It’s straight into Round 2 of the Allianz Football League next weekend, prior to a three-week gap until the third round. By Sunday evening, some teams could find themselves four points adrift of the leaders in the various Divisions, under increasing pressure as they look ahead to the rest of the programme.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: CASTLEBAR HOSTS LATEST ROUND OF MAYO-DUBLIN SAGA
Saturday: Mayo v Dublin, Elvery’s MacHale Park, 7.0;
Sunday (2.0): Kerry v Roscommon, Killarney; Donegal v Cork, Ballyshannon; Monaghan v Down, Clones.
Dublin v Mayo has provided one of the most intense rivalries of recent times, with the latest instalment set for MacHale Park on Saturday night. It will be their 11th Allianz League and Championship meeting in five years, with Dublin having won six to Mayo’s two while there were two draws from their previous ten meetings.
Dublin wins were as follows:
2015: Football League Division 1 and All-Ireland semi-final replay;
2013: Football League Division 1 (group game and semi-final) and All-Ireland final;
2011: Football League Division 1.
Mayo won the 2012 Football League Division 1 game and the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final.
The draws were in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final and the 2014 Allianz Football League Division 1 game.
Dublin got off to an impressive start last Saturday, beating Kerry by six points while Mayo lost by nine points to Cork.
Kerry and Roscommon, both of whom lost their opening game last weekend, meet in Division 1 for the first time in 13 years, with the Kingdom trying to avoid defeats in the opening two rounds for a third time in four seasons.
Donegal beat Cork in last year’s Division 1 (0-12 to 1-8) game but the Leesiders turned the tables in the semi-final, winning by 4-11 to 0-19.
The last Monaghan v Down League meeting was in 2014 when the sides drew in the opening round of the Division 2 campaign.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: EARLY PRESSURE ON FIRST ROUND LOSERS
Saturday (7.0): Armagh v Laois, Athletic Grounds; Cavan v Derry, Kingspan Breffni Park;
Sunday (2.0): Galway v Tyrone, Pearse Stadium; Fermanagh v Meath, Enniskillen.
It’s very early days in the Football League but, having lost last weekend, the pressure is on Laois, Armagh, Fermanagh and Cavan to avoid a second defeat as it would seriously dent their prospects of promotion. Nine points were enough for Roscommon to win promotion to Division 1 last year but it usually takes at least ten points to reach the top two. That’s why next weekend’s games are so crucial to the first round losers as a second defeat would leave them needing winning to win the remaining five games to have a good chance of promotion.
Two of them - Armagh and Laois - meet in the Athletic Grounds while Cavan and Fermanagh will have home advantage against Derry and Fermanagh respectively. Galway and Tyrone both made good starts to the campaign so the winners of their clash in Pearse Stadium will be a very good position ahead of the three week break.
Galway and Tyrone last met in the Allianz League in 2012 when Tyrone won by 1-14 to 0-13.
Armagh and Laois met in last year’s Allianz League - the Ulster men won by a point (0-13 to 0-12) in their Division 2 clash.
The last Meath-Fermanagh League clash was in Division 3 in 2013, when the Royals won by 2-12 to 0-14.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: LEINSTER PAIR IN BID TO TOP TABLE
Sunday (2.0): Kildare v Offaly, Newbridge; Longford v Limerick, Kingspan Breffni Park; Sligo v Westmeath, Markievicz Park, Tipperary v Clare, Clonmel.
The biggest crowd of Sunday’s Division 3 programme is expected to be in St.Conleth’s Park, Newbridge where Kildare and Offaly, both of whom won last Sunday, meet in what promises to be a very interesting encounter. The pair have ended up in Division 3 by different routes, with Kildare dropping down from Division 2 and Offaly coming up from Division 4. The most recent clash between the counties was last July when Kildare won an All-Ireland qualifier by 1-15 to 1-13 in Tullamore on a day when Eoghan O’Flaherty scored 1-7 for the Lilywhites.
Tipperary and Clare face into their 5th Allianz League clash in four seasons (they met twice in 2014, having reached the Division 4 final). Tipperary won all four previous games.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: ANTRIM, WEXFORD, LOUTH AND WICKLOW IN EARLY BOOST
Saturday: London v Carlow, Ruislip 1.0;
Sunday (2.0): Antrim v Wexford, Corrigan Park, Belfast; Leitrim v Wicklow, Carrick-on-Shannon; Waterford v Louth, Fraher Field.
All the indications are that the battle for promotion will be very intense, as shown last weekend when two of the four games produced one and two-point victories. Antrim were one of the more comfortable winners, beating Carlow by five points, which sets them up nicely for a home tie with Wexford, who beat Leitrim by a point.
Louth and Wicklow also won home games, leaving them in optimistic mood as they prepare for ‘away’ challenges against Waterford and Leitrim, both of whom lost.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2016: RESULTS & FIXTURES
DIVISION 1
Round 1: Dublin 2-14 Kerry 0-14: Donegal 3-15 Down 0-7; Cork 1-18 Mayo 0-12; Monaghan 2-10 Roscommon 1-9.
Round 2: Feb 6: Mayo v Dublin; Feb 7: Kerry v Roscommon; Donegal v Cork; Monaghan v Down.
Round 3: Feb 27: Dublin v Monaghan; Feb 28: Cork v Roscommon; Donegal v Mayo; Down v Kerry.
Round 4: Mar 5: Dublin v Cork; Mar 6: Roscommon v Down; Kerry v Donegal; Monaghan v Mayo.
Round 5: Mar 12: Down v Dublin; Mar 13: Cork v Monaghan; Mayo v Kerry; Donegal v Roscommon.
Round 6: Mar 26: Dublin v Donegal; Mar 27: Cork v Down; Monaghan v Kerry; Roscommon v Mayo.
Round 7: Apr 3: Kerry v Cork; Mayo v Down; Monaghan v Donegal; Roscommon v Dublin.
Semi-finals: Apr 10: 1 v 4; 2 v 3.
Final: Apr 24
DIVISION 2
Round 1: Meath 1-10 Armagh 0-8; Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 0-8; Galway 3-12 Laois 1-10; Derry 3-13 Fermanagh 1-9.
Round 2: Feb 6: Armagh v Laois; Cavan v Derry; Feb 7: Galway v Tyrone; Fermanagh v Meath.
Round 3: Feb 27: Armagh v Fermanagh; Feb 28: Derry v Galway; Meath v Cavan; Laois v Tyrone.
Round 4: Mar 5: Cavan v Armagh; Tyrone v Derry; Mar 6: Galway v Meath;; Fermanagh v Laois.
Round 5: Mar 12: Fermanagh v Cavan; Mar 13: Laois v Derry; Armagh v Galway; Meath v Tyrone.
Round 6: Mar 26: Tyrone v Armagh; Mar 27: Cavan v Laois; Galway v Fermanagh; Derry v Meath.
Apr 3: Armagh v Derry; Cavan v Galway; Fermanagh v Tyrone; Laois v Meath.
Final: Apr 24: 1 v 2
DIVISION 3
Round 1: Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-7; Limerick 1-12 Tipperary 2-9; Offaly 0-12 Longford 0-10; Kildare 2-9 Westmeath 0-11.
Round 2: Feb 7: Kildare v Offaly; Longford v Limerick; Sligo v Westmeath; Tipperary v Clare.
Round 3: Feb 28: Longford v Kildare; Offaly v Sligo; Westmeath v Tipperary; Limerick v Clare.
Round 4: Mar 6: Tipperary v Offaly; Clare v Westmeath; Kildare v Limerick; Sligo v Longford.
Round 5: Mar 12: Limerick v Westmeath; Mar 13: Kildare v Sligo; Longford v Tipperary; Offaly v Clare.
Round 6: Mar 27: Clare v Longford; Sligo v Limerick; Westmeath v Offaly; Tipperary v Kildare.
Round 7: Apr 3: Kildare v Clare; Limerick v Offaly; Longford v Westmeath; Sligo v Tipperary.
DIVISION 4
Round 1: Louth 2-9 London 0-9; Antrim 1-12 Carlow 0-10; Wexford 0-14 Leitrim 1-10; Wicklow 0-13 Waterford 1-8.
Round 2: Feb 6: London v Carlow; Feb 7: Antrim v Wexford; Leitrim v Wicklow; Waterford v Louth.
Round 3: Feb 28: Wexford v London; Antrim v London; Carlow v Waterford; Louth v Wicklow
Round 4: Mar 5: Waterford v Wexford; Mar 6: Leitrim v Louth; London v Antrim; Wicklow v Carlow.
Round 5: Mar 13: London v Leitrim; Antrim v Waterford; Carlow v Louth; Wexford v Wicklow.
Round 6: Mar 27: Waterford v London; Leitrim v Carlow; Louth v Wexford; Wicklow v Antrim.
Round 7: Apr 3: Antrim v Louth; London v Wicklow; Waterford v Leitrim; Wexford v Carlow.