All up for grabs in Cork Premier JFC with Kilmurry best placed

All 12 teams can still progress to the knockout phase.

Thu, 07 Sep, 2023 - 14:02

Eoghan Cormican

The group stages of the Cork Premier JFC wrap up this Friday evening. The lowest of the five county championship tiers is unique from the four above it in that all 12 teams can still progress to the knockout phase.

That no team is already advanced and no team already axed should make for an intriguing evening of football across the six different venues.

In Group A, Urhan currently sit top with three points. But if they lose to third-place St Nick’s and there is a winner in the Ballydesmond-Cullen clash (Cullen would need to win by six), then Urhan are out.

Cullen, without a victory and bottom of the table, are the only one of the four Group A teams who require a win to progress. The other three, mathematically speaking, could get by with a draw.

To Group B, where there’s a good chance of a three-way tie, either on four points at the top of the table or on two points in the fight for second place.

If Buttevant (+1) beat group leaders the Barrs (+3) and Cobh (0) do likewise to pointless St Michael’s, then the first three of those teams will be crowded together on four points, at which juncture score difference will be called upon to decide who advances.

Should Buttevant win their game by two points, they’d nab one of the two qualifying spots, irrespective of what happens in the other game.

Now, if Buttevant lose to the Barrs and St Michael’s manage a first win of the campaign, by a margin of five points, then Michael’s leapfrog Buttevant and Cobh into second.

The 2022 junior champions Kilmurry, at the head of Group C on four points, are best placed of all 12 teams to move onto the knockout stages.

Their score difference of +15 means that were they to suffer a first defeat of the campaign to St James' (-5) and Millstreet (-6) sink Kinsale to leave the three of them on four points, they are still unlikely to be overtaken save for a double-digit beating.

Kinsale might be without a single point, but their score difference of -4 means that should they get a first win, at Millstreet’s expense, and Kilmurry oblige by making it three wins from three, then Kinsale will go from propping up the table to progressing in second place.

Cork Premier JFC fixtures (all games throw-in at 6.30pm): Group A: Ballydesmond v Cullen, Kiskeam (J Kelleher); St Nick’s v Urhan, Dunmanway (L O’Shea); Group B: Cobh v St Michael’s, Caherlag (C Murphy); St Finbarr’s v Buttevant, Glantane (S Stokes); Group C: Kilmurry v St James, Ahiohill (B Crowley); Millstreet v Kinsale, Cloughduv (M O’Leary).