Senior hurlers face in-form Banner next

While postponements due to bad weather earlier in the month means that Group A of the Allianz Hurling League won’t be completed next weekend, the finishing sequence will be decided in Group B where all six counties have played four of five games.

The top-placed side will advance directly to the semi-finals while second and third placed will qualify for the quarter-finals.

ALLIANZ DIVISION 1 GROUP A: LIMERCK AND WATERFORD LOOK SET FOR KNOCK-OUT PLACES

Sunday (2.0): Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium; Limerick v Westmeath, LIT Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary v Waterford, Semple Stadium.

With both having won their first three games, Limerick and Waterford are well placed to take two of the three knock-out places. The top pair, plus Galway and Tipperary, have two games to play, whereas Cork and Westmeath have played four games.

Tipperary and Waterford last met in the Allianz League two years ago when the Premier crew won by 1-20 to 1-11. They beat Waterford by 2-30 to 0-18 in last year’s championship.

This will be the first Allianz League clash between Galway and Cork since 2016 when the Rebels won a 1A relegation play-off by 2-22 to 0-25.

Westmeath will face a relegation clash with Carlow, irrespective of how they fare against Limerick next Sunday.

DIVISION 1 GROUP B: CLARE BOOK KNOCK-OUT PLACE

Sunday (2.0): Clare v Dublin, Ennis; Laois v Kilkenny, MW Hire O’Moore Park; Wexford v Carlow, Chadwicks Wexford Park.

Clare are the first from the group to book a place in the knock-out stages. Whether it’s a quarter-final or semi-final slot will be decided next Sunday when they play Dublin in Cusack Park. A win would guarantee Brian Lohan’s men a place in the semi-final for the first time since 2016.

Dublin (4pts) need to win to give themselves any chance of reaching the knock-out stages. Clare and Dublin last met in the Allianz League in 2017 when the Banner men won a 1A relegation clash by 3-18 to 0-19.

Wexford (6pts) and Kilkenny (5pts) are well-placed to reach the knock-out stages. Wexford play Carlow, who have yet to take a point, while Kilkenny face Laois, who have two points. Carlow will be involved in a relegation play-off against Westmeath next month.

DIVISION 2A: KERRY, ANTRIM, OFFALY IN THREE-WAY BID FOR FINAL PLACES

Sunday (12.30): Meath v Mayo, Trim; Kerry v Antrim, Tralee; Offaly v Wicklow, Bord na Mona, O’Connor Park.

Kerry (8pts), Antrim (6pts), Offaly (4pts) are all in contention for a place in the final. Kerry have played four games while Antrim and Offaly have each played three games.

Kerry host Antrim on Sunday, knowing that a draw would be enough to book a place in the final. Kerry beat Antrim in last year’s Allianz League.

Having lost to Kerry, Offaly need to beat Wicklow to stay in the promotion hunt while Wicklow (2pts) are in a three-way relegation battle with Meath (2pts) and Mayo (0 pts). Mayo have lost their first four games by an average of 18 points.

DIVISION 2B: FOUR REMAIN IN PROMOTION PUSH

Sunday (2.0): Down v Kildare, Ballycran; Roscommon v Derry, Athleague; Warwickshire v London, Pairc na hEireann, Birmingham

Kildare, Down and Derry are all on six points, with Roscommon on four points. London and Warwickshire have both lost their first four games.

Kildare, who lead the table on scoring average from Down and Derry, beat Down in last year’s Allianz League.

DIVISION 3A: TWO POINTS SEPARATE THE TOP FOUR

Sunday (2.0): Longford v Donegal, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park; Monaghan v Louth, Inniskeen; Armagh v Tyrone, Athletic Grounds.

It’s very tight at the top as the group heads into the final round. Armagh (7pts), Donegal, Tyrone (6pts each), Longford (5pts) are all in contention for places in the final while Louth and Monaghan have both lost their first four games.

DIVISION 3B: TWO POINTS SEPARATE ALL FIVE COUNTIES

Sunday (12.30): Cavan v Sligo, Kingspan Breffni Park; Leitrim v Lancashire, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Sligo and Lancashire are on four points, with Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh on two points. Sligo have played two games while the other four have played three games each.

2020 ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE: RESULTS & FIXTURES

DIVISION 1
GROUP A
Round 1: Limerick 2-14 Tipperary 0-18; Galway 1-24 Westmeath 0-10; Waterford 1-24 Cork 3-17.
Round 2: Cork 2-24 Tipperary 1-25; Waterford 3-18 Westmeath 1-15; Limerick 1-19 Galway 0-14.
Round 3: Cork 3-12 Westmeath 1-14; Galway v Tipperary – postponed; Limerick v Waterford – postponed.
Round 4: Waterford 0-17 Galway 0-16; Limerick 0-29 Cork 2-21; Tipperary 3-27 Westmeath 0-16.
Round 5: Mar 1: Galway v Cork; Limerick v Westmeath; Tipperary v Waterford.

GROUP B
Round 1: Wexford 2-27 Laois 2-16; Kilkenny 3-21 Dublin 0-18; Clare 1-27 Carlow 0-14.

Round 2: Dublin 4-18 Laois 2-17; Kilkenny 3-21 Carlow 0-9; Clare 0-18 Wexford 0-15.
Round 3: Dublin 0-20 Carlow 0-9; Clare 0-17 Laois 0-9; Wexford 1-16 Kilkenny 1-14.
Round 4: Wexford 2-14 Dublin 0-18; Laois 0-15 Carlow 0-14; Kilkenny 1-19 Clare 3-13.
Round 5: Mar 1: Clare v Dublin, Ennis; Laois v Kilkenny, MW Hire O’Moore Park; Wexford v Carlow, Chadwicks Wexford Park.

QUARTER-FINALS: Mar 7 /8: 2nd Group A v 3rd Group B; 2nd Group A v 3rd Group B

SEMI-FINALS:Mar 14/15
FINAL: Mar 22

RELEGATION PLAY-OFF6th Group A v 6th Group B

DIVISION 2A
Round 1: Kerry 2-24 Mayo 0-13; Offaly 0-26 Meath 1-21; Antrim 0-20 Wicklow 0-11.
Round 2: Meath 2-24 Wicklow 3-18; Antrim 4-19 Mayo 0-7; Kerry 2-11 Offaly 0-14.
Round 3: Kerry 0-13 Meath 0-8; Wicklow 1-16 Mayo 1-13; Offaly v Antrim- postponed.
Round 4: Kerry 1-20 Wicklow 1-12; Antrim 5-27 Meath1-15; Offaly 5-29 Mayo 1-13.
Round 5: Mar 1: Meath v Mayo; Kerry v Antrim; Offaly v Wicklow
Final: Mar 7/8

DIVISION 2B

Round 1: Roscommon 2-19 Warwickshire 1-10; Derry 1-19 Down 0-19; Kildare 2-26 London 0-20.
Round 2: Kildare 5-19 Warwickshire 0-1; Down 3-23 Roscommon 0-11; Derry 4-15 London 2-18.
Round 3: Down 3-22 Warwickshire 2-8; Roscommon 0-13 London 0-10; Derry v Kildare - postponed
Round 4: Derry 4-22 Warwickshire 2-7; Kildare 5-21 Roscommon 2-12; Down 2-28 London 0-16.
Round 5: Mar 1: Down v Kildare; Roscommon v Derry; Warwickshire v London.
Final: Mar 7/8

DIVISION 3A

Round 1: Armagh 2-17 Donegal 0-15; Tyrone 1-21 Louth 1-16; Longford 2-16 Monaghan 0-18;.
Round 2: Longford 1-15 Louth 1-10; Armagh 3-25 Monaghan 1-10; Donegal 2-23 Tyrone 1-15.
Round 3: Longford 0-9 Armagh 0-9; Donegal 2-9 Louth 1-10; Tyrone 2-17 Monaghan 1-7
Round 4: Armagh 1-19 Louth 1-18; Donegal 1-15 Monaghan 1-5; Tyrone 0-23 Longford 1-15.
Round 5: Mar 1: Longford v Donegal; Monaghan v Louth; Armagh v Tyrone.
Final: Mar 7/8

DIVISION 3B
Round 1: Lancashire 0-15 Cavan 0-8; Fermanagh 2-12 Leitrim 1-13.
Round 2: Sligo 3-18 Lancashire 1-15; Cavan 0-17 Fermanagh 0-12.
Round 3: Feb 16: Fermanagh v Sligo – postponed; Leitrim 0-13 Cavan 0-5.
Round 4: Feb 22: Lancashire 1-12 Fermanagh 1-6; Sligo 2-17 Leitrim 1-15.
Round 5: Mar 1: Cavan v Sligo; Leitrim v Lancashire.
Final: Mar 7/8