This Saturday sees Round 3 of the football qualifiers take place while on Sunday the Leinster and Ulster finals go down for decision along with the Connacht decider replay.

SATURDAY

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 3A

Sligo v Clare, Markievicz Park, 2pm

These two counties meet for the third time in the championship, having clashed in the 2004 and 2005 All-Ireland qualifiers.

Clare won by 1-15 to 1-7 in Ennis in 2004 while Sligo won by 1-13 to 0-11 in Castlebar in 2005.

Home advantage is a big plus for Yeats County manager Niall Carew who stated:  "Psychologically, it is massive to get a home draw. No matter who we got was going to be tough, but we have a good record at home. But Clare will be very happy to have got us."

Fresh from their 0-14 to 1-10 round 2 win over Laois, the Banner County will travel to Markievicz Park in a confident frame of mind and this is a close one to call.

Verdict: Clare

Cavan v Derry, Breffni Park, 3.30pm

Their last two championship clashes went to extra-time, with Cavan winning a qualifier clash in Celtic Park in 2013 while Derry won in Celtic Park in 2004.

More recently, the Oak Leafers came away from Kingspan Breffni Park  with a 1-12 to 1-11 Division 2 round 2 success under their belts.

Damian Barton's men will have drawn great encouragement from the manner of their second-half comeback against Meath in Owenbeg last Saturday.

Terry Hyland and his team, meanwhile, got the disappointment of their Ulster SFC semi-final replay collapse against Tyrone out of their system with a comfortable 2-13 to 0-12 win over Carlow.

Verdict: Cavan

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 3B

Longford v Cork, Glennon Bros Pearse Park, 3pm

They meet for the first time in the championship, with Longford bidding to reach the Round 4 qualifiers for the first time since 2006.

Hurlers Aidan Walsh and Alan Cadogan have answered an SOS call from Peadar Healy to throw their weight behind the footballers' bid to reach the business end of the Sam Maguire race.

After their heroics in Clones last Saturday, Longford will be aiming to add the Rebel County's scalp to Monaghan's.

"While home advantage is massive for us, we are facing a physically strong and very experienced Cork team littered with players who have won All-Ireland medals and All-Star awards," said Longford manager Denis Connerton.

Verdict: Cork

Mayo v Kildare, MacHale Park, 7pm - SKY

The stakes will be high when Stephen Rochford and Cian O'Neill send their respective teams out on to the MacHale Park field tomorrow evening.

Both managers have endured a baptism of fire in their first championship campaigns to date but a win here could resuscitate their ailing championship fortunes.

The two counties collide in the championship for the first time since the 1935 All-Ireland semi-final when the Lilywhites won by 2-6 to 0-7.

Against the backdrop of the Aidan O'Shea 'dive' controversy, the hosts get the vote to gain revenge for that defeat 81 years ago!

Verdict: Mayo

SUNDAY

Connacht SFC final replay

Galway v Roscommon, MacHale Park, 3.30pm - RTE WEB

Both sets of supporters, and the wider GAA public, will be hoping to get better value for money entertainment wise when these two teams renew acquaintances on Sunday.

They meet in a Connacht final replay for the first time since 1998 when, after drawing 0-11 each in Tuam Stadium, Galway won after extra-time in Dr. Hyde Park by 1-17 to 0-17.

Tribe manager Kevin Walsh said: "We know that we will have to be at our best and our sharpest to come out on top in the replay but that's the challenge facing us.

"Maybe there were a few chances here and there that we might have taken but we're still standing and we're looking forward to the replay in Castlebar."

Roscommon joint-manager Kevin McStay is bullish about the prospect of his team finishing off the job at the second time of asking.

"We know that we didn't play particularly well, but we had ten lads playing their first Connacht senior final. On Sunday next that won't be the case."

In addition to getting their hands on the Nestor Cup, the prize up for grabs for the winners is a place in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final on July 30/31. The losers will go into Round 4 of the qualifiers on July 23.

Verdict: Galway

Leinster SFC final

Dublin v Westmeath, Croke Park, 4pm - RTE

This will be the 18th championship meeting between the counties with wins standing at 14-3 in Dublin's favour from the previous 17 games.

Westmeath's last win over Dublin was in 2004. Their only other wins were in 1967 and 1931.

It finished Dublin 2-13, Westmeath 0-6 when the two counties met in the provincial decider 12 months ago.

The team in sky blue led by 0-8 to 0-4 at the halfway stage but early second half goals from Bernard Brogan and Paul Flynn gave Dublin an advantage which they maintained quite easily all the way to the end.

Bernard Brogan (1-1), Ciaran Kilkenny and Diarmuid Connolly (0-3 each) were top scorers for Dublin while John Heslin (0-3, 0-2 frees) was the Lake County's top marksman.

The metropolitans are bidding to win the title for the sixth successive year, a feat they last achieved in 1974-79.

Westmeath are bidding to win the title for the second time, having won it for the first time in 2004.

"Last year, we probably didn't honestly believe that we could," Westmeath manager Tom Cribbin said. "This year, we believe we can. There is more belief because we are willing to throw caution to the wind now."

The winners qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals on August 6; the losers have a Round 4B qualifier on July 30/31.

Verdict: Dublin

Ulster SFC final

Tyrone v Donegal, Clones, 2pm - RTE

These two rivals meet for the fourth time in five seasons, with Donegal having won all four.

They won in Ballybofey in 2015 and 2013 and in Clones in 2011 and 2012. It leaves the Red Hands seeking their first win over Donegal since 2007 when they won an Ulster semi-final in Clones.

This will be the 21st championship meeting between the counties, with Tyrone leading 10-9 with one draw from their previous 20 clashes.

The Rory Gallagher managed Donegal are in the Ulster final for a sixth successive year, having won in 2011, '12 and '14 and lost in 2013 and 2015.

It's the first time that any county has reached six successive Ulster finals since Down qualified for every final in 1958-69.

Mickey Harte's men are bidding to win the Ulster title for the first time since 2010 and their 14th Anglo Celt Cup success overall while Donegal are seeking their ninth provincial success.

Harte has named an unchanged starting 15 following their impressive semi-final replay victory over Cavan and the experienced manager doesn't subscribe to the theory that Donegal are a spent force.

"The way they are playing, they're a problem for their opponents," he pointed out in advance of this eagerly awaited encounter.

The winners will advance to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final stage on August 6; the losers have a Round 4B qualifier on July 30/31.

Verdict: Tyrone

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