8 become 4 this weekend
Mike Finnerty | 26 June 2024
Armagh will look to banish last year's hurt at this same stage
Can Roscommon end the long wait?
You have to go back to the 1980 All-Ireland football semi-final to find the last time that Roscommon won a championship match at Croke Park.
In simple terms, they have lost 13 of their 15 championship games there since, with two draws against Mayo (2017) and Dublin (2023) the only exceptions to that rule.
That is the sort of history and tradition that Davy Burke’s team will be trying to put an end to on Saturday evening when they take on Armagh in the first of the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
The Rossies are the underdogs but last weekend’s win over Tyrone showed what they are capable of when their forwards are firing.
Armagh on an upward curve
After only losing two games all season — both to Donegal, and the Ulster Final defeat was after a penalty shoot-out — it’s no surprise to see Armagh arrive back at the All-Ireland quarter-finals weekend.
Kieran McGeeney’s team topped their group thanks to a late equaliser against Galway so will be well-rested for Saturday’s clash with Roscommon.
The Orchard County are the hot favourites to advance to a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2005 and, given their recent form, it’s easy to see why.
Armagh also have the advantage of being here before and that can only stand to them.
Dublin still the team to beat
The favourites arrive back at the All-Ireland quarter-finals with every box ticked so far.
Their reward for rescuing a last-gasp draw with Mayo in their final group game was a two-week break and a date with Connacht champions Galway on Saturday evening.
Anything other than a Dublin win would be a huge surprise, especially given their record against the Westerners in recent years across both league and championship.
Dessie Farrell was pleased with how his team managed a difficult situation against Mayo, and it was telling that Stephen Cluxton, Ciaran Kilkenny, Jack McCaffrey and Cormac Costello were all involved in the key play.
The champions remain the team to beat.
Will the real Galway stand up?
The 2022 All-Ireland finalists drew the short straw as they face Dublin in Croke Park.
Galway’s recent championship record against the holders is poor — a run of seven straight defeats speaks for itself — but Padraic Joyce will feel there’s a big performance in his group after a summer where they have been more solid than spectacular so far.
The Tribesmen made life difficult for themselves by not closing out their final group game against Armagh and advancing straight to the quarter-finals.
Last weekend’s extra exam against Monaghan was probably the last thing they needed, but it’s time now for the real Galway to stand up.
Setting goals and hitting targets
Everyone knows the old adage about ‘goals winning games’ but if Roscommon or Galway are going to upset the odds on Saturday they will surely have to hit the net at least once.
The problem for the Connacht neighbours is that they haven’t been raising too many green flags recently.
In fact, the Rossies and Galway (if you exclude their opening day rout in Ruislip at the start of April) have each only put the ball in the opposition net on four occasions in the championship so far.
Both teams are blessed with quality attackers but scoring goals has been a rare occurrence.
They will be hoping that Croke Park can change all that.