It’s do-or-die time in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Dublin vs Donegal
- Venue: Croke Park
- Date & Time: Sunday, June 21, 13:15
- TV: RTE
- Referee: Martin McNally
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A bid day on Sunday for both Dublin and Donegal with one side moving into a quarter final and the other heading out of the championship for 2026. They first met in the championship on the 20th September 1992 and they last met on the 14th July 2018 where Dublin came out on top on a scoreline of 2-15 to 0-16. At the start of 2026 we seen a league meeting between the sides where Donegal got the better of Dublin on a scoreline of 1-20 to 0-20 and they will look for similar this time around.
Dublin
Dublin off the back of a defeat to Louth went to Breffni Park last weekend soul searching and looking for a morale boosting victory and that is what they got. The hosts stuck with them most of the way but faded out of the game in the final quarter and the Dubs piled on pressure to stretch away and win by eleven points in the end.
Con O’Callaghan and Cormac Costello will always worry a backline that gives them too much respect and Con produced a very solid performance where he scored (1-09). Ross McGarry added to the Dublin energy off the bench and got himself three points. Donegal will provide Dublin with a completely different examination but defensively they improved from the Louth game, and they will need to do the same again.
Donegal
A lacklustre performance from Donegal against Cork has now put them in the perilous position of one game away from exiting the championship at an early stage. There is no doubt that Jim McGuiness would have been disappointed with the scoring in the game that was affected a small bit by the wind but 1-13 was the joint second lowest scoring performance of the weekend.
Donegal are much better than that and have shown that they are one of the best teams in the country, but can they put it all together this weekend? Oisin Gallen top scored with (0-04) against Cork and Michael Murphy was very quiet with just two points to his name. Five other players managed a point apiece and while scoring came from all avenues, it was to be enough in the end.
Prediction
The main question mark will be how quiet can Dublin keep Donegal on the scoring front? Defensively Dublin have had their worries which included shipping four goals against Louth and if similar happens this weekend Donegal will punish them. Dublin have without doubt improved from the Louth game but with no disrespect to Cavan you would expect Donegal to threaten them for seventy minutes.
Verdict: Dublin 1-18 Donegal 2-20
Best Bet: Winning Margin – Donegal 4-6 (4/1)
Monaghan vs Westmeath
- Venue: St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones
- Date & Time: Sunday, June 21, 16:00
- TV: GAA+
- Referee: Noel Mooney
The final game of round three will see Monaghan face off against the Leinster Champions Westmeath in a game that looks much closer than the market may suggest. Monaghan have had the luxury of playing their last three games at home and got the home draw again in Mondays draw. They put it all together to see off Roscommon and will look to add to that performance on Sunday. Westmeath on the other hand arrive here after conceding 3-21 against Galway and that will concern a supporter or two.
Monaghan
Monaghan impressed against Roscommon and will be looking to add to that performance and get themselves into an All-Ireland Quarter Final. The slow starts and fast finishes were getting worrying but they put a seventy-minute performance together last weekend and looked comfortable throughout.
A few wides early in the game was concerning but they rallied and cantered to victory as the Rossies faded away. Stephen Mooney found the net for the second time in as many games as Jack McCarron was the conductor with a personal tally of 0-07. David Garland scored a quality point too late on to seal the victory and that confidence boost could be just what they needed.
Westmeath
Westmeath had to rally late against Galway and got to within three but that was as close as they could get. They had a few injuries to overcome during the game also but the one thing that will concern Mark McHugh is the concession of 3-21. A short kickout from Jason Daly was quickly turned over and Cian Hernon found the back of the net. Monaghan will be aware of this and if they press high it could be fruitful. Paul Conroy scored a lovely two-pointer and when they used their running game against Westmeath gaps appeared. Injuries will also need to be assessed closer to the weekend for Brian Cooney and Ray Connellan and they would be a big blow if either or both missed the game.
Prediction
Monaghan have got their act together and will pose Westmeath plenty of problems. The running game that Galway used will be something Monaghan will look at and that could be a catalyst to success for the Farney. Dessie Ward has shown his ability with two point efforts this year so and Jack McCarron, Stephen O’Hanlon and Andrew Woods will also worry a Westmeath defence. It could be closer than many think but Monaghan will edge it down the stretch to head back to the capital for a quarter final.
Verdict
Monaghan 2-19 Westmeath 1-20
Best Bets: Monaghan Winning Margin 1-3 (7/2)
First Goalscorer: Stephen O’Hanlon
