Allianz NFL: Could two provincial champions, including Tipp, be relegated?

The shortened Allianz Football League Divisional series is over and now it’s on to the semi-finals and relegation play-offs, all of which will be played on the weekend after next.

And, two senior provincial champions, Tipperary and Cavan, could end up in the bottom tier division 4 if clashes against Longford and Wicklow go against them. Tipperary Boss David Power has likened the clash with Longford as being as All-Ireland final in terms of importance to the Munster championship holders.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: FOUR PRE-SEASON FAVOURITES REACH SEMI-FINALS

It’s Kerry v Tyrone and Dublin v Donegal in the semi-finals while the relegation play-offs feature Galway v Monaghan and Roscommon v Armagh. Kerry topped the southern group on scoring difference ahead of Dublin after both finished on five points while Donegal headed the northern section with a win and two draws, leaving them a point ahead of Tyrone and Armagh. Tyrone earned the semi-final slot, thanks to their win over Armagh in the head-to-head contest.

Roscommon and Armagh were promoted from Division 2 at the end of last seasons but one of them will drop back down after their relegation clash. Galway were last in Division 2 in 2017 while Monaghan haven’t been out of Division 1 since 2014.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: MEATH AND MAYO TARGET QUICK RETURN TO DIVISION 1

The semi-finals will feature Mayo v Clare and Kildare v Meath, with the winners being promoted to Division 1. Mayo and Meath, both of whom were relegated last year, are bidding for a quick return to Division 1; Kildare were last in the topflight in 2018; Clare haven’t been there since the League was re-formatted in 2008.

The relegation pairings are as follows: Cork v Westmeath; Down v Laois. The last time the various counties were in Division 3 is as follows: Cork & Down 2020; Westmeath 2018; Laois 2019.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: TWO FROM ULSTER IN PROMOTION PUSH

IT’S Derry v Limerick and Offaly v Fermanagh in the semi-finals, with the winners guaranteed a place in Division 2 next year. Fermanagh were relegated from Division 2 last year; Derry were last in Division 2 in 2017.

The relegation places will be decided in the Cavan v Wicklow and Longford v Tipperary games. Cavan haven’t been in Division 4 since the League was re-formatted in 2008; Wicklow were promoted from Division 4 at the end of last season; Longford were last in Division 4 in 2015 while Tipperary’s last stint in the lowest group was in 2014.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: LOUTH SEEKING QUICK RETURN TO DIVISION 3

The promotion places will go to the winners of Antrim v Waterford and Carlow v Louth. Antrim made it three wins from three games when edging out Leitrim on Sunday while Carlow’s win over Wexford ensured they headed the other group, which had only three teams.

Here’s when the four promotion contenders were last in Division 3: Antrim 2017; Waterford 2011; Carlow 2019; Louth 2020.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE SHORTS

*Kerry and Tyrone will meet in the Allianz League semi-final for the first time since 1974 when the Kingdom won by eight points in Croke Park. Dublin and Donegal’s last League semi-final meeting was in 2016 when the Dubs won by ten points in Croke Park.

*Of the 15 games played last weekend, five were home wins, seven were away wins and three games were drawn.

*Roscommon, Armagh (Div 1), Cork, Down (Div 2), Wicklow (Div 3) all find themselves in relegation play-offs a season after being promoted.

*Mayo (Division 2 North), Offaly (Division 3 South), Derry (Division 3 North), Carlow (Division 4 South), Antrim (Division 4 North) are the only counties to have won all their games.

*Roscommon (Division 1 South), Laois (Division 2 South), Westmeath (Division 2 North), Wicklow (Division 3 South) and Wexford (Division 4 South) were the only counties who failed to pick up any points.

TOP SCORERS

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1

Cormac Costello (Dublin)....3-22 (2-1 pens, 0-9 frees)

David Clifford (Kerry)...........5-16 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees, 0-1 mark)

Paddy McBrearty (Donegal)...0-20 (0-8 frees, 0-1 mark)

Shane Walsh (Galway)...........0-19 (0-10 frees, 0-3 ‘45s’)

Paul Donaghy (Tyrone)..........0-15 (0-8 frees, 0-2 mark, 0-1 ‘45’)

Donie Smith (Roscommon)....0-15 (0-11 frees)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2

Cillian O’Connor (Mayo) 1-20 (0-15 frees, 1- pen, 0-1 ‘45’, 0-1 mark)

John Heslin (Westmeath). 1-19 (0-14 frees, 1-0pen)

Eoin Cleary (Clare)...........0-21 (0-12 frees, 0-2 ‘45s’)

David Tubridy (Clare).........1-12 (0-8 frees, 1-0 pen)

Corey Quinn (Down)..........0-14 (0-6 frees, 0-1 mark)

Jimmy Hyland (Kildare).....1-10 (0-2 frees, 0-3 mark)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3

Seamus Quigley (Fermanagh.1-24 (0-16 frees, 0-1 ‘45’)

Shane McGuigan (Derry).....2-20 (0-9 frees, 1-0 pen

Hugh Bourke (Limerick)..........2-17 (0-10 frees, 0-1 mark)

Conor Sweeney (Tipperary).....2--9 (0-8 frees)

Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan).......2-8 (0-6 frees)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4

Sam Mulroy (Louth)....... 4-10 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘45’)

Niall Murphy (Sligo)........3-11 (2-0 pens,. 0-5 frees, 0-1 mark)

Keith Beirne (Leitrim)......0-20 (0-12 frees)

Sean Carabine (Sligo)......0-16 (0-11 frees)

Odhran Eastwood (Antrim)...1-11 (0-7 frees).

Mark Rossiter (Wexford)....0-11 (0-7 frees, 0-2 ‘45s’)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2021 – RESULTS AND FIXTURES
DIVISION 1 SOUTH
Round 1: Kerry 4-21 Galway 0-10; Dublin 1-22 Roscommon 0-16
Round 2: Dublin 4-9 Kerry 1-18; Galway 2-16 Roscommon 1-13.
Round 3: Dublin 2-16 Galway 1-15; Kerry 2-15 Roscommon 1-12.

DIVISION 1 NORTH
Round 1: Donegal 0-18 Tyrone 0-16; Armagh 1-16 Monaghan 1-12.
Round 2: Donegal 1-20 Monaghan 4-11; Tyrone2-15 Armagh 2-10
Round 3: Armagh 1-16 Donegal 1-16; Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 0-14.

DIVISION 2 SOUTH
Round 1: Kildare 2-12 Cork 0-14; Clare 1-16 Laois 0-12.
Round 2: Cork 2-12 Laois 0-10; Clare 1-13 Kildare 0-13.
Round 3: Kildare 2-18 Laois 1-8; Cork 0-22 Clare 1-18.

DIVISION 2 NORTH
Round 1: Mayo 2-21 Down 1-11; Meath 0-16 Westmeath 0-15.
Round 2: Mayo 0-21 Westmeath 2-12; Meath 2-15 Down 0-14.
Round 3: Mayo 3-17 Meath 2-12; Down 0-13 Westmeath 1-9.

DIVISION 3 SOUTH
Round 1: Limerick 1-13 Tipperary 0-14; Offaly 1-14 Wicklow 1-10.
Round 2: Offaly 0-16 Limerick 1-11; Tipperary 2-12 Wicklow 1-12.
Round 3: Offaly 1-17 Tipperary 1-12; Limerick 2-19 Wicklow 1-12.

DIVISION 3 NORTH
Round 1: Derry 0-21 Longford 0-5; Fermanagh 0-15 Cavan 0-14.
Round 2: Derry 5-13 Fermanagh 0-9; Cavan 1-19 Longford 1-13.
Round 3: Derry 1-16 Cavan 2-11; Fermanagh 1-15 Longford 0-18.

DIVISION 4 NORTH
Round 1: Antrim 1-15 Louth 3-8; Sligo 2-19 Leitrim 0-18
Round 2: Louth 0-19 Leitrim 0-10; Antrim 3-13 Sligo 3-12.
Round 3: Antrim 2-17 Leitrim 1-19; Louth 3-18 Sligo 1-14.

DIVISION 4 SOUTH
Round 1: Carlow 3-16 Waterford 0-10.
Round 2: Waterford 2-13 Wexford 0-18
Round 3: Carlow 2-12 Wexford 2-11

PLAY-OFFS

June 13/14

Division 1 semi-finals: Donegal v Dublin; Kerry v Tyrone.

Division 1 relegation play-offs: Monaghan v Galway; Armagh v Monaghan

Division 2 semi-finals: Clare v Mayo; Kildare v Meath.

Division 2 relegation play-offs: Down v Laois; Cork v Westmeath.

Division 3 semi-finals: Derry v Limerick; Offaly v Fermanagh.

Division 3 relegation play-offs: Cavan v Wicklow; Longford v Tipperary.

Division 4 semi-finals: Waterford v Antrim; Carlow v Louth.