Marc Ó Sé blog: Semi-final previews
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Ladbrokes ambassador Marc Ó Sé previews all the semi-final action this weekend in his latest blog.
Marc Ó Sé blog
After a cracking weekend of hurling, the focus now turns to the All-Ireland Senior football championship semi-finals. First up Munster champions Kerry will take on the Ulster final runner-ups Armagh at 5.30pm. What a game we have in store here. Having crashed out of Ulster once again on penalties, Armagh dusted themselves down and Kieran McGeeney has done an outstanding job. Armagh will look at the template that Derry used to good effect for large parts of the quarter-final against Kerry.
They will get bodies behind the ball and try and break quicker than Derry did. I think Kerry’s half-back line, particularly Brian O’Beaglaoich and Tom O’Sullivan, is Kerry’s trump card. These two players can attack and cause havoc in the opposition’s defence. Of course Armagh will have to contend with David Clifford, Paudie Clifford, and Seanie O’Shea. I can’t see anything other than a Kerry win here and I am backing them for the win at 4/9.
Another great battle is in store on Sunday when Galway take on Donegal at 3.30pm. Jim McGuinness has worked wonders. Like Kerry, it is Donegal’s half-back line that Galway will have to keep an eye on. Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, and Peadar Mogan in particular are the foundation on which Donegal start all their attacks. Galway will have to man mark Mogan as he loves to get forward and get on the score board.
But the big thing for me is who will be fit to take the field for Galway. If Galway have a full squad to choose from, I really have to give them the nod here. I think they are so solid in the back with Johnny McGrath the go-to man in the full-back line, with Dylan McHugh and John Daly in the half-back line. Galway to win at 10/11
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
