meath v Laois
Páirc Uí Tailteann, 6.0pm
Now here's a game more than worthy of this stage of the so-called back-door route. A round three qualifier it may be, yet this is massive championship game for the two teams involved, a game that could ultimately define their season in terms of success or failure.
The fact is both these teams had fancied their chances of being in Croke Park tomorrow for a crack at provincial honours. They've lost out on that title for another year, but with a place in the quarter-finals coming into view a victory this evening would be a nice consolation prize.
Both teams also go into this game with their confidence restored after earlier defeats. Laois were alarmingly poor against Dublin in the Leinster semi-final. The general consensus after that game was they couldn't be that bad, and that was proved last Saturday when they ended Tyrone's reign as All-Ireland champions.
Meath were similarly under par against Wexford in the Leinster quarter-final. But they looked better in beating Carlow in round one of the qualifiers, and better again when beating Roscommon by 13 points two weeks ago.
Against that background this is a hard game to call. The home crowd definitely offers Meath an advantage, and that was proved when the sides played here in the league last March, with Meath winning by a point.Manager Eamonn Barry has given the team a more settled look, with Nigel Crawford and Mark Ward working well together at midfield, and central defenders Kevin Reilly and Anthony Moyles holding their fort impressively.
Laois revamped their line-up ahead of the Tyrone game and the changes worked well. Brendan Quigley remains at midfield alongside Noel Garvan as Pádraic Clancy is still sidelined with a shoulder injury, although he may come in if needed. Darren Rooney returned to full back and added stability while Billy Sheehan started at right wing forward and delivered probably his best performance for Laois.
What ultimately won the game for Laois last Saturday was attitude, and their obvious determination to make up for the collapse against Dublin. Only a manager like Mick O'Dwyer could have inspired that and if he can do likewise here then Laois are certain to push Meath. There's just something about playing in Páirc Tailteann that makes Meath look slightly better positioned to win.
MEATH: B Murphy; C King, K Reilly, N McKeigue; N McLoughlin, A Moyles, S Kenny; N Crawford, M Ward; P Curran, B Lynch, G Geraghty; D Regan, J Sheridan, M Doran.
LAOIS: F Byron; A Fennelly, D Rooney, J Higgins; P McDonald, T Kelly, P McMahon; B Quigley, N Garvan; B McCormack, C Conway, R Munnelly; B Sheehan, B McDonald, G Kavanagh.
Fermanagh v Wexford
Enniskillen, 5.30pm
It's no surprise to see Fermanagh among the contenders for a place in the fourth round. Their incredible qualifier run of 2004 was always going to be difficult to repeat last year, but with another season of Division One league football behind them the ambitions for 2006 were high. The replay defeat to Armagh in the Ulster semi-final was a disappointment, but Fermanagh didn't get too down about it.
Clare proved more difficult to beat in round two than anticipated, with Fermanagh having to come from behind late in the game to secure a five-point win in Ennis. Now back on home soil, manager Charlie Mulgrew can perhaps feel a little more confident about his team making a name for themselves again this summer.
Mark Little and Eamonn Maguire continue to drive things in the forward line, while Tom Brewster hit 0-7 the last day, and the introduction of Martin McGrath was one of the inspiring moments. If they start out the way they finished the last day then Fermanagh will definitely be hard to stop.
Wexford, in contrast, go into the game loaded with uncertainty - not least concerning the availability of star forward Matty Forde. Once again he proved the difference in the two-point win over Monaghan and it's hard to see how they can prevail without him.
Playing on the third weekend in a row is challenge enough, and manager Paul Bealin will be as wary as anyone of how difficult Fermanagh will be to beat on home soil. The teams have never met before in the championship so there's not much to go on besides current form, confidence and spread of scoring talent, and all those point to a Fermanagh victory.
TEAMS: TBC
Longford v Derry
Pearse Park, 5.0pm
It is a surprise to see Longford among the contenders for a place in the fourth round. Most people expected them to be beaten by Dublin in the Leinster championship and vanish without much trace soon afterwards. Instead they gave Dublin a real fright, and since proved convincing winners against both Waterford and Tipperary.
Manager Luke Dempsey makes one enforced change with Diarmuid Masterson replacing the injured Arthur O'Connor at centre back - a switch that was actually made in the Tipperary game. Dempsey, however, has also admitted that Derry were the one team he hoped to avoid in this round, not least because of their obvious physical advantage.
Longford are a young team, and they certainly won't be relishing the prospect of facing the likes of Johnny McBride and Paddy Bradley. If anything Derry look an even stronger side than the one that handed Kildare a nine-point defeat in round two, with half backs Liam Hinphey and Paul Cartin both returning from injury.
Enda Muldoon is still suspended but Derry still have considerable fire-power up front, with the two Bradley brothers, Eoin and Paddy, as well as Ciarán Mullen and Jim Kelly. Longford are sure to make a match of it given their state of mind but in the end Derry's superior championship experience will be telling.
LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, N Farrell, C Conefrey; S Mulligan, D Masterson, D Reilly; B McElvaney, L Keenan; T Smullen, P Barden, P Berry; D Barden, P Dowd, B Kavanagh.
DERRY: B Gillis; K McGuckin, K McCloy, F McEldowney; P Cartin, M Lynch, L Hinphey; J McBride, F Doherty; J Diver, J Kelly, G Donaghy; C Mullan, Paddy Bradley, E Bradley.
Sligo v Westmeath
Markievicz Park, 7.0pm
Two teams with a reputation for back-door success stories meet for the first time in championship history. Sligo are seeking to make round four of the qualifiers for the third time in five seasons. And Westmeath famously progressed to the quarter-finals in 2001 where they were eventually stopped by old rivals Meath after a replay.
That's just one reason this game is such a close call. Both teams had important wins in round two. Sligo got past Leitrim, albeit by a single point, but it was their first win in Carrick-on-Shannon since 1974. Westmeath beat Limerick two weeks ago, also by a single point, but that game marked the return of Dessie Dolan after a groin operation and his presence always breeds confidence in his team-mates. But then things could only get better after their first performance in the championship.
Manager Tomás Ó Flatharta makes a few interesting changes from that game, giving teenage forward John Connellan his first championship start.
David Duffy and Paul Bannon form a new midfield partnership in the absence of the injured David O'Shaughnessy, while Brendan Nannery and Joe Fallon are ruled out through injury, and replaced by Derek Heavin and Connellan. Gary Dolan returns from injury and starts at centre forward.
Sligo make just one change from last week, with Barry Kivlehan recovered from injury and resuming duties at left half back in place of Karol O'Neill, who switches to left corner forward to the exclusion of Adrian Marren.
As is the case with most of the qualifier games a home venue is a distinct advantage - no matter what the managers might say - and especially a place like Markievicz Park. Sligo have already beaten Westmeath here in the league and with the home support so close to the field and sure to get behind them that should be enough to drive them across the winning line.
SLIGO: P Greene; C Harrison, N McGuire, R Donovan; P McGovern, B Egan, B Kivlehan; E O'Hara, T Taylor; J McPartland, M Breheny, P Doohan; D Kelly, S Davey, K O'Neill.
WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; D Healy, J Keane, F O'Boyle; M Ennis, D O'Donoghue, G Glennon; D Duffy, P Bannon; D Heavin, G Dolan, A Mangan; J Connellan, Denis Glennon, D Dolan.
