Diarmuid Connolly is backing Galway to send Mayo packing on Sunday, despite their injury worries.
Having gone into last Sunday’s final round of games topping their respective groups, neither side expected to be facing each other in a winner-takes-all clash this weekend but Galway’s loss to Armagh and Mayo’s collapse in the final quarter against Cork has led to their being pitted against each other in a preliminary quarter-final.
Galway have serious injury doubts around key men Sean Kelly and Damien Comer, with Kelly in particular thought to be seriously up against it.
“There are no back-up chances now, it's do-or-die,” said Connolly. “Galway and Mayo know each other inside out, but the margin between them is never big so this is going to be a tight affair.
“Matthew Tierney has been great for this Galway side, but he's also got serious talent around him in Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, although there is an injury worry with Comer.
“Another big injury worry would be Sean Kelly. He nearly dragged Galway back into the game against Armagh on his own and he’d be a big loss,” he told BoyleSports.
“But I do fancy Galway here. Mayo beat the All-Ireland champions, but went out in the next two games and didn't perform at all.
“We know where they have been struggling and it's against a blanket defence, so there’s a big decision to make for Padraic Joyce. Do they set up a little bit differently and try to hit them on the counter attack?
“I think if they go all out one-v-one, Mayo can cause serious chaos and that's exactly what Mayo want. So if I was Padraic Joyce, I'd be trying to control this game and try to beat him down the stretch using guys off the bench.”
Meanwhile, the former Dublin star has tipped Tyrone to emerge from arguably the next biggest tie of the weekend, a tricky assignment in Ballybofey against an improving Donegal side.
Connolly added: “I think Tyrone took their eye off the ball a bit against Westmeath thinking they could go down and roll them over. I don’t think they envisaged a draw and then having to travel to Ballybofey.
“But we just don’t know what we’re going to get from Donegal. They are starting to build a little bit, Paddy McBrearty is back fit and Oisin Gallen has been playing well.
“I’d love to see Gallen come up against Padraig Hampsey, who is probably Tyrone’s key man-marker inside. If Oisin gets the better of Hampsey, then Donegal have a great chance, but I don’t see that happening.
“Peter Harte and Conor Meyler can run the half-back line and Conn Kilpatrick has been the stand-out midfielder for this Tyrone side all year for me. He is the guy driving them forward. He has a great work rate and has been chipping in with a few scores.
“Darragh Canavan has been playing out of his skin too. He is low to the ground and is a guy who will take you on one-on-one inside, so Tyrone look good value for the win.”
