Sold-out games and knockout ties as race for Sam heats up

The winners of the four aforementioned games will progress to round three to face the losers of the 2A fixtures.

The 2A winners will claim a quarter-final berth, meaning there is huge incentive for Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone.

Donegal have had three weeks to prepare for Saturday's home game with Cork (15:00), who reached 2A with a thrilling 0-30 to 1-24 win over Meath at Pairc Ui Rinn.

While Burns' red card severely hampered Kerry's challenge, Donegal looked sharp and incisive in the first half in Killarney, but Cork will be no pushovers, as evidenced by Steven Sherlock's headline-stealing 14-point haul in their epic comeback win over Meath.

Saturday's game also sees Donegal return to the newly resurfaced MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, which has been a championship fortress for them down the years.

In the first of three 2A games on Sunday, Louth look to add to their list of scalps when they welcome Armagh to Inniskeen (13:00), with construction work still taking place at their new stadium in Dundalk.

Armagh have been irresistible of late. They put 42 points on Down in the Ulster semi-final, outlasted Monaghan in extra-time in the decider to return to the provincial summit for the first time in 18 years and were too strong for Derry in round one.

While Louth stunned Dublin at Croke Park, manager Gavin Devlin said his side are aware in what will be the first championship meeting between the neighbours.

"Armagh will have no fears of Inniskeen either," said Devlin, twice an All-Ireland winner in his playing days with Tyrone.

"They're playing at a really high level as we know. The speed and physicality is at a different level to anyone else in the country at the moment, so we know what's ahead of us. It's an exciting week to be ready for this type of challenge."

After Galway host Leinster champions Westmeath at a sold-out Salthill (14:00), there is a repeat of the 2021 final as Tyrone take on Mayo in Omagh (15:30).

Both counties squeezed into this round. Tyrone needed a last-gasp Ethan Jordan free to beat Roscommon 3-16 to 2-18 at Dr Hyde Park while Mayo edged out Monaghan by a point in Clones, with AFL-bound starlet Kobe McDonald hitting 1-4.

Having missed the Roscommon game, Darragh Canavan is not included in Malachy O'Rourke's matchday panel, but with Jordan, Mattie Donnelly and Eoin McElholm hitting a combined 2-11 against the Rossies, the Red Hands should have enough firepower to trouble Mayo.