The smart money appears to be piling in on Mayo and Donegal to win their respective provincial crowns again.
Donegal are going for their fourth Ulster titles in five seasons but won’t need reminding that Sunday’s opponents Monaghan beat them in the 2013 showpiece.
Into the West and Mayo are going for five in a row, a feat not achieved since Galway did it from 1956-1960.
Niall Carew has guided Sligo to the Connacht final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Sligo are 7-1 outsiders to cause an upset at Dr. Hyde Park in Roscommon and in Ulster, underdogs Monaghan are available at 5-2.
The bookies don’t often get it wrong but both pre-match favourites won’t be taking their opponents for granted
2. Can Sligo bridge an eight-year gap?
When Sligo last reached the Connacht final, in 2012, they lost by just two points against Mayo.
But you have to go back as far as 2007 for their last provincial win, that famous 1-10 to 0-12 victory over Galway.
The highlight of that game was a stunning solo goal scored by Eamonn O’Hara, who steamed through the Galway defence before unleashing a blistering finish.
That stunning strike helped to separate the two sides and Sligo could do with some similar inspiration against a resolute Mayo defence.
Mayo’s six starting defenders are the same men who began last year’s All-Ireland semi-final replay against Kerry.
And following some early-season experimentation, joint-bosses Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly are slowly drifting back to the same personnel that we became accustomed to during the James Horan era.
3. Can Monaghan upset Donegal again?
Once bitten, twice shy may well be the order of the day in Clones as Donegal were tripped up by Monaghan two years ago.
Advertisement
That defeat was one of the low points of the Jim McGuinness era as Donegal struggled to recreate the manic hunger that was a hallmark of their 2012 All-Ireland success.
This is the third successive year that Donegal and Monaghan will contest an Ulster final, with the score currently standing at one each.
Taking the aggregate scores into account, Monaghan are ahead by three points but Donegal’s scoring rate was up by eight points in last year’s decider.
Donegal still don’t score a lot, averaging 15 points per game in this year’s Ulster championship, but they won’t concede much either.
In their three outings this summer, Donegal have coughed up just 1-28, or an average of just over 10 points per game.
Monaghan have scored 1-36 in their two Ulster championship games, including a 1-20 haul against Fermanagh, but this is the acid test of their forward credentials.
Something along the lines of a 1-13 to 0-12 victory for Donegal is anticipated.
4. Which province is more likely to produce a potential All-Ireland winner?
If we’re taking it that Donegal and Mayo will win this weekend, and neither are foregone conclusions, both counties will march forward with purpose to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Donegal have contested two of the last three All-Ireland finals, winning in 2012 and falling short last September.
Mayo, as they won’t need reminding, haven’t lifted Sam Maguire since 1951 but have gone desperately close to ending that famine in recent years.
Donegal boss Rory Gallagher. Presseye / Andrew Paton/INPHO
Presseye / Andrew Paton/INPHO / Andrew Paton/INPHO
Right now, Donegal appear to be men on a real mission. McGuinness may be gone but Rory Gallagher has carried on the good work and habits established by his predecessor.
Mayo pair Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly have been slowly but surely finding their feet and reverting very much to type in their team selection for Sunday’s game.
But of the two, Donegal look better equipped to venture further along the road to potential Sam Maguire glory.
5. Are Monaghan All-Ireland contenders in their own right?
That’s a question we’ll only find the answer to after Sunday’s game.
So far they’ve done all that’s been asked of them, scoring merited victories over Cavan and Fermanagh.
Boss Malachy O’Rourke will be pleased with the contrasting nature of both wins – the first a gritty one-point win followed by a ten-point success.
His men will find themselves back in trenches at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, hoping to out-think but more importantly, out-work a ferocious Donegal outfit.
Monaghan have plenty of potential match winners in their own ranks, Kieran Hughes and ace corner forward Conor McManus just two to mention.
A provincial title would firmly establish Monaghan’s All-Ireland credentials but they’ll have to work desperately hard to achieve it against a well-oiled Donegal machine.
6. The importance of victory
The qualifiers are a potential death-trap for Sunday’s losers.
Two from Mayo, Sligo, Donegal and Monaghan will find themselves in round 4B, along with the winners of Saturday’s games between Tipperary and Tyrone, and Derry and Galway.
Not only will the provincial runners-up have to dust themselves down within a fortnight for a chance to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals, they’ll also have to face down a battle-hardened qualifier team with momentum on their side.
John O'Mahony's Mayo reign ended with defeat to Longford in 2010. James Crombie
James Crombie
Donegal’s last experience of the back door wasn’t a happy one as they were crushed by Mayo in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, having beaten Laois by six points.
Monaghan lost the Ulster final last year and while they scored an epic extra-time victory over Kildare, the Farney men ended up taking a walloping from Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Mayo’s last qualifier experience was a forgettable one in 2010, when defeat to Longford signalled the end of John O’Mahony’s reign.
6 talking points as Mayo and Donegal seek to defend provincial crowns
1. Will the status quo remain?
The smart money appears to be piling in on Mayo and Donegal to win their respective provincial crowns again.
Donegal are going for their fourth Ulster titles in five seasons but won’t need reminding that Sunday’s opponents Monaghan beat them in the 2013 showpiece.
Into the West and Mayo are going for five in a row, a feat not achieved since Galway did it from 1956-1960.
Sligo are 7-1 outsiders to cause an upset at Dr. Hyde Park in Roscommon and in Ulster, underdogs Monaghan are available at 5-2.
The bookies don’t often get it wrong but both pre-match favourites won’t be taking their opponents for granted
2. Can Sligo bridge an eight-year gap?
When Sligo last reached the Connacht final, in 2012, they lost by just two points against Mayo.
But you have to go back as far as 2007 for their last provincial win, that famous 1-10 to 0-12 victory over Galway.
The highlight of that game was a stunning solo goal scored by Eamonn O’Hara, who steamed through the Galway defence before unleashing a blistering finish.
That stunning strike helped to separate the two sides and Sligo could do with some similar inspiration against a resolute Mayo defence.
Mayo’s six starting defenders are the same men who began last year’s All-Ireland semi-final replay against Kerry.
And following some early-season experimentation, joint-bosses Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly are slowly drifting back to the same personnel that we became accustomed to during the James Horan era.
3. Can Monaghan upset Donegal again?
Once bitten, twice shy may well be the order of the day in Clones as Donegal were tripped up by Monaghan two years ago.
That defeat was one of the low points of the Jim McGuinness era as Donegal struggled to recreate the manic hunger that was a hallmark of their 2012 All-Ireland success.
This is the third successive year that Donegal and Monaghan will contest an Ulster final, with the score currently standing at one each.
Taking the aggregate scores into account, Monaghan are ahead by three points but Donegal’s scoring rate was up by eight points in last year’s decider.
Donegal still don’t score a lot, averaging 15 points per game in this year’s Ulster championship, but they won’t concede much either.
In their three outings this summer, Donegal have coughed up just 1-28, or an average of just over 10 points per game.
Monaghan have scored 1-36 in their two Ulster championship games, including a 1-20 haul against Fermanagh, but this is the acid test of their forward credentials.
Something along the lines of a 1-13 to 0-12 victory for Donegal is anticipated.
4. Which province is more likely to produce a potential All-Ireland winner?
If we’re taking it that Donegal and Mayo will win this weekend, and neither are foregone conclusions, both counties will march forward with purpose to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Donegal have contested two of the last three All-Ireland finals, winning in 2012 and falling short last September.
Mayo, as they won’t need reminding, haven’t lifted Sam Maguire since 1951 but have gone desperately close to ending that famine in recent years.
Right now, Donegal appear to be men on a real mission. McGuinness may be gone but Rory Gallagher has carried on the good work and habits established by his predecessor.
Mayo pair Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly have been slowly but surely finding their feet and reverting very much to type in their team selection for Sunday’s game.
But of the two, Donegal look better equipped to venture further along the road to potential Sam Maguire glory.
5. Are Monaghan All-Ireland contenders in their own right?
That’s a question we’ll only find the answer to after Sunday’s game.
So far they’ve done all that’s been asked of them, scoring merited victories over Cavan and Fermanagh.
Boss Malachy O’Rourke will be pleased with the contrasting nature of both wins – the first a gritty one-point win followed by a ten-point success.
His men will find themselves back in trenches at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, hoping to out-think but more importantly, out-work a ferocious Donegal outfit.
Monaghan have plenty of potential match winners in their own ranks, Kieran Hughes and ace corner forward Conor McManus just two to mention.
A provincial title would firmly establish Monaghan’s All-Ireland credentials but they’ll have to work desperately hard to achieve it against a well-oiled Donegal machine.
6. The importance of victory
The qualifiers are a potential death-trap for Sunday’s losers.
Two from Mayo, Sligo, Donegal and Monaghan will find themselves in round 4B, along with the winners of Saturday’s games between Tipperary and Tyrone, and Derry and Galway.
Not only will the provincial runners-up have to dust themselves down within a fortnight for a chance to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals, they’ll also have to face down a battle-hardened qualifier team with momentum on their side.
Donegal’s last experience of the back door wasn’t a happy one as they were crushed by Mayo in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final, having beaten Laois by six points.
Monaghan lost the Ulster final last year and while they scored an epic extra-time victory over Kildare, the Farney men ended up taking a walloping from Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Mayo’s last qualifier experience was a forgettable one in 2010, when defeat to Longford signalled the end of John O’Mahony’s reign.
Here’s how the next All-Ireland football qualifier draw will work
One change for Galway but Derry unaltered for All-Ireland football qualifier
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Connacht SFC Ulster SFC GAA Noel Connelly Pat Holmes Rory Gallagher ruling the roost Donegal Mayo