All set for league’s Super Sunday conclusion

The final round of the Allianz Football League divisional programme always provides thrilling action, which will again be the case next Sunday when most of the main decisions are reached in the various groups.

Fortunes change dramatically throughout the day before the final placings are decided. It promises to be quite an afternoon, full of drama and tension at the end of what has been an outstanding series of games.

Head-to-head results will decide placings where two teams finish level on points. Scoring difference will apply where three or more teams are on the same points total.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: FOUR CRUCIAL PLACES STILL TO BE DECIDED

Sunday (3.0): Mayo v Donegal, Elverys MacHale Park; Derry v Cork, Owenbeg; Monaghan v Dublin, Clones; Tyrone v Kerry, Omagh.

Cork qualified for the semi-finals; Derry doomed to relegation...those are the two definite decisions that the first six rounds have thrown up. It makes for a fascinating finale next Sunday as the three other semi-final slots, plus the second relegation place, are settled.

It’s top v bottom in Owenbeg where Derry, who have taken only one point from a possible twelve, host leaders, Cork (10 points). A Cork win or draw would ensure that Brian Cuthbert’s men top the table. Cork beat Derry by a point in last year’s Allianz Football League.

It’s second v third in Clones where Monaghan (8 points) take on Dublin (7 points). A draw would be enough for Monaghan to clinch a semi-final place, but they could also make it if they lose, depending on the result of the Mayo (6 points) v Donegal (6 points) game. Kerry are also on six points as they prepare for the trip to Omagh to take on Tyrone (4 points).

Tyrone must win if they are to have any chance of avoiding the drop while Kerry are in the unusual situation where they could be relegated or earn a place in the semi-finals, depending on other results.

Kerry beat Tyrone by 3-15 to 0-9 in last year’s Allianz Football League and by 1-16 to 2-12 in 2013. Monaghan, who were promoted from Division 2 last year, are a point away from guaranteeing themselves a Division 1 semi-final place when they take on Dublin, who beat them by 2-22 to 0-11 in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final.

Since Donegal were in Division 2 last year, this will be their first Allianz Football League clash with Mayo since 2013 when the Connacht men won by four points. Mayo beat Donegal by 4-17 to 1-10 in the All-Ireland quarter-final later in the season.

The semi-final pairings will be as follows: 1^st v 4^th ; 2^nd v 3^rd. (April 12).

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: ALL TO PLAY FOR AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM

Sunday (3.0): Westmeath v Roscommon, Cusack Park, Mullingar; Down v Laois, Pairc Esler, Newry; Galway v Kildare, Tuam Stadium; Meath v Cavan, Pairc Tailteann.

The two promotion and two relegation places are still up for decision, heading into the final round. Only four points separate top (Down on 8 points) from bottom (Kildare and Westmeath on four points each) so there are likely to be several twists in the course of Sunday afternoon’s games.

Leaders, Down host Laois (5 points) who are back in relegation danger after losing to Kildare last Saturday. Laois, who beat Down by 1-16 to 2-10 last year, are a point ahead of Kildare and Westmeath but if they lost and the bottom pair won, they would drop into the relegation zone.

The task facing Kildare and Westmeath is clear: they have to beat Galway and Roscommon respectively to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Even then, it could depend on scoring difference (which applies if three or more teams are on the same number of points).

Galway (6 points) are by no means safe. If they lose to Kildare and Laois beat Down, Kevin Walsh’s men would be in trouble. Basically, there are numerous permutations are both ends of the table.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: RELEGATION THE ONLY REMAINING ISSUE

Sunday (3.0): Sligo v Armagh, Markievicz Park; Louth v Limerick, Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda; Clare v Fermanagh, Cusack Park, Ennis; Tipperary v Wexford, Clonmel.

Fermanagh and Armagh (each has 11 points from a possible 12) have clinched promotion, leaving relegation as the only issue to be decided in this group. Wexford (2 points), Limerick, Louth, Clare and Sligo (4 points) are all in the drop zone.

Wexford have to beat Tipperary to have any chance of survival. Even then, they would need to get very lucky to avoid relegation. The winners of Louth v Limerick will avoid the drop. With teams so tightly grouped scoring average, could well be crucial.

Armagh and Fermanagh are already on their way to Division 2 and looking forward to a Division 3 final clash in Croke Park on April 25 after running excellent campaigns. Armagh, who were relegated last year, were always fancied for a quick return to Division 2 and have been matched all the way by Fermanagh, who finished third behind Cavan and Roscommon last year.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: ANTRIM OR OFFALY CHASING SECOND PROMOTION SPOT

Saturday (3.0): Leitrim v Waterford, Carrick-on-Shannon: Sunday (2.0): Offaly v Antrim, O’Connor Park, Tullamore; Wicklow v London, Aughrim; Carlow v Longford, Netwatch Cullen Park.

Longford are already guaranteed a quick return to Division 3 after dropping down last year and will be joined by Offaly (also relegated last year) or Antrim (relegated in 2013). Offaly and Antrim, who meet in Tullamore, are both on nine points, but Offaly have a superior scoring difference so a draw would be enough to them to be promoted. Longford, who are unbeaten, will be hoping to see the campaign out with another win when they visit Carlow, who dropped into fifth place when losing to Leitrim last Sunday.

2015 ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE: RESULTS AND FIXTURES

DIVISION 1

Round 1: Mayo 2-11 Kerry 0-10; Cork 1-15 Dublin 0-16; Monaghan 1-13 Tyrone 0-9; Donegal 1-15 Derry 0-12.

Round 2: Dublin 2-10 Donegal 0-11; Tyrone 1-11 Mayo 1-7; Kerry 1-17 Derry 0-13; Cork 2-14 Monaghan 1-16.

Round 3: Tyrone 0-11 Derry 1-8; Kerry 0-15 Dublin 1-10; Donegal 0-12 Cork 1-8; Mayo 3-15 Monaghan 0-11

Round 4: Dublin 1-9 Tyrone 0-12; Cork 3-17 Kerry 2-9; Mayo 2-12 Derry 1-13; Monaghan 0-9 Donegal 1-4

Round 5: Dublin 2-18 Mayo 0-10; Kerry 2-13 Donegal 2-11; Monaghan 0-15 Derry 0-10; Cork 0-17 Tyrone 2-10

Round 6: Dublin 0-8 Derry 0-4; Monaghan 1-11 Kerry 0-10; Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 0-6; Cork 2-7 Mayo 0-10.

Round 7: April 5: Tyrone v Kerry; Monaghan v Dublin; Derry v Cork; Mayo v Donegal.

Semi-finals: April 12

Final: April 26

DIVISION 2

Round 1: Galway 2-13 Meath 1-12; Down 3-13 Kildare 1-15; Westmeath 1-12 Laois 0-10; Roscommon 1-11 Cavan 0-14

Round 2: Meath 0-13 Kildare 0-11; Cavan 0-17 Laois 2-6; Roscommon 1-15 Down 1-11; Galway 2-13 Westmeath 2-12.

Round 3: Down 1-9 Cavan 0-8; Westmeath 0-15 Kildare 0-12; Roscommon 2-10 Meath 0-14; Laois 2-10 Galway 0-10.

Round 4: Meath 4-10 Westmeath 0-11; Kildare 2-13 Cavan 0-14; Laois 2-17 Roscommon 0-16; Down 1-17 Galway 1-16.

Round 5: Meath 0-13 Laois 0-13; Cavan 0-12 Galway 0-10; Down 2-17 Westmeath 0-10; Roscommon 0-24 Kildare 2-12.

Round 6: Meath 2-11 Down 0-10; Cavan 1-8 Westmeath 1-3; Kildare 1-12 Laois 1-9; Galway 1-14 Roscommon 1-10.

Round 7: April 5: Westmeath v Roscommon; Down v Laois; Galway v Kildare; Meath v Cavan.

Final: April 26

DIVISION 3

Round 1: Fermanagh 0-16 Louth 0-7; Clare 1-16 Wexford 0-5; Armagh 2-8 Tipperary 0-13; Limerick 0-14 Sligo 1-9

Round 2: Tipperary 1-14 Limerick 1-2; Armagh 2-13 Wexford 1-8;Fermanagh 0-14 Sligo 0-12; Louth 1-16 Clare 0-13.

Round 3: March 1: Armagh 2-16 Limerick 1-6; Louth 1-16 Wexford 1-10; Fermanagh 2-9 Tipperary 0-11; Clare 0-22 Sligo 1-13.

Round 4: Tipperary 2-11 Clare 1-8; Armagh 1-10 Fermanagh 1-10; Sligo 2-26 Louth 2-9; Wexford 1-16 Limerick 2-12.

Round 5: Tipperary 4-16 Louth 3-11; Fermanagh 2-19 Limerick 2-10; Armagh 3-11 Clare 1-11; Sligo 2-10 Wexford 1-8.

Round 6: Armagh 0-10 Louth 0-8; Fermanagh 1-12 Wexford 0-7; Limerick 2-10 Clare 1-5; Tipperary 0-15 Sligo 0-13.

Round 7: April 5: Sligo v Armagh; Louth v Limerick; Clare v Fermanagh; Tipperary v Wexford

Final: April 25

DIVISION 4

Round 1: Waterford 0-14 Wicklow 0-10; Offaly 0-9 London 1-2; Leitrim 0-15 Longford 1-12; Antrim 1-12 Carlow 0-15

Round 2: Carlow 2-9 London 0-13; Wicklow 0-11 Leitrim 0-10; Longford 0-14 Antrim 0-13; Offaly 0-13 Waterford 1-4

Round 3: Longford 1-18 London 0-6; Carlow 0-11 Waterford 0-9; Offaly 2-18 Wicklow 2-6; Antrim 1-18 Leitrim 1-13.

Round 4: March 8: Offaly 2-13 Leitrim 1-16; Antrim 1-12 London 1-8; Longford 1-12 Waterford 1-10; Carlow 0-9 Wicklow 0-9.

Round 5: Longford 1-16 Wicklow 1-10; Offaly 0-14 Carlow 1-10; Antrim 0-15 Waterford 0-13; Leitrim 1-18 London 0-9

Round 6: London 5-6 Waterford 2-15; Longford 0-13 Offaly 0-10; Leitrim 1-12 Carlow 0-6; Antrim 1-10 Wicklow 0-12.

Round 7: April 5: Wicklow v London; Leitrim v Waterford; Carlow v Longford; Offaly v Antrim.

Final: April 25