Dubs face delayed quarters encounter
Monday August 04 2008
DUBLIN'S All-Ireland football quarter-final clash with Tyrone has been put back to Saturday week to facilitate an Armagh v Wexford and Galway v Kerry double-header at Croke Park next Saturday.
Armagh and Galway had objected to proposals that they play their quarter-finals at provincial venues so deferring the Dublin game was the only real option. Dublin-Tyrone will be a stand-alone fixture which will be welcomed by Dublin fans who would have faced a ticket shortage if it was included as part of a double-header.
The draw for the quarter-finals has thrown up four interesting ties and also presented a broad outline of the shape of the semi-final pairings.
Reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry proved that their determination to complete the three-in-a-row is as strong as ever as they recovered from the Munster final setback to wear down Monaghan in yesterday's Round 3 qualifier tie. It was a competent rather than awesome display but Kerry will still start as favourites against Galway.
Tough
Dublin also landed a tough quarter-final against a rejuvenated Tyrone side giving every indication that they are coming into form at just the right time. Wexford's prize for beating Down so comprehensively is a clash with Armagh, while Cork and Kildare complete the line-up.
With the provincial sequence for the All-Ireland football semi-finals pre-ordained, the pairings will be as follows: Armagh/ Wexford v Dublin/Tyrone; Galway/Kerry v Cork/Kildare.
That could pave the way for another Cork v Kerry semi-final while Dublin might have to beat Tyrone and Armagh to reach their first final since 1995.
The quarter-final draw sees Kerry and Dublin pull ahead in the betting to land Sam Maguire. Kerry remain favourites at 7/4 with Dublin on 9/4. Clearly, the bookies' view is that it will be a Kerry-Dublin All-Ireland final, something that hasn't happened since 1985.
