FOOTBALL PREVIEWS
TODAY ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 2 CAVAN v FERMANAGH Breffni Park, 7.0
Form might suggest this should be a straightforward home win, but Fermanagh have everything to play for, Cavan little.
A win for the Erne men and a defeat for Louth would ensure survival for Kieran Donnelly’s side and would mean that they would start out the championship as a Sam Maguire team.
But after last week’s mauling by Louth, the sense is that they are in no position to recover.
VERDICT: CAVAN
CORK v ARMAGH Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.0
Cork midfielder Ian Maguire labelled this a do-or-die fixture, mindful that Cork want to finish as high up the table as possible to avoid falling out of the Sam Maguire.
In reality, they are as safe as houses but that won’t stop them picking up the points against an Armagh side pulling up the handbrake having crossed the promotion line.
VERDICT: CORK
DONEGAL v MEATH Ballybofey, 7.0
Another dead rubber which will allow both Jim McGuiness and Colm O’Rourke to check the depth of their squads and it will be no surprise as to who will have the stronger one.
VERDICT: DONEGAL
KILDARE v LOUTH Dr Cullen Park, 7.0
Louth need to avoid defeat against winless Kildare, which should give them enough of an edge, although Glenn Ryan could do with his team snapping their losing run, ensuring that this might be quite the battle.
Mind, it will be Kildare who are likely to have more to play for if they meet in the Leinster championship in early summer.
VERDICT: LOUTH
TOMORROW ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 1 DERRY v ROSCOMMON Celtic Park, 1.45
A game that could impact both ends of the table, but has little chance of actually doing so.
Once Derry avoid defeat they qualify for the final and should they lose, and both Dublin and Kerry win, they enjoy a 16-point scoring differential over the latter.
Roscommon need to win and Galway lose to stay up. Not happening.
VERDICT: DERRY
DUBLIN v TYRONE Croke Park, 1.45
Simply put Dublin need to win – they enjoy a 19-point scoring differential over Kerry – to reach the final against a Tyrone team that has not nothing to play for. And even if they did, it would not make a jot of difference.
VERDICT: DUBLIN
KERRY v GALWAY Killarney, 1.45
Kerry are more likely to have their focus on a warm weather training camp next week than a league final which is just as well as it is out of their reach, barring a bizarre sequence of results.
If Galway avoid defeat they will stay up but they will probably still manage that even without one.
VERDICT: KERRY
MONAGHAN v MAYO Clones, 1.45
Kevin McStay has to be credited for his honesty in labelling this a ‘practice match’ which suggests he will send out an experimental side and Monaghan will finish the campaign with their usual defiance but this time without any reward.
VERDICT: MONAGHAN
DIVISION 3 ANTRIM v WICKLOW Corrigan Park, 2.0
In many ways the tie of the round, because the result will be definitive. If Wicklow can win on the road they will survive, even if Sligo beat Limerick as they will have the headto-head advantage over Antrim.
However, that is unlikely to happen.
VERDICT: ANTRIM
DOWN v CLARE Newry, 2.0
It is to his immense credit that Mark Fitzgerald has defied such a radical transition of his team to take his team a win away from returning to Division 2.
For all that, it feels as far away as ever because there is a chasm in class between these two teams which the league table misrepresents but which Down’s quality will not.
VERDICT: DOWN
OFFALY v LIMERICK Tullamore, 2.0
Offaly need to win to be certain of maintaining their status in the division, although they could afford to lose if Wicklow fail to win. They will hardly have to lean on the latter given Limerick’s struggles all season. VERDICT: OFFALY
SLIGO v WESTMEATH
Markievicz Park, 2.0 This was shaping up to be a potentially defining fixture but after both drew last weekend, it has diluted its importance.
Westmeath still need to win to be absolutely certain of going up, although should Clare fail to win that will also do the trick.
VERDICT: WESTMEATH
DIVISION 4 CARLOW v LONDON
Dr Cullen Park, 1.0 London’s carbon footprint for this fixture is hard to justify, given that neither team has anything to play for.
VERDICT: CARLOW
WATERFORD v LAOIS Fraher Field, 1.0
Mathematically, Laois need to avoid defeat to be promoted but with a 13-point scoring differential advantage over Longford and 17-point one over Leitrim, they could probably get away with losing.
However, there is not even a slim prospect of that against the lowest ranked team in the game.
VERDICT: LAOIS
WEXFORD v LONGFORD Wexford Park, 1.0
Huge game for both but arguably bigger for Longford, who are almost certain to be promoted if they win as they have the head to head advantage on Leitrim.
However, Wexford’s form of late suggests that they are more likely but even if they win they need a favour from Tipperary to nail that second promotion spot
VERDICT: WEXFORD
LEITRIM v TIPPERARY
Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 1.0 Leitrim might start the day in fourth position but they could well be in pole position to earn that second promotion place.
They need Wexford to beat Longford, while taking care of this result themselves. They will certainly manage that.
VERDICT: LEITRIM