Here are our previews for the three provincial football championship quarter-finals taking place this weekend.

Saturday, May 21st

Leinster SFC quarter-final

Wexford v Kildare, Croke Park, 5.15pm

Saturday's early evening throw-in at Croke Park sees Wexford and Kildare vying for a place in the last four of the Leinster senior football championship. The Lilywhites' last visit to HQ ended in a shock defeat to Clare in last month's Division Three final and they'll no doubt be out to rectify that when they meet the Slayneysiders in the capital. Cian O'Neill's side are currently ranked as second favourites for the JJ Delaney Cup, priced at 14/1 behind all-conquering champions Dublin, and are 2/9 to send the Model men into the qualifiers this weekend. David Power's charges won five of their seven outings in Division Four before narrowly missing out on promotion and would need a mammoth display if they're to record their county's first championship win over Kildare since 2004.

Verdict: Kildare

 

Sunday, May 22nd

Ulster SFC quarter-final

Derry v Tyrone, Celtic Park, 2pm

The race for The Anglo-Celt Cup heats up on Sunday when Tyrone travel to Celtic Park for a fifth meeting with Derry in as many months. Mickey Harte's side have yet to lose a game in 2016, with their latest victory clinching them the Division Two title against Cavan last month, and they're firm favourites (1/2) to continue that winning trend this weekend. This game comes too soon for former All-Ireland minor winning joint-captain Ronan McNabb, who has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury, but both Tiernan McCann and Justin McMahon are expected to be available to Harte after recovering from respective hamstring injuries. The Oak Leafers haven't had a win in the Ulster championship over their neighbours since 2006 and that streak will likely extend into an 11th summer should the likes of Connor McAliskey and Ronan O'Neill be allowed to keep firing on all cylinders for the Red Hands on Sunday.

Verdict: Tyrone

Connacht SFC quarter-final

Leitrim v Roscommon, Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada, 3.30pm

After their preliminary round scare against New York in the Bronx, Roscommon will no doubt be keen on a more convincing display when they head for Carrick-on-Shannon this weekend. The game sees Leitrim looking for their first win over the opposition on Sunday since 2000, with their last five games against the Rossies all having ended in defeat. The visitors are 1/10 favourites to extend the win count to six and when you consider both these sides' respective league campaigns it's not hard to understand why. Roscommon surpassed the expectations of many this season by reaching the Division One semi-finals, while Leitrim struggled to make inroads after a poor start in Division Four. Expect to see a much improved display from the favourites here and one that will properly signal Kevin McStay and Fergal O'Donnell's side's intent for provincial silverware this summer.

Verdict: Roscommon

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