Explainer: How the pairings for All-Ireland football championship quarter-finals will be decided
Twelve counties remain in the race for Sam Maguire, with the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals and quarter-finals taking place over the next two weekends.
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Irish Examiner
35 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Cathal Murray delighted as Galway begin to hit their straps
Cathal Murray hailed Galway's 'best half-hour of hurling for a while,' as the Tribeswomen cantered to a 1-17 to 0-12 victory over Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park to signal that they are growing into their Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship campaign at just the right time. On a day when the Cork enjoyed a comfortable but unspectacular home win, Tipperary, Waterford and Galway also put their hands up with impressive victories that keep them on O'Duffy Cup holders' coat-tails. The leading challengers had plenty to spare in their wins over Limerick, Dublin and Kilkenny respectively, and Murray was particularly pleased to see his side move through the gears in the second half, as they went from two points up to an eight-point triumph. 'Coming down to Nowlan Park is never easy, and it wasn't easy,' said the Galway manager. 'The first half was really tight, and we were very happy to go in at half-time a couple of points up. There was a strong breeze in it, though you wouldn't think it looking at it,' he said afterwards. 'The second half was different, it was our best half an hour of hurling for a while now, our play was really good and we took some good scores.' Among the highlights were from some excellent moments from player of the match Aoife Donohoe, and a real poacher's goal from Niamh Niland in the closing minutes. The result means that top spot in Group 2, and the prize of a bye through to the last four, will go to the winner of next week's game in Athenry between Galway and Waterford. 'This was always going to be a huge week for us. We had to come down and do our business here and we'll have to do our business again in Kenny Park in a week's time because Waterford are flying it, they're the form team in the group,' Murray concluded. The Déise's 4-16 to 2-11 win over Dublin in Walsh Park, with the visitors' goals coming from Aisling Maher and Emma Flanagan in second-half stoppage time long after the result was decided, ensures that they currently top the table on score difference. Consequently, a draw will be enough for them to bypass the quarter-finals, set to be played in Croke Park in a fortnight as curtain raisers to the two All-Ireland SHC semis. That's nine majors in two games for a Waterford side that had previously been criticised for being goal-shy, three of them coming from the stick of Annie Fitzgerald. 'That was massive for us to qualify for the knockout stages early enough,' said Fitzgerald. 'In previous years we've been chasing this, now it's a one match, winner-takes-all against Galway to see who goes straight to a semi-final. Manager Mick Boland was delighted with how his players responded after going five points down early on when playing into the wind. 'The breeze was very strong, the ball was going an extra ten yards further so we just had to retreat back down the field,' Boland told Off The Ball. 'Then we started to collect a bit of ball then and started to work the ball through the hands. We created three or four goal chances and took two of them. 'Against Kilkenny we put a lot of shots at head or stomach height. Since then, we've learned that if you hit the ball into the ground, it'll either hit the net or it'll need an exceptional save. We've worked a lot on our handling errors too.' With Waterford leading 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time, the second half was one-way traffic, the winners adding 2-7 without reply in the 20 minutes after the resumption. Having already secured a first ever championship win over Kilkenny, Boland's mob are looking to break fresh ground again next week. 'We're qualified, but we look at the Galway match as a match where history can be made, because we've never won in Galway. These girls have a lot of ambition, they want to win something, so we'll want to win, the same as Galway will want to win.' In Group 1, Clare went to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and exploded out of the blocks with a Jennifer Daly goal after 45 seconds, but Cork methodically went about their business and were full value for their 0-21 to 1-9 victory, albeit Amy Lee had to make a couple of excellent saves late on to prevent a more nerve-wracking finale. Next week Cork will play a Wexford side that are in the relegation final against either Dublin or Derry regardless of how they fare, and it would take an unusual set of results for Tipperary to pip Cork to the top spot in the pool. Limerick need an even more outlandish result – a Tipp home win over Clare by 60 points or more – to extend their season. After succumbing to a 4-26 to 0-8 loss in Cappamore, Limerick manager, Joe Quaid's hailed his players' 'remarkably good year,' despite the wide margin. 'This result is proof that the system is flawed,' declared Quaid. 'We had two outstanding matches against Wexford and Clare but were on the end of two hammerings by the two top-tier teams, Cork and Tipp. It's disheartening for the girls because they gave everything they could out there and that's all you can ask. 'If anyone's interested in developing camogie they need to take a look at the championship structure countrywide because these girls train as hard as the Limerick senior hurlers, they're as committed and they don't deserve this. 'To me we've had a remarkably good year. It's been a fruitful year and hopefully this bunch will stick together. That's the big problem, turnover of players. I hope all these girls will stay together next year and build on it again.' Tipperary coach, Michael Ferncombe was already looking ahead but he has had some words of comfort for the Shannonsider. 'Both teams managed the heat very well today, both teams worked hard, the honesty from the two teams was great,' Ferncombe enthused. 'We've played Limerick twice this year and it's always a challenge. The scoreboard doesn't reflect the performance and the effort that the Limerick girls put in. Their honesty, work rate and communication, they kept working the whole way through and that's a great sign for the future of Limerick camogie. 'We've Clare next weekend and a quarter-final in two weeks' time so that's the next step for us now.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Tipp belief swells but Cahill left with plenty to tweak
All-Ireland SHC quarter-final: Tipperary: 1-28 Galway: 2-17 Outside the Tipperary dressing room, the mood was electric. There was swagger and self-belief and a sense of vindication that the county are finally back in Croke Park for the first time in six years. Liam Cahill knocked back youthful requests for his branded cap. 'This is my lucky hat,' he said with a laugh. Noel McGrath faced his toughest battle of the evening, as his son refused to leave the Gaelic Grounds pitch, mimicking his royal blue and gold heroes. A line of Gardai became a band of admirers as Ronan Maher emerged to accept his colleague's congratulations. They swept Galway aside in front of a 16,404 crowd. This was a quarter-final played at their ease. Tipperary hit a remarkable 51 shots. Their final scores from play tally was 23 versus just eight conceded. Both teams suffered from patchy shooting, but only one of them never looked in trouble. ''It's always good,' said Cahill of their enormous output. 'But I would say at least 10 to 15 of them were bad decisions. 'That's what I'm talking about when I talk about trying to fix little areas before we go up the road to take on the might of Kilkenny. We'll look at that and we'll see, but that's a very interesting stat. 'Our shots off are important, every team is chasing it now because you have to be in the 30-point bracket or the 2-25, 3-25 to have any chance of winning an All-Ireland.' That was the only slight reference to their sole ambition now. As soon as the cheers popped off around the ground at the news Limerick had been beaten, it was clear the competition was wide open. Cahill was adamant Cork remain 'raging hot favourites.' Kilkenny will be content with that narrative as well. Ahead of that semi-final, Derek Lyng was issued with a reminder of the opportunities and threats. Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond and Sam O'Farrell's rotation was relentless. They scored 0-11 between them. Every single member of the front six scored, only Darragh McCarthy was scoreless from play. The second-half goal was textbook Tipp brilliance. Rhys Shelly to Willie Connors to Noel McGrath, who had the two luxuries that opposition should never afford him: time and space. His diagonal ball found Oisín O'Donoghue. An outstanding move yielded a deserved green flag. 'The game really didn't get into its flow as often as we'd like it to from our perspective," Cahill admitted, "and again, I was probably a little bit disappointed at half-time in some parts of our play. But they're the expectations I have of these players and the standards that I feel they can come to. 'That would be the only reason that I felt I would have been a little bit animated at half-time going in was that those standards, maybe our expectations of players, wasn't where it should be. "As I said, credit to the players, they fixed it again at half-time and got about their business well in the second half. I'm happy with that.' Galway trailed by five at half-time having repeatedly tried to force goals. They clearly felt there was change to be had in the Tipperary full-back line. Eventually, Colm Molloy went past Robert Doyle but they then conceded six successive points. Declan McLaughlin's last-minute strike snuck past Shelly and saved them from a double-digit loss. The defeat remains damning, though. 'We needed them,' said Micheál Donoghue. 'That was the message at half-time. Stay plugging. We were hoping one or two of those goal chances would come early. We got one, but tagged on a few wides after. That was disappointing.' Are Galway bottoming out? Galway's last Leinster title was 2018. They haven't won a minor All-Ireland since 2020. The last U20/U21 was 2011. 'Look, it is easy when there is three defeats to cast that. All of us have to acknowledge there is a lot of hard work. We knew that when we came back to it. That is not to say we have the total say on it. From the top right down, we have to look at what we are doing and look for constant improvement.' Scorers for Tipperary: J. Forde 0-7 (0-1 free, 0-2 s/line); J. Morris, A. Ormond 0-5 each; O. O'Donoghue 1-0; D. McCarthy (frees), J. McGrath 0-3 each; D. Stakelum 0-2; S. O'Farrell, W. Connors, N. McGrath 0-1 each. Scorers for Galway: C. Mannion 0-13 (0-8 frees, 0-3 65); C. Molloy 1-0; D. McLoughlin 1-0; T. Monaghan 0-2; C. Whelan, C. Cooney 0-1 each. TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; R. Doyle, E. Connolly, M. Breen; C. Morgan, R. Maher, R. O'Mara; W. Connors, P. McGarry; J. Morris, A. Ormond, S. O'Farrell; D. McCarthy, J. McGrath, J. Forde. Subs: D. Stakelum for McGarry (half-time); N. McGrath for McGrath (48); O. O''Donoghue for McCarthy (52); C. Stakelum for O'Farrell (60); S. Kennedy for Connors (66). GALWAY: D. Fahy; P. Mannion, D. Burke, D. Morrissey; C. Fahy, G. Lee, S. Linnane; R. Glennon, D. Burke; C. Cooney, C, Mannion, C. Whelan; C. Molloy, B. Concannon, K. Cooney. Subs: TJ Brennan for Linnane (half-time); T. Monaghan for Burke (50); D. McLoughlin for Cooney (52); T. Killeen for Cooney (58); R. Burke for Glennon (66). Referee: S. Stack (Dublin).
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Armagh out on their own but any team with Clifford has a chance
And then there were eight. Before the All-Ireland quarter finals is generally a good time to draw breath and rank the contenders. Usually, undeniable patterns have started to emerge, and a pecking order will have been established. That is not to say it always plays out that way but we have some sense of where we are going. Not this season. Every county still standing has lost at least once. Armagh, Tyrone and Dublin have lost twice. Teams have come into and fallen out of form on a remarkably regular basis. There have been wild disparities in performances from one week to the next. Whether studying the form objectively or subjectively, it is uniquely challenging to rank the teams. Previous reliables in helping to ascertain where a team is at, such as preceding results, injuries and player availability, star player form, previous experience of the ultimate success, the journey travelled so far, bookies' odds, and gut instinct are not as informative this season. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual €130€65 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month
