The Queally men are on a good run of form and look very organised and highly motivated. They will be hard beaten.
They have some quality players speckled around the field from Philip Skelly in goal, and defenders Cillain Bane, Liam Dalton, and Eanna Glynn. They boast a strong robust midfield partnership of Brendan Murphy and county player Clive Monahan, while up front centre-forward Cormac Bane is in great form and he is well assisted by his inside line of Rory Glynn and Enda Heneghan.
They will face the winners of Claregalway and An Cheathwrú Rua, if they can ever be separated. While both those sides are getting some fantastic championship games, it will be interesting to see if the winners from that draw fest can raise another gallop when they face Caherlistrane in the quarter-final.
It is difficult to go to the well too often and the three games between those two sides will either make them or break them. Based on what Caherlistrane produced last weekend though, they are an outside bet to lift the Frank Fox.
Meanwhile championship favourites Corofin were much too strong for Tuam Stars. Any team that can boast an entire half-back line of county players have to be live contenders and the trio of Gary Sice, Damien Burke, and Michael Comer all impressed last Saturday evening. Corner backs Gary Delaney and Kieran McGrath both did very well and offered good support to Kieran Fitzgerald to make up an imposing defence.
However it was up front that the Corofin supporters will have taken most from the game. Alan O’Donovan hit nine points and Kieran Comer was also in lively form knocking in two good goals. The pace of Alan Burke on the wing will open up a lot of defences, and if Aidan Donnellan and Greg Higgins can keep the supply lines open, then Moycullen will need all their absent players back for their quarter-final clash.
There are some really attractive games to look forward to in the championship quarter-finals in mid-August and the meeting of NUIG and Milltown and Salthill/Knocknacarra and Cortoon Shamrocks are games not to be missed.
