Peter Canavan: Will Down shock again against Monaghan?

We have two big games on Sky Sports this weekend and Peter Canavan believes they will be two very different affairs...

On paper, the Down and Monaghan game looks pretty straightforward to me.

When they met in the Ulster Championship just a few weeks back, Down caused a massive shock. Not only did they pull the wool over the eyes of all the pundits, but they tore at Monaghan with a real intensity and physicality too. They bullied Monaghan and left with a famous win and a place in the Ulster final.

It was played in front of a big crowd at a venue much tighter than Croke Park and I would say the intensity being shown on the pitch was matched by their supporters in the stand. Can that scenario be replicated this weekend at Croke Park? I don't think so.

Monaghan are far from the finished article but they have been eking out wins and Down will be pretty disappointed with their Ulster final showing.

There is no way, I think, that Monaghan will be caught on the hop again.

They will come out and make a statement straight away. They will put the game to Down and anything other than a seven or eight point win for Monaghan would be a huge surprise to me.

I genuinely feel that this game is straightforward and I cannot see Malachy O'Rourke and his men being caught again.

As for the Armagh and Kildare game, well there is a slight difference.

Armagh are nearly in direct contrast to Down. At the start of the championship, they lost to their neighbours across the road in a game that most people fancied Down to win.

And before that they failed to secure promotion to Division Three, losing to Tipperary in their own backyard.

They were not in a good place back then, they were on the ropes, and it looked like the whole thing was going to fall apart.

And then they got going again. Won a few matches, got through a few tight scrapes.

They beat Westmeath in a tight game on the road and then they travelled to Semple Stadium and beat a Tipp team that had denied them promotion on the final day of the NFL programme.

They were not at their best in either the Westmeath or the Tipp game, but they got a result each time and they will be heartened by the return to form of certain players.

Mark Shields was impressive against Tipp and drove at them at every opportunity - I can see him doing the same against Kildare.

Andrew Murnan is a big threat on the edge of the square. And out around the middle, Niall Grimely was in the form of his life against Tipp and won the man-of-the-match award, so they come to the Kildare game with a bit of resilience about them.

They have fought their way back off the ropes and carved a path into the business end of the championship and that has to be admired when you think of how they were faring earlier in the season.

All of that said, Kildare will be hoping to win the game in two departments.

Eoin Doyle is out of their defence with a thumb injury but his loss can be covered by a very physical, fit and mobile Kildare middle third.

Tommy Moolick and Kevin Feely look like a class pairing at midfield and they should get more supply into their forwards than their Armagh counterparts.

And right now supply is what the likes of Dan Flynn, Paddy Brophy and Cathal McNally need. If they get supply they will trouble any defence in the land.

They lost to Dublin by nine points but they kept at it right until the end and I was impressed with their fitness levels. Players like Feely gave a lesson in how to field the ball.

Armagh will struggle to get a foothold in this area but if they do then they can target the area of the Kildare unit that is most vulnerable - their defence.

Against Dublin, they were carved open a good few times and conceded two goals in quick succession. With players like Jamie Clarke about, Kildare would be wise to shore up that part of their team.

When all is said and done, however, I think Kildare will have too much.

It will make a nice backdrop for the games on Sunday. I have been talking Roscommon up all year and they will give Mayo plenty of it in their quarter-final. Roscommon have a fine young team, they have been preparing for the championship from a long way out, not going overboard on the league, and they may just have the legs on Mayo who could be weary after their exploits of last weekend. It should be a cracker and I'm looking forward to it.

Equally, I expect that Kerry and Galway will be a fine game.

Kerry were in a different class in the Munster final and they will be expected to get over this game but Galway have come back well from losing the Connacht final and I was impressed with their dynamism against Donegal. They have a nice mix of youth and experience and I expect them to go at Kerry and test them. I think we'll have two decent games on Sunday.

Sky Sports live GAA coverage continues on Saturday with Down v Monaghan, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena from 4pm followed by Kildare v Armagh at 7pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena.

For those on the move you can get updates via our live blog at www.skysports.com/GAA or @SkySportsGAA