GAA HQ Cracker In Store
Last weekend, Ireland had their expected victory over the Italians, though for a while it did look that they would struggle to beat them by the 10 point margin I was hoping for. Beat them, they did, and what was very much in evidence was Declan Kidney formulating a game plan to deal with the given situation.
The Azzurri were a tough nut to crack, and on the evidence of their dispaly against the Welsh, Martin Johnson’s England will be no pushovers in the cauldron that will be Croke Park on Saturday, 28 February. Their 2/1 price to spoil the Irish party will not see many takers on this side of the pond, but with Kidney’s men carrying the weight of expectancy of potential Grand Slam winners, an ambush of sorts is always possible.
Domestic Battles Near Kick-Off
This week saw the release of the League of Ireland fixtures and so bookmakers across the land can open up their markets. The Premier League is a 10-team competition this season and much focus will head to the foothills of the Dublin mountains where Shamrock Rovers new home in Tallaght finally sees competitive action. I liked the look of their new manager, Michael O’Neill, when he spoke at his unveiling last December. He spoke a lot of sense and seemed to have a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve.
Last season the Hoops played some nice football and the roar of 6,000 or so fans in Tallaght may very well see them finish higher in the League in 2009. They are 10/1 with Ladbrokes to win the championship. A nice price, I hear you say, but maybe their day will ultimately come in the early years of the next decade. However, turbulent winds are still forceast to buffett the League of Ireland in the short term, so Shamrock Rovers could be the team to emerge from the slipstream and grab ultimate glory.
Derry City, at odds of 7/4 are a more solid bet, with Bohemians at 15/8, favourites to retain their title, though its hard to know how things off the field are going to pan out at Dalymount Park this season. Interestingly, a poll on the RTÉ website http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/mns/ asks which Premier League of Ireland manager will be first to lose their job this season. As I write, Pat Fenlon is who the respondents think will go first, with Stephen Kenny (Derry City) and Paul Cook (Sligo Rovers) deemed least likely to walk the plank.
League of Ireland coverage resumes on RTÉ Two television and www.rte.ie/live on Friday, 6 March at 7.35pm when Bohemians travel to face Dundalk at Oriel Park. Monday Night Soccer returns to RTÉ Two television on Monday, 9 March.
This weekend in the Barclays Premier League Manchester United will bid to put a bit of daylight between themselves and Liverpool at the summit. Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to Old Trafford and a 3-0 victory to the Red Devils at 7/1 would not be a surprise.
Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield and if Benitez picks his strongest team and plays them from the start they should account for Mark Hughes’ outfit who were terrible at Portsmouth last week. Hughes was a great player, and by all accounts is a decent man, but I have a feeling we may not see him on the line at Eastlands next August.
In other Premier League tussles, I fancy Wigan to go to Riverside and beat Middlesborough; Chelsea to turn the tables on Aston Villa for their new manager and Newcastle can battle for a draw against Everton for their absent manager.
Watch Premier Soccer Saturday on RTÉ Two from 8.00pm.
Club Bragging Rights
The GAA club sem-finals are down for decision this weekend. In hurling Ballyhale Shamrocks against Portumna is set to be a real cracker, and while the Kilkenny side are favourites, the Galway men cannot be ruled with live wire Joe Canning in their side.
De La Salle of Waterford can book their place in the final with victory over Cushendall of Antrim.
In the football, Crossmaglen should be too strong for Dromcollogher Broadford, while Corofin of Galway (11/8) can upset Kilmacud Crokes in the other semi-final in Longford. After that, it’s roll on St Patrick’s Day.
Listen to live coverage of All Ireland club semi-finals on Saturday Sport & Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Two television from 8.00pm.
