Allianz Football League: No Division 2 or 4 finals to be held; Kerry and Cork get home advantage

Here's all you need to know about the promotion and relegation play-offs, and why there will be no Division 2 or 4 finals this year...

Kevin O'Driscoll, right and Cathail O'Mahony of Cork react after the Allianz Football League Division 2 South Round 3 match between Clare and Cork at Cusack Park in Ennis. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Division 1

Semi-finals

Kerry v Tyrone (Kerry at home)

Donegal v Dublin (Toss for home advantage)

Relegation play-offs

Galway v Monaghan (Monaghan at home)

Armagh v Roscommon (Toss for home advantage)

Kerry will host Tyrone in their final League game of the season, a Division 1 semi-final, after beating Roscommon by six points at Dr Hyde Park.

Kerry (+28) pipped Dublin (+13) to top Division 1 South on points difference thanks to their heavy opening-day win over Galway.

The Dubs will meet Donegal in the other semi-final, with a coin toss to determine home advantage.

It finished as you were after two draws in Division 1 North on Saturday night, so Armagh will face Roscommon and Galway will meet Monaghan in the relegation play-offs.

Monaghan, like Kerry, will have home advantage due to having played fewer home games than their opponents during the group stage. A coin toss will determine the venue for Armagh v Roscommon.

A Division 1 final will only be played on June 19/20 if Tyrone and Dublin win their semi-finals as Kerry and Donegal are both in Championship action on June 26.

The rule, due to the tight schedule this year, reads: "League finals will only be played if the counties involved are not playing in the Championship on the following weekend."

Otherwise, the Division 1 title will be shared between the semi-final winners.

All games will be played on the weekend of June 12-13.

Division 1 North

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Donegal	3	1	2	0	60	58	4
2	Tyrone	3	1	1	1	51	48	3
3	Armagh	3	1	1	1	54	55	3
4	Monaghan	3	0	2	1	52	56	2

Division 1 South

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Kerry	3	2	1	0	75	47	5
2	Dublin	3	2	1	0	68	55	5
3	Galway	3	1	0	2	51	71	2
4	Roscommon	3	0	0	3	47	68	0

Division 2

Semi-finals (winners promoted to Division 1)

Mayo v Clare (Toss for home advantage)

Kildare v Meath (Toss for home advantage)

Relegation play-offs

Cork v Westmeath (Cork at home)

Down v Laois (Down at home)

Despite edging out Clare by a point, Cork must beat Westmeath to avoid the trapdoor back to Division 3.

With Kildare 13-point winners over Laois, Ronan McCarthy’s men needed to overturn Clare by four points to be guaranteed to finish in the top two on points difference.

The 0-22 to 1-18 win was not enough, with Kildare topping Division 2 South (+14 points difference), Clare second (+9), and Cork third (+5), all on two wins each.

Clare’s Division 1 dream lives on but John O'Rourke’s late winner for Cork means it’s Mayo, rather than Meath, they will meet in that semi-final, with the winners advancing to the top tier.

Meath, who lost by eight points to Mayo, finished second in Division 2 North and will meet Kildare.

Down beat Westmeath by a point to finish third, and will meet Laois in the other relegation play-off.

Cork and Down will have home advantage for those games due to having played fewer home games than their opponents during the group stage, with 500 spectators permitted at Páirc Esler, Newry, due to eased Covid-19 restrictions on sporting attendances in the North. 

A coin toss will determine the venues for the promotion semi-finals.

There will be no Division 2 final played on June 19/20 regardless of the outcome of the semi-finals, with both Clare and Mayo in Championship action on June 26. 

The Division 2 title will instead be shared between the semi-final winners. 

Division 2 North

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Mayo	3	3	0	0	74	50	6
2	Meath	3	2	0	1	55	55	4
3	Down	3	1	0	2	41	60	2
4	Westmeath	3	0	0	3	45	50	0

Division 2 South

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Kildare	3	2	0	1	55	41	4
2	Clare	3	2	0	1	56	47	4
3	Cork	3	2	0	1	54	49	4
4	Laois	3	0	0	3	33	61	0

Division 3 

Semi-finals (winners promoted to Division 2)

Derry v Limerick (Toss for home advantage)

Offaly v Fermanagh (Toss for home advantage)

Relegation play-offs

Tipperary v Longford (Toss for home advantage)

Cavan v Wicklow (Toss for home advantage)

Limerick will meet Derry in their Division 3 semi-final, with the winners promoted to Division 2, while 2020 provincial champions Tipperary and Cavan must win relegation play-offs to avoid slipping to the bottom tier.

Offaly meet Fermanagh in the other semi-final having seen off Tipperary by five points at O’Connor Park to top Division 3 South with a perfect record.

Limerick were 10-point victors away to Wicklow to finish second with two wins, while Tipperary, who needed to beat Offaly by three points, end third with one win and will meet winless Longford.

Derry beat Cavan by two to end with a perfect three wins from three to top the northern section ahead of Fermanagh, who were saved by Sean Quigley’s late equaliser against Longford.

That put them on three points and denied Cavan, who would’ve had by far the better points difference in a three-way tie-breaker with Fermanagh and Longford. Cavan will now face Wicklow in the other relegation play-off.

A coin toss will determine home advantage for all four games.

A Division 3 final will only be played on June 19/20 if Derry and Fermanagh win their semi-finals as Offaly and Limerick are both in Championship action on June 26. Otherwise, the Division 3 title will be shared between the semi-final winners.

Division 3 North

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Derry	3	3	0	0	68	31	6
2	Fermanagh	3	1	1	1	42	60	3
3	Cavan	3	1	0	2	53	50	2
4	Longford	3	0	1	2	39	61	1

Division 3 South

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Offaly	3	3	0	0	53	42	6
2	Limerick	3	2	0	1	55	45	4
3	Tipperary	3	1	0	2	47	51	2
4	Wicklow	3	0	0	3	43	60	0

Division 4

Semi-finals (winners promoted to Division 3)

Antrim v Waterford (Waterford at home)

Carlow v Louth (Carlow at home)

Shield semi-final 

Leitrim v Wexford (Toss for home advantage)

Mickey Harte's Louth emerged 10-point winners over Sligo in the battle for second place in Division 4 North to progress to a semi-final against Carlow.

Antrim had already secured first place and Tomás McCann's stoppage-time winner gave them a closing victory over winless Leitrim. 

Carlow's one-point win over Wexford on Saturday night to clinch the southern section means Waterford advance to meet Antrim in the other semi-final.

Carlow and Waterford will have home advantage for those games due to having played fewer home games than their opponents during the group stage. 

There will be no Division 4 final played on June 19/20 regardless of the outcome of the semi-finals, with Carlow, Louth, and Waterford all in Championship action on June 26. 

The Division 4 title will instead be shared between the semi-final winners. 

Sligo, Wexford, and Leitrim go into a Division 4 shield competition, with the latter pair meeting in the semi-final.

Division 4 North

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Antrim	3	3	0	0	63	60	6
2	Louth	3	2	0	1	63	45	4
3	Sligo	3	1	0	2	63	67	2
4	Leitrim	3	0	0	3	50	67	0

Division 4 South

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Carlow	2	2	0	0	43	27	4
2	Waterford	2	1	0	1	29	43	2
3	Wexford	2	0	0	2	35	37	0