Senior footballers face Down with semi-final berth in touching distance

Dublin (Division 1), Tyrone (Division 2), Kildare (Division 3) and Antrim (Division 4) are the only counties with 100 per cent records in the 2016  Football League and, unsurprisingly, top the four Allianz Football League Divisions after Round 4.

Tipperary are also unbeaten but dropped two points in draws with Limerick and Westmeath.

Down and London are the only teams to have lost all four games, while Westmeath and Limerick are also waiting their first win. However, each has drawn once.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: DUBLIN IN THE VERGE OF SEMI-FINAL PLACE

Saturday (7pm)

Down v Dublin, Newry

Sunday (2pm)

Cork v Monaghan, Pairc Ui Rinn

Sunday (2.30pm)

Mayo v Kerry, Elverys MacHale Park

Sunday (3pm)

Donegal v Roscommon, Letterkenny

Eight points is usually enough to earn a semi-final place so if Dublin maintain their 100 per cent record and beat Down on Saturday, Jim Gavin’s men should guarantee a berth in the last four a fourth successive year.

Down are trapped at the bottom of the table having lost all four games so far, leaving them at serious risk of returning to the Allianz Football League Division 2 after just one season in the top flight. Dublin (home), Cork (away) and Mayo (away) are their remaining fixtures.

Roscommon, who were promoted with Down this year, have done much better, beating Cork, Kerry and Down and losing narrowly to Monaghan. They are on six points alongside Donegal, whom they meet in Letterkenny on Sunday. The sides have an identical scoring difference, +24 points, which is the best in the Allianz Football League Division 1.

Mayo won for the first time in this year’s Allianz Football League, beating Monaghan on Sunday, setting up a very interesting clash with Kerry in Castlebar next Sunday. Mayo have beaten Kerry in their last four Allianz Football League clashes.

Cork made a good start to the Allianz Football League, beating Mayo in the first round but have since lost to Donegal, Roscommon and Dublin, leaving them in second last position as they prepare to host Monaghan, who are in fifth place. Cork beat Monaghan by a point in last year’s Allianz Football League.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: TYRONE WELL ON TRACK FOR PROMOTION

Saturday (7pm)

Fermanagh v Cavan, Brewster Park

Sunday (2pm)

Meath v Tyrone, Pairc Tailteann

Laois v Derry, O’Moore Park

Sunday (2.30pm)

Armagh v Galway, Athletic Grounds

Having won all four games so far (Cavan, Galway, Laois, Derry), Tyrone are well on their way to returning to Allianz Football League Division 1 at the first attempt, having already opened up a three-point lead on second-laced Galway.

Tyrone head for Navan on Sunday for what will be their first Allianz Football League clash with Meath since 2012 when they won by 1-12 to 0-5 (Allianz Football League Division 2). Meath rallied to take a point off Galway last Sunday but are still third from bottom on three points.

Galway head for Armagh, whom they beat in last year’s All-Ireland qualifiers (1-12 to 0-12) and in the 2014 Allianz Football League Division 2 clash (2-14 to 1-13). Armagh are bottom on the table after three defeats and have the second worst defensive record in the group behind Laois.

The Midlanders, who have also lost three of four games, host Derry who have lost their last two. The sides last met in the Allianz Football League in 2013 when Derry won by 1-17 to 2-11.

Fermanagh are doing well after being promoted from Allianz Football League Division 3, having won two and lost two of four games. They host Cavan, who are also on four points. Terry Hyland’s men were outstanding against Armagh last weekend, running in 3-18 in a 17-point win.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: KILDARE AND WESTMEATH HAVE CONTRASTING FORTUNES

Saturday (7pm)

Limerick v Westmeath, Gaelic Grounds

Sunday (2pm)

Longford v Tipperary, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park; Kildare v Sligo, Newbridge; Offaly v Clare, Tullamore.

The contrast between Kildare and Westmeath, the two teams that were relegated at the end of last season, could scarcely be greater. Kildare are on full points after four games while Westmeath have yet to win a game, with their only point coming against Tipperary.

Kildare will have hope advantage against Sligo, who have won one of four, while Westmeath will be away to Limerick, who are also on one point. Munster pair, Clare and Tipperary are in hot pursuit of Kildare near the top of the table as they look forward to playing Offaly and Longford respectively.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION DIVISION 4

Sunday (1pm)

Carlow v Louth, Netwatch Cullen Park

Sunday (2pm)

Antrim v Waterford, Corrigan Park,

London v Leitrim, Irish TV Grounds, Ruislip

Sunday (2.45pm)

Wexford v Wicklow, Innovate Wexford Park

Antrim are the only team in the group with full points as they prepare to host Waterford, who have lost three of four.

Antrim beat Waterford by two points (0-15 to 0-13) last year. Wexford and Louth are in joint second place on six points, with the Slaney men having a slightly better scoring difference.

Wexford host Wicklow, who have won two of four so far, while Louth will be away to Carlow, who beat Wicklow last Sunday. It’s a bottom-of-the-table clash in Ruislip where London, who together with Down are the only team in any Allianz Football League division still awaiting their first point, take on Leitrim, who have one win from three games. Leitrim beat London by 1-18 to 0-9 in last year’s Allianz Football League.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2016: RESULTS & FIXTURESALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Round 1: Dublin 2-14 Kerry 0-14: Donegal 3-15 Down 0-7; Cork 1-18 Mayo 0-12; Monaghan 2-10 Roscommon 1-9.
Round 2: Dublin 0-9 Mayo 0-7; Roscommon 0-14 Kerry 1-10; Donegal 2-14 Cork 1-7; Monaghan 0-13 Down 0-11.

Round 3: Dublin 1-14 Monaghan 0-16; Roscommon 4-25 Cork 3-10; Donegal 1-14 Mayo 1-12; Kerry 0-22 Down 0-6.
Round 4: Dublin 2-14 Cork 2-10; Roscommon 1-12 Down 0-6; Kerry 1-13 Donegal 1-8; Mayo 2-11 Monaghan 1-12.

Round 5: Mar 12: Down v Dublin; Mar 13: Cork v Monaghan; Mayo v Kerry; Donegal v Roscommon.
Round 6: Mar 26: Dublin v Donegal; Mar 27: Cork v Down; Monaghan v Kerry; Roscommon v Mayo.
Round 7: Apr 3: Kerry v Cork; Mayo v Down; Monaghan v Donegal; Roscommon v Dublin.
Semi-finals: Apr 10: 1 v 4; 2 v 3.
Final: Apr 24 ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Round 1: Meath 1-10 Armagh 0-8; Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 0-8; Galway 3-12 Laois 1-10; Derry 3-13 Fermanagh 1-9.
Round 2: Laois 1-13 Armagh 0-15; Derry 1-12 Cavan 1-11; Tyrone 1-11 Galway 1-9; Fermanagh 0-10 Meath 0-6.

Round 3: Armagh 1-10 Fermanagh 0-12; Galway 1-18 Derry 2-12; Cavan 1-20 Meath 1-13; Tyrone1-14 Laois 0-14.
Round 4: Cavan 3-18 Armagh 0-10; Tyrone 2-15 Derry 0-12; Galway 0-15 Meath 1-12; Fermanagh 1-17 Laois 0-10.
Round 5: Mar 12: Fermanagh v Cavan; Mar 13: Laois v Derry; Armagh v Galway; Meath v Tyrone.
Round 6: Mar 26: Tyrone v Armagh; Mar 27: Cavan v Laois; Galway v Fermanagh; Derry v Meath.
Apr 3: Armagh v Derry; Cavan v Galway; Fermanagh v Tyrone; Laois v Meath.
Final: Apr 24: 1 v 2ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Round 1: Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-7; Limerick 1-12 Tipperary 2-9; Offaly 0-12 Longford 0-10; Kildare 2-9 Westmeath 0-11.
Round 2: Kildare 1-12 Offaly 1-8; Longford 0-13 Limerick 1-8; Sligo 1-11 Westmeath 1-10; Tipperary 2-7 Clare 1-7.
Round 3: Kildare 2-11 Longford 0-10; Offaly 1-13 Sligo 0-14; Westmeath 0-11 Tipperary 1-8; Clare 1-14 Limerick 0-11.
Round 4: Tipperary 2-11 Offaly 0-12; Clare 1-18 Westmeath 0-10; Kildare 1-11 Limerick 1-10; Longford 1-17 Sligo 2-9.
Round 5: Mar 12: Limerick v Westmeath; Mar 13: Kildare v Sligo; Longford v Tipperary; Offaly v Clare.
Round 6: Mar 27: Clare v Longford; Sligo v Limerick; Westmeath v Offaly; Tipperary v Kildare.
Round 7: Apr 3: Kildare v Clare; Limerick v Offaly; Longford v Westmeath; Sligo v Tipperary.ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Round 1: Louth 2-9 London 0-9; Antrim 1-12 Carlow 0-10; Wexford 0-14 Leitrim 1-10; Wicklow 0-13 Waterford 1-8.
Round 2: Carlow 4-4 London 1-11; Antrim 1-8 Wexford 0-7; Louth 1-10 Waterford 1-9; Wicklow 0-10 Leitrim 1-6

Round 3: Wexford 4-20 London 1-6; Antrim 2-14 Leitrim 0-10; Waterford 3-15 Carlow 0-15; Louth 0-15 Wicklow 1-2.
Round 4: Wexford 0-12 Waterford 0-11; Leitrim 0-16 Louth 2-9; Antrim 1-11 London 0-11; Carlow 0-17 Wicklow 0-14.
Round 5: Mar 13: London v Leitrim; Antrim v Waterford; Carlow v Louth; Wexford v Wicklow.
Round 6: Mar 27: Waterford v London; Leitrim v Carlow; Louth v Wexford; Wicklow v Antrim.
Round 7: Apr 3: Antrim v Louth; London v Wicklow; Waterford v Leitrim; Wexford v Carlow.