Dubs’ revenge mission at red-hot Croker

SO, it has come to this. The game of the weekend and game of the season presents itself in Croke Park this afternoon. If anyone still doubts the qualifiers are out-stripping the significance of the provinces, ask yourself this: which match are you anticipating more this weekend - Dublin and Armagh or Galway and Mayo?

In Croke Park this evening, the pretenders face the champions. It is the capital on a revenge mission. Armagh and Dublin has the feel, the sense, of an All-Ireland semi-final. Never mind Armagh’s indifferent form and Dublin’s lack of a free-taker. This is what the championship is all about. Cold facts still cause doubts - the fact Dublin were beaten by Laois and really weren’t all that impressive against a poor Derry side; the fact Armagh struggled past Antrim and have been chugging along.

In the capital, nobody is reading too much into the brief trip to Clones.