Senior footballers travel to Clones with it all to play for

It’s time for showdown Sunday! The last series of games in the Allianz Football League have provided afternoons of high drama over many years and the same will apply next Sunday across all four Allianz Football League Divisions.

Kildare (Football League Division 2), Louth (Allianz Football League Division 3), Wexford and Westmeath (Allianz Football League Division 4) have all secured promotion ahead of the final round while Roscommon will be relegated from Allianz Football League Division 1. The other big issues will be decided next Sunday, clearing the way for the finals on the weekend after next.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: DUBLIN LEAD THE WAY IN RACE FOR FINAL PLACES

Sunday (2.0): Monaghan v Dublin, Clones; Mayo v Donegal, Elverys MacHale Park; Kerry v Tyrone, Killarney; Roscommon v Cavan, Dr. Hyde Park.

WHAT’S DECIDED: Roscommon will be relegated after two seasons in Allianz Football League Division 1.

WHO’S IN LINE FOR A PLACE IN THE ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINAL?

Dublin (9pts), Monaghan (8pts), Donegal (8), Tyrone (7pts), Mayo (6pts) and Kerry (6pts) are all challenging for a place in the decider on Sunday week.

WHO CAN JOIN ROSCOMMON IN THE RELEGATION BOAT?

Cavan (4pts) are most vulnerable, especially as they have a scoring difference of -20 points. Mayo and Kerry (both on six points) are also at risk.

THE GAMES: A draw would be enough to guarantee Dublin a place in the Allianz Football League Final for a fifth successive year. They have beaten Monaghan in three Allianz Football League games over the last two years, winning by 1-22 to 1-11 (group game) and by 0-17 to 0-16 (semi-final) in 2015 and by 1-14 to 0-16 (group game) last year. Mayo lost to Donegal last year while the sides drew in 2015.

This will be the first Allianz Football League clash between Tyrone and Kerry since 2015 when it ended level. Kerry beat Tyrone by four points in the 2015 All-Ireland semi-final.

Roscommon and Cavan last met in the Allianz Football League in 2015 when the sides finished level in Allianz Football League Division 3.

 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: KILDARE UP: WILL GALWAY OR MEATH JOIN THEM?

Sunday (2.0): Galway v Kildare, Pearse Stadium; Cork v Down, Pairc Ui Rinn; Clare v Meath, Ennis; Fermanagh v Derry, Enniskillen.

WHAT’S DECIDED? Kildare will return to Allianz Football League Division 1 next season. They dropped from Divisions 1 to 3 in successive seasons but have now completed successive promotions.

WHO ELSE WILL BE PROMOTED? It’s between Galway (9pts) and Meath (7pts). A draw against Kildare would be enough for Galway but if they lose and Meath beat Clare, the Royals will be promoted under the head-to-head rule as they beat Galway.

WHO WILL BE RELEGATED? Derry (3pts), Down (4pts), Fermanagh (4pts) and Clare (5pts) are in the mix.

THE GAMES: Galway and Kildare meet for the first time in two years. The Tribesmen won by 3-12 to 1-12 in the final round of Allianz Football League Division 2 games in 2015. Down are in real danger of dropping from Divisions 1 to 3 in successive seasons as they prepare for the long journey south to take on Cork who beat them by 0-12 to 0-7 in Allianz Football League Division 1 last year.

The Fermanagh v Derry clash is also crucial in the relegation battle, with Derry needing to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. They beat Fermanagh by 3-12 to 1-9 in last year’s Allianz Football League. Meath’s form has improved in recent weeks, winning two and drawing one of the last three games while Clare have lost their last two games.

 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: TIPPERARY AND ARMAGH IN PROMOTION SHOOT-OUT

Sunday (2.0): Antrim v Longford, Corrigan Park, Belfast; Louth v Sligo, Drogheda; Armagh v Tipperary, Athletic Grounds; Offaly v Laois, Tullamore.

WHAT’S DECIDED? Louth (10pts) will be promoted for a second successive season, having come up from Allianz Football League Division 4 this year.

WHO WILL JOIN LOUTH? It’s between Armagh (9pts) and Tipperary (8pts). A draw would be enough for Armagh to make a quick return to Allianz Football League Division 2 after dropping down last year.

WHO’S IN THE RELEGATION MIX?

Offaly, Antrim, Longford and Laois are all on four points and, as the luck of the draw would have it, they meet each other (Antrim v Longford; Offaly v Laois).

THE GAMES: Armagh and Tipperary last met in the Allianz Football League in 2013 (Division 3) with the Ulstermen winning by 2-8 to 0-13. Louth are in the comfortable positon of knowing that even if they lose to Sligo in Drogheda, they will still be promoted. Sligo beat Louth by 2-26 to 2-9 last year.

Longford and Antrim last met in the Allianz Football League in 2015 (Division 4), with the Leinster men winning by a point.

It’s a long time since Laois and Offaly met in the Allianz Football League as Laois have been operating at a higher level than their neighbours. However, if Laois lose on Sunday, they will drop into Allianz Football League Division 4, having been in Allianz Football League Division 1 as recently as 2012.

 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: WEXFORD AND WESTMEATH PROMOTED

Saturday (4.30): Leitrim v Waterford, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Sunday (1.0): Westmeath v London, TEG Cusack Park; Carlow v Wexford, Netwatch Cullen Park; Limerick v Wicklow, Newcastlewest.

Wexford and Westmeath are guaranteed promotion ahead of the final round. The battle for third place is between Carlow (7pts), Leitrim and Limerick (6pts each)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2017: RESULTS & FIXTURES

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUEDIVISION 1
Round 1: Dublin 0-18 Cavan 0-11; Kerry 2-17 Donegal 1-17; Tyrone 0-18 Roscommon 1-9; Monaghan 1-11 Mayo 0-12.
Round 2: Mayo 0-15 Kerry 1-10; Dublin 0-10 Tyrone 1-7; Donegal 0-16 Roscommon 2-9; Monaghan 0-7 Cavan 0-7.
Round 3: Mayo 1-19 Roscommon 0-14; Donegal 2-5 Dublin 1-8; Monaghan 2-8 Kerry 1-10; Tyrone 0-19 Cavan 1-9.
Round 4: Dublin 1-16 Mayo 0-7; Donegal 1-16 Cavan 0-11; Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 0-10; Kerry 1-19 Roscommon 1-13.
Round 5: Donegal 0-12 Tyrone 0-6; Kerry 0-13 Dublin 0-13; Cavan 1-14 Mayo 0-15; Monaghan 2-17 Roscommon 1-13.
Round 6: Dublin 2-29 Roscommon 0-14 Cavan 1-10 Kerry 0-13; Mayo 1-10 Tyrone 0-12; Donegal 1-11 Monaghan 1-11.
Round 7: Apr 2: Monaghan v Dublin; Mayo v Donegal; Kerry v Tyrone; Roscommon v Cavan.
Final: Apr 9: 1 v 2

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Round 1: Derry 0-11 Clare 1-8; Galway 0-14 Cork 1-11; Kildare 3-17 Meath 0-16; Fermanagh 1-16 Down 0-10.
Round 2: Clare 2-11 Down 0-11; Kildare 1-14 Cork 1-8; Galway 1-13 Fermanagh 0-10; Meath 3-15 Derry 0-9.
Round 3: Down 1-13 Meath 0-14; Cork 1-14 Fermanagh 0-9; Derry 1-18 Kildare 1-17; Galway 3-13 Clare 1-11.
Round 4: Mar 5: Kildare 4-14 Fermanagh 0-14; Meath 1-13 Galway 0-15; Clare 2-11 Cork 0-9; Down 1-15 Derry 1-7.
Round 5: Kildare 2-9 Down 0-10; Fermanagh 0-18 Clare 1-10; Cork 0-18 Meath 1-15; Galway 5-15 Derry 2-15.
Round 6: Cork 0-20 Derry 2-10; Meath 3-15 Fermanagh 0-6; Galway 3-15 Down 1-13; Kildare 0-18 Clare 1-14.
Round 7: Apr 2: Galway v Kildare; Cork v Down; Clare v Meath; Fermanagh v Derry.
Final: Apr 9: 1 v 2

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Round 1: Longford 1-12 Offaly 0-10; Sligo 1-14 Armagh 2-11; Tipperary 2-12 Antrim 0-13; Louth 2-16 Laois 0-10
Round 2: Sligo 2-14 Tipperary 1-16; Louth 0-11 Longford 0-10; Offaly 0-23 Antrim 1-7; Laois 2-11 Armagh 0-16.
Round 3: Tipperary 1-16 Laois 1-10; Louth 2-13 Offaly 0-14; Armagh 3-11 Longford 3-9; Antrim 0-11 Sligo 1-7.
Round 4: Tipperary 3-17 Longford 0-18; Louth 2-10 Antrim 1-11; Armagh 6-22 Offaly 0-10; Sligo 0-18 Laois 2-10.
Round 5: Antrim 1-10 Laois 0-11; Armagh 3-15 Louth 0-10; Longford 0-16 Sligo 2-7; Tipperary 2-15 Offaly 2-11.
Round 6: Armagh 1-12 Antrim 0-13; Laois 1-13 Longford 0-13; Offaly 2-14 Sligo 2-10; Louth 0-16 Tipperary 0-12.
Round 7: Apr 2: Antrim v Longford; Louth v Sligo; Armagh v Tipperary; Offaly v Laois.
Final: Apr 8: Final: 1 v 2

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Round 1: Waterford 2-16 London 1-8; Carlow 2-10 Westmeath 2-10; Leitrim 1-17 Wicklow 0-10; Wexford 0-14 Limerick 1-8.
Round 2: Waterford 1-17 Wicklow 1-9; London 2-15 Carlow 0-16; Westmeath 1-18 Limerick 0-12; Wexford 0-16 Leitrim 0-14.
Round 3: Carlow 1-10 Limerick 0-10; Wicklow 0-17 London 2-4; Westmeath 2-18 Leitrim1-9; Wexford 1-9 Waterford 0-10.
Round 4: Limerick 1-13 London 0-12; Leitrim 2-14 Carlow 2-12; Westmeath 3-13 Waterford 2-11; Wexford 1-13 Wicklow 0-13.
Round 5: Carlow 2-10 Waterford 0-7; Wexford 0-15 London 0-9; Limerick 2-11 Leitrim 0-15; Westmeath 0-19 Wicklow 0-14.
Round 6: Limerick 0-14 Waterford 0-8; Leitrim 2-16 London 0-15; Westmeath 3-24 Wexford 0-9; Carlow 1-18 Wicklow 0-11.
Round 7: Apr 1: Leitrim v Waterford; Apr 2: Westmeath v London; Carlow v Wexford; Limerick v Wicklow.
Final: Apr 9: Final 1 v 2