Senior footballers face table-toppers Mayo

And then were five. Defeats for Galway and Roscommon in Division 2 last Sunday mean that Armagh, Fermanagh, Longford, Carlow and Offaly are the only unbeaten counties after Round 4 of the Allianz Football Leagues.

However, none of the latter five are on full points as they have each drawn one game. Derry (Division 1) and London (Division 4) are the only counties still seeking a win as the action moves on to Round 5 next weekend.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: DEFENDING CHAMPIONS IN RELEGATION TERRITORY

Saturday: Mayo v Dublin, Elverys McHale Park 7.0; Sunday: Kerry v Donegal, 2.0 Tralee; Tyrone v Cork, Omagh, 2.30; Monaghan v Derry, Clones, 2.30.

Dublin, the 2013 and 2014 Allianz Football League Division 1 champions, find themselves in the unusual position of being second last on the table after four rounds. Defeats by Cork and Kerry, a draw with Tyrone and a win over Donegal leaves them on three points, three adrift of joint leaders, Mayo and Cork. Jim Gavin takes his Dublin squad west to Castlebar on Saturday evening for a crucial game in what has become one of the great modern-day rivalries.

Next Saturday’s clash will be the 9^th between the counties over the last five years, with Dublin winning five to Mayo’s two, while there was one draw. It came in last year’s Allianz League when Dublin hauled back a six-point lead in the final ten minutes to snatch a draw.

A repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final will be the big attraction in Austin Stack Park, Tralee on Sunday when Kerry host Donegal. Both are on four points. Kerry beat Donegal by three points (2-9 to 0-12) in last year’s All-Ireland final. The counties did not meet in last year’s Allianz League as Donegal were in Division 2.

Tyrone (4pts) and Cork (6pts), who meet in Omagh, drew last year’s Allianz League clash. Monaghan (4pts) and Derry (1 point) didn’t meet last year as the former were in Division 2. Derry are looking for their first Allianz League win since beating Mayo in last year’s semi-final. Since then they have lost to Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Mayo and drawn with Tyrone.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: DOWN MOVE TO THE TOP OF THE TABLE

Saturday: Meath v Laois, Pairc Tailteann, 7.0; Sunday: Galway v Cavan, Pearse Stadium, 12.45; Kildare v Roscommon, Newbridge, 2.0; Westmeath v Down, Mullingar, 2.30

With Kildare and Laois recording their first wins and Galway and Roscommon experiencing their first defeats last weekend, the table has tightened up considerably, with only four points separating the eight teams. Meath, Roscommon, Laois and Galway have played a game less than the other four.

Down lead the way on six points as they prepare for the trip to Westmeath, who have won two of four. Meath hit Westmeath for 4-10 last weekend while Laois put 2-17 on Roscommon which suggests that the clash between Mick O’Dowd’s and Tomas O Flaharta’s forces could be a high-scoring affair in Navan on Saturday night. Meath beat Laois by two points in last year’s Allianz League (0-15 to 1-10).

Galway v Cavan is an unusual Allianz League fixture as they have been operating in different divisions for many years. Galway (two wins from three outings) will have home advantage on Sunday against a Cavan team that has taken three from a possible eight points so far. Kildare finally got off the mark last Saturday, beating Cavan by five points in Kingspan Breffni Park and will be hoping that home advantage helps them to earn a win over Roscommon, which would see them leapfrog over John Evans’ men.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: ULSTER PAIR PULL CLEAR

Sunday (2.0 unless stated): Louth v Tipperary, Drogheda; Fermanagh v Limerick, Brewster Park; Clare v Armagh, Ennis; Sligo v Wexford, Markievicz Park, 2.30

Armagh and Fermanagh (each with even of a possible eight points) have created some daylight between them and their promotion pursuers. They lead Tipperary, Clare and Louth by three points after drawing their top of the table clash last Sunday. Fermanagh will be at home to Limerick, who are in the relegation zone after losing three of four games. Fermanagh beat Limerick by nine points in the corresponding fixture last year.

Armagh will be away to Clare in what is a vital game for the Bannermen as defeat would all but end their promotion ambitions. Louth and Tipperary are both on four points, making their clash in Drogheda very important in terms of staying in the promotion hunt. Sligo host Wexford after both won for the first time this season last Sunday.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: THREE LEINSTER COUNITES LEAD THE WAY

Sunday (2.0 unless stated):Wicklow v Longford, Aughrim; Offaly v Carlow, Tullamore; Waterford v Antrim, Walsh Park, 2.30

Only four points separate the top four, with Offaly and Longford (each on seven points), Carlow (6), Antrim (5) and Wicklow (3) leading the way. Offaly will have home advantage against Carlow while Longford must travel to Aughrim to take on Wicklow. Antrim are back in the promotion hunt as they prepare to take on Waterford, who have lost three of four games, the latter two by two points each.

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: March 14: Mayo v Dublin; March 15: Kerry v Donegal; Monaghan v Derry; Tyrone v Cork.

Round 6: March 28: Dublin v Derry; Kerry v Monaghan; Donegal v Tyrone; Cork v Mayo.

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; March 22: Roscommon v Meath; Galway v Laois.

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: March 14: Meath v Laois; March 15: Galway v Cavan; Westmeath v Down; Kildare v Roscommon.

Round 6: March 28: Down v Meath; Cavan v Westmeath; Laois v Kildare; March 29: Roscommon v Galway.

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: March 15: Louth v Tipperary; Fermanagh v Limerick; Clare v Armagh; Sligo v Wexford.

Round 6: March 28: Armagh v Louth; March 29: Wexford v Fermanagh; Limerick v Clare; Tipperary v Sligo.

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: March 15: Wicklow v Longford; Offaly v Carlow; Waterford v Antrim; March 22: Leitrim v London.

Round 6: March 29: London v Waterford; Longford v Offaly; Carlow v Leitrim; Antrim v Wicklow.

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

Final: April 25