Calculators at the ready for Cork football groups climax
ALL TO PLAY FOR: The curtain falls this weekend on the group stages of the Cork football championships. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
THE curtain falls this weekend on the group stages of the Cork football championships. The curtain has already fallen for many. Thirteen of the 30 spots for progress are already occupied.
Take, as a first example, the second-tier Senior A championship. Five of the six qualifying spots were claimed three weeks ago. Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa meet to decide the last remaining spot on Sunday.
In Premier intermediate, four have already progressed on, four more have already been eliminated, and so there are only four teams, across two groups, playing for upward trajectory.
In the top tier Premier SFC, the top three seeds are pretty much guaranteed to be Castlehaven, Nemo, and Mallow. It is the race for the remaining three spots where the intrigue lies.
The three teams currently sitting second in their respective groups - Ballincollig, Valley Rovers, and St Michael’s - will come under ferocious pressure to hold on.
As a prediction for revisiting on Sunday evening, might only one of the three hold on?
Across the five tiers and 60 teams, just over half - 31 - are chasing knockout involvement from Friday evening onward.
All four still in the hunt, even if some are more in the hunt than others. A draw would do Nemo. They can lose to Newcestown and still advance, so long as the margin of defeat and any Ballincollig victory over neighbours Éire Óg doesn’t wipe out the 13-point score difference Nemo currently have on Ballincollig.
If Newcestown were to shock Nemo, then Ballincollig must beat Éire Óg by six points more than the margin of Newcestown’s victory to remain in the top half of the table.
For Éire Óg to jump from fourth to second, they have to score a minimum two-point win over Ballincollig and count on Nemo to take care of Newcestown by a margin of six points. Very plausible.
Castlehaven already through and eyes firmly set on that direct semi-final ticket. If St Michael’s beat Clonakilty, they claim second, irrespective of how Carbery Rangers fare against the Haven.
A draw will also suffice for the Dazzlers, so long as the Rosscarbery men don’t down the Haven. If they do, then Clonakilty have to beat Michael’s by four points more than Carbery Rangers’ winning margin to propel themselves from fourth to second.
Douglas have been out of the running since the end of Round 2, and so that puts their opponents, Mallow, in the box seat to emerge from the three-way scrap for two qualifying berths. A victory or draw gets Mallow across the line.
They’d also survive a defeat if Valley Rovers were to better the Barrs. The terms of engagement couldn’t be more straightforward for that clash of Valley Rovers and St Finbarr’s.
The winner carries on to the quarter-finals, the other crowd are eliminated. Valley Rovers would carry on if proceedings ended all square, the Barrs don’t enjoy the same luxury.
Promoted Cill na Martra and Division 1 League champions Carrigaline clash at Ballymaw. Both have already bought their knockout ticket. The winner will strongly position themselves for direct progress to the last four.
Whoever comes off second best between winless Kiskeam and Béal Átha'n Ghaorthaidh stand a strong chance of having to fight relegation.
Kanturk already have a space reserved in the knockout stages. Who joins them will be decided at Rossmore, where last year’s beaten finalists, Dohenys, meet O’Donovan Rossa.
Dohenys’ score difference is significantly better, so they’d advance if stalemate prevailed.
Exact same as Group A. Knocknagree and Bishopstown, who are both two from two, are playing for a top two seeding and the fast-track lane to the last four. Clyda Rovers’ -21 score difference is the worst of the five teams currently pointless across the three groups, and so if they fall to fellow strugglers Newmarket, a relegation play-off beckons.
At Kilmurry, Iveleary and Aghabullogue - both already qualified - have a few minor details to sort out. Chief among them is who finishes top of the group and, consequently, enters the conversation for direct access to the semi-finals.
Ilen Rovers’ -28 score difference stands out for all the wrong reasons. If Aghada inflict on them a third consecutive group defeat, then last year’s Senior A relegated side will contest a relegation play off from Premier IFC.
For Nemo to go from third to second, and end Naomh Abán's championship involvement in the process, Nemo’s winning margin over pointless Bandon and Naomh Abán’s losing margin to already advanced Bantry needs to eradicate the 13-point score difference currently separating them.
Winner-takes-all status for the clash of Castletownbere and Rockchapel. The latter's healthier score difference would see them get the nod if the sides finish level.
Kilshanning’s +18 score difference places them second of the four teams on four points. Victory over pointless Macroom would likely shove them straight into the semis.
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