by Georide McGuckin
The Football Leagues in Progress (Div One)
The opening phase of the football leagues, division one and two are completed and the participants in the respective A and B sections in the second part are finalised.
Those teams will participate in a further round of fixtures, with five games left to find winners in division one and two, as well those who will endure the drop as consequence of occupying the bottom two positions in their grades.
After making progress through the allocated eleven games in division one Erin’s Own Cargin lead the way at the split, but the current league champions, who recorded the double last term, are but a single point ahead of their parish rivals from Creggan on 19 points.
John Brennan’s men are favoured by the fact that they will enjoy the advantage of four of their second phase games will be on their own sod and they do enjoy a big advantage in score difference as well.
Creggan were the only team to lower the Cargin colours when they gained a 1-10 to 0-08 win over the visiting Erin’s Own men in round two will look to make it a double when they pay the return visit to the Shore road venue in the second phase.
St Gall’s do seem to have more of an interest in the goings on in the bread and butter issues of the league of late and the Milltown men have fared well this term.
The Lower Falls men conclude on 17 points but they do have to travel to three of their remaining games.
St John’s have been in good form this term and the Corrigan men have hinted at improvement.
Paddy Nugent’s men faded a little in the latter stages of the league losing a couple of games but they managed to hold the top seeded Cargin men to a draw and will provide a challenge to most.
Lamh Dhearg completed the first phase in fifth position with a points total of 14 and although a little enigmatic at times the Hannahstown men are more than capable.
Mairtin Lynchs’s men concluded with a 2-13 to 1-14 win at Corrigan and that did look a very good performance.
St Mary’s Aghagallon clinched the final spot in the A section in a dramatic last day despite enduring a final round defeat at Rossa.
Four sides were tied on eight points on the final count with Aghagallon getting the nod on score difference.
The current Intermediate champions will give it a lash but they will be more concerned with experience gained than silverware.
How things stand after Phase 1
The list of fixtures for the A section participants who will be playing for the league title is as follows:
Cargin v Creggan
Cargin v Aghagallon
Lamh Dhearg v Cargin
Cargin v St Gall’s
Cargin v St John’s
Cargin v Creggan
Aghagallon v Creggan
Creggan v Lamh Dhearg
St Gall’s v Creggan
St John’s v Creggan
St John’s v St Gall’s
Cargin v St Gall’s
St Gall’s v Creggan
St Gall’s v Aghagallon
Lamh Dhearg v St Gall’s
St John’s v St Gall’s
St John’s v Creggan
St John’s v Aghagallon
Lamh Dhearg v St John’s
Cargin v St John’s
Creggan V Lamh Dhearg
Aghagallon v Lamh Dhearg
Lamh Dhearg v Cargin
St Gall’s v Lamh Dhearg
Lamh Dhearg v St John’s
Cargin v Aghagallon
Aghagallon v Creggan
Aghagallon v Lamh Dhearg
St Gall’s v Aghagallon
St John’s v Aghagallon
Section B will employ the participants in their ambition to avoid the fall as no silverware will be in vision but rather the teams involved will seek to keep away from the bottom, as the teams who will fill the last two in ratings after five more games will endure the drop and division two will await for season 2018.
Although St Paul’s do currently reside in arrears at the bottom of the ratings at present on four points little separates the teams involved and it is all to play for.
St Mary’s Ahoghill are just a point ahead of the Shaw’s road side in the ratings but the Clooney men are favoured with four home fixtures from their five game programme to completion.
The list of fixtures for those involved in the B section is as follows;
Ahoghill v Casement’s
St Paul’s v Casement’s
Rossa v Casement’s
Casement’s v St Teresa’s
Casement’s v Aldergrove
Rossa v St Paul’s
Rossa v St Teresa’s
Rossa v Aldergrove
Ahoghill v Rossa
Rossa v Casement’s
St Paul’s v Aldergrove
Rossa v Aldergrove
St Teresa’s v Aldergrove
Aldergrove v Rossa
Casement’s v Aldergrove
St Teresa’s v St Paul’s
Rossa v St Teresa’s
St Teresa’s v Aldergrove
Ahoghill v St Teresa’s
Casement’s v St Teresa’s
Ahoghill v Casement’s
Ahoghill v St Paul’s
Ahoghill v Rossa
Aldergrove v Ahoghill
Ahoghill v St Teresa’s
St Teresa’s v St Paul’s
Rossa v St Paul’s
St Paul’s v Aldergrove
Ahoghill v St Paul’s
St Paul’s v Casement’s
The second phase in both division one and two are set to commence on Wed 19th July and are scheduled for completion in early August and prior to commencement of the championship.