LEINSTER FOOTBALL LEFT LANGUISHING
DUBLIN’S feast should not necessarily equate to a famine for the rest of Leinster, but that has been the case in recent years.
There’s little sign of change in this season’s Allianz League either. Dublin are rolling along comfortably at the head of Division 1 (ahead of Galway on scoring difference) while Laois and Carlow are leading Division 4.
However, on the downside for Leinster, Kildare are bottom of Division 1 after losing all four games. Louth (0 points) are last in Division 2 with Meath second last (3 points).
Wexford and Offaly occupy the relegation places in Division 3, having both lost all four games, while Wicklow are third last in Division 4.
Longford and Westmeath (6 points each) are third and fourth respectively in Division 3, but face a big challenge to get ahead of Armagh and Fermanagh, who are both on maximum points.
In fairness to Kildare, they can consider themselves unlucky to be pointless, having lost their last three games by a combined total of four points. It makes their clash with Mayo on Sunday a real dogfight, with the losers in serious relegation trouble. Division 2 is familiar territory for Kildare – they were there last year – but it’s different for Mayo.
Alone among all counties, they have been in Division 1 throughout this millennium, which is quite a record, one they will be determined to preserve.
Meath started the Division 2 campaign among the favourites for promotion but now seem certain to extend their term to 13 years outside Division 1 next year.
The biggest implosion among Leinster counties in the past year has been in Wexford. They secured promotion from Division 4 with wins in the first five rounds last year, sending optimism levels soaring.
It was a false dawn as they have lost nine of 10 league and championship games since then and look to be on their way back to Division 4. Laois and Carlow are leading the way on full points in Division 4 but Antrim are only a point behind and have still to play both.
Granted, there are three rounds to go but if the league were to finish as the tables currently stand, Leinster would have one county in Divisions 1 and 2 next year, six in Division 3 and three in Division 4.