What's at stake on the final night of the League of Ireland First Division's regular season? 

Cork City are already champions but there's plenty at stage on Friday.

LOOKING UP? Kerry manager Colin Healy.     Picture: Eddie O'Hare

While the Premier Division title race is still open, playoff spots are the prizes at stake on the final night of the regular First Division campaign.

Cork City long ago justified their favourites tag by wrapping up the sole automatic promotion slot but four slots behind for the playoffs means six of the other nine are officially in the mix to join them in next year’s top-flight.

Bray Wanderers and UCD have already sealed their spots in the playoff zone. Friday’s series of results will determine their final positions but the grip that Kerry and Longford Town have on the last two berths is under threat from Athlone Town and Cobh Ramblers.

By 10pm on Friday, the pairings will be known. Second will face fifth and third is to take on fourth.

Those two-leg semi-finals will produce a one-off final, from which the victor will square off against the ninth-placed in the Premier for a spot in the 2027 top-flight.

Not since Waterford came from behind to beat Cork City in 2023 as the First Division team emerged through this convoluted system to promotion.

Bray have navigated the First Division forest to reach the final in each of the last two years, only to be beaten by Drogheda United and Waterford respectively.

They know that victory at basement side Finn Harps will cement the runners-up spot. It will still be theirs with the draw unless UCD beat Wexford to see them leapfrog into second.

The Students would need to lose and Kerry beat Cork City for their places to be swapped.

Colin Healy’s Kingdom class, two points ahead of both Longford Town and Athlone, will take confidence from beating the champions on the May weekend and the fact City have nothing but a points tally to play for.

There technically exists the nightmare scenario of losing and slipping out of the top five but that would only arise if Cobh Ramblers overturn an 11-goal difference deficit.

Longford have destiny within their grasp in the knowledge that three points in the Midlands derby against Longford secures a playoff route.

For Cobh, only three points at Treaty United will keep them in the equation. Even that mightn’t do as they will be hoping for their Leeside rivals to conquer Kerry or a draw taking place between Longford and Athlone.

Athlone’s fate also depends on snookers. At a minimum, Sean O’Connor’s side must win the derby but also pray for Cobh failing to beat Treaty or Kerry losing heavily to scratch a difference of five goals in the difference column.

Friday’s final First Division fixtures (all 7.45pm): Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers, Carlisle Grounds; Kerry v Cork City, Mounthawk Park; Longford Town v Athlone Town, Bishopsgate; Treaty United v Cobh Ramblers; Wexford v UCD, Ferrycarrig Park.