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Gameweek 7
Division 1: Mayo have booked their spot in the final with Galway/Kerry looking to join. Donegal have been relegated with Monaghan looking likely to join them.
The live game on TG4 on Sunday will be the clash between Galway and Kerry. Galway are favorites to reach the final with Mayo, but Kerry are slight favorites to win this encounter. It’s not so straightforward, as Kerry need to win by a heavy margin or win and hope other results go their way. On the other hand, Galway just need to avoid defeat in Salthill. Galway are still down a few key bodies such as Damien Comer and Liam Silke, however, Shane Walsh is returning to full flight. Considering the absence of key players, Galway will be happy with the way the league has panned out, but a final against rivals Mayo could just be the start of their season with further ambitions being later on in the championship. Kerry have had a poor enough league campaign but Jack O`Connor won’t be panicking just yet. Salthill is always a tough venue to play at and Kerry will be hoping for a massive performance to get them into the league final the following weekend. Verdict: Kerry to win but the question will be, by how much or will other results help them out this time? It will be interesting how this game goes and how it will determine the division final.
Top of the table Mayo welcome relegation troubled Monaghan to Castlebar this Sunday. Monaghan need to win and hope other results swing their way. It’ll be a big ask to beat Mayo but, with Mayo already confirming their place in the league final, it is presumed a number of players will be rested and a chance will arise for some of the squad players who have yet to get many minutes including Rob Hennelly, Michael Plunkett, Aidan Orme, and Paul Towey. it seems to be that Mayo have developed a nice blend to their squad this season as the group looks strong in every line of play. It will be somewhat of a surprise if Monaghan win this but with the Farney men fighting for survival, a big performance is surely on the cards. Verdict: Mayo to win but expect Monaghan to put it up to them.
Dr. Hyde Park will welcome division two bound Donegal. There is a slim chance of Roscommon reaching the final as other results need to go their way. It’s been a positive league campaign for the Rossies as many fancied them to be relegated. Davy Burke will be priming his side for the massive clash against high-flying Mayo in Castlebar in two weeks time. The last few weeks involving Donegal have been nothing short of a circus. The county board’s decision not to back academy coach Karl Lacey resulting in the Donegal legend quitting his role. As a result, the county under 14, 15, and 16 teams have been the ones that will be affected unless something changes. Paddy Carr resigned from his role of Manager in the past week with his selectors, Paddy Bradley, and Aidan O`Rourke staying put as they will lead them out this weekend and potentially in the summer for the championship. The fact the manager has left after five months with only six competitive games been played is baffling. The players played a big role in this chaos as it was made clear that Paddy Carr had lost the dressing room. One would suggest there will be a kick in this Donegal team but the last few weeks would suggest otherwise. Verdict: Roscommon to win by a few points.
The final game in Division one sees Tyrone host bitter rivals Armagh to Omagh. Both counties would be slightly disappointed with their league campaigns but with relegation looking to be avoided, it’ll be a huge relief. News has emerged that Rian O`Neill has torn his quad and will be out for 6-8 weeks is devastating news for Geezer and his Armagh team. He will be a massive loss to his team in the Ulster Championship. Armagh could potentially be relegated to division two while Tyrone could make the division one final although both are extremely unlikely to occur. The battle of these rivals is still big as there is no love lost between each other. Verdict: Tyrone to win by a slender margin with home advantage helping.
Division 2: With relegation confirmed for both Clare and Limerick, the final will consist of Derry and either Dublin or Louth who face this weekend in a winner takes all clash.
Cork welcome top of table Derry to Leeside this weekend with Cork having a decent campaign, they will still be disappointed that they missed out on promotion. Derry are looking solid but their squad is quite limited. Verdict: Derry to sneak a win a close game. Dublin and Louth will face off in Croke Park with the winner advancing to the final. Mickey Harte has done an unbelievable job with Louth but Dublin look to be a bit Clare of them. Verdict: Dublin to win in comfortable fashion. An underperforming Kildare side host Meath this weekend in an all-Leinster clash. Verdict: Meath to win. The relegation duo of Clare and Limerick go head to head in Ennis. Verdict: A Clare win.
Division 3: Cavan have their spot booked in the final next weekend with either Fermanagh or Offaly looking to join them. Longford and Tipperary have been relegated.
Offaly host Down this weekend with victory needed and they will also need Cavan to hold off the charge from Fermanagh. It’s been a tough few weeks for Offaly with the passing of their manager, Liam Kearns. Martin Murphy will have this side primed for battle and they can get the better of a tough Down side. Verdict: Offaly to win. Relegated Longford welcome Antrim to Pearse Park on Sunday. Verdict: Antrim to win by a couple of points. Westmeath welcome a struggling Tipperary side to Mullingar. Verdict: An easy Westmeath win. Finally, top of the table Cavan host a Fermanagh side gunning for promotion. Fermanagh need to win and hop Offaly don’t win in order to reach the final. Verdict: Cavan to win in a tight game.
Division 4: This is fascinating as Sligo, Leitrim, Laois, and Wicklow can all reach the division four final next weekend.
Wexford host Carlow in a game in which there’s nothing really to play for. Verdict: A Wexford win. A clash of Connacht teams sees Leitrim host Sligo. If Leitrim win and Laois beat London, Andy Moran’s side will each Croke Park in what will be a huge day for the county. If Sligo avoid defeat, they will be in the final. Verdict: A Leitrim win with home advantage coming into play. Oisin Mc Convilles Wiclow travel to Waterford with a big win on the cards. Verdict: An easy Wiclow win. The final game sees London welcome Laois across the pond. Verdict: A comfortable Laois win.