NFL Division 4 Antrim v Waterford
Kelly Park Portglenone (2pm Saturday)
In the strangest of seasons Antrim’s promotion hopes still hang on by a thread following their seven goal mauling in Aughrim last Saturday. As I travelled with a colleague to the Wicklow venue I was full of hope that Antrim would gain the win that would almost certainly win them promotion.
At 2-45 those hopes had been torn to shreds by a Wicklow team who had out thought, out fought and certainly out scored an Antrim team who looked very much off the pace and I was convinced on the long journey home that we would be reporting on Division 4 football again in 2021.
That might well still be the case but Wexford’s win away to Limerick has created a scenario that might still see Antrim arise like the phoenix from the ashes to gain an unlikely promotion spot.
Wishful thinking-maybe but let’s examine the possibilities no matter how unlikely they might seem.
Wexford entertain Wicklow at Wexford Park. Both sides are already on 8 points while Antrim sit on 7. A win for either would put them on 10 points and leave their opponents still on 8. Worst result here for Antrim would be a draw.
Limerick, who looked on their way to promotion going into their last game before the lock-down have lost to Antrim and again to Wexford last day out and travel to Markievicz Park to play Sligo needing at least a draw and possibly a win to still ensure promotion.
Sligo are one of four sides who could still finish on 8 points (Depending on results elsewhere) and should Antrim lose to Waterford then 8 points could conceivably be enough for a promotion place with head-to-head coming into the equation.
So let’s look at another scenario! Should Wicklow and Wexford draw and Sligo and Limerick draw and Antrim defeat Waterford we would have four teams finishing on 9 points. Antrim defeated both Limerick and Wexford, Wexford beat Limerick and Limerick defeated Wicklow so score difference could come into play.
In the event of Wicklow, Wexford and Limerick all finishing on 9 points, Antrim need to win by at least 23 points due to their inferior scoring difference. They’ll not overtake Wicklow but they need to at least match Wexford.
Wishful thinking! Perhaps but in the strangest of seasons anything is possible so this punter will be praying for a Wexford or Wicklow win and a draw or even better, a Sligo win at Markievicz Park.
Let the celebrations begin!
HOW THEY STAND AT PRESENT
| Wicklow | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16-69 | 9-54 | 36 | 8 |
| Wexford | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10-63 | 8-50 | 19 | 8 |
| Limerick | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9-57 | 4-74 | -2 | 8 |
| Antrim | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5-77 | 9-69 | -4 | 7 |
| Sligo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10-72 | 6-78 | 6 | 6 |
| Carlow | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6-65 | 7-66 | -4 | 6 |
| Waterford | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5-50 | 7-54 | -10 | 3 |
| London | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3-47 | 14-55 | -41 | 0 |
2020 Allianz Football League Division 4 Fixtures
- Sat 25.01.2020
Carlow 0-11 Wicklow 0-9
Waterford 0-10 Limerick 1-10 - Sun 26.01.2020
Antrim 3-10 Wexford 0-13
London 0-11 Sligo 5-9 - Sat 01.02.2020
Wexford 2-10 Carlow 1-06 - Sun 02.02.2020
Limerick 0-8 London 0-7
Sligo 0-15 Antrim 0-14
Wickow 2-11 Waterford 1-6 - Sat 08.02.2020
Waterford 0-8 Wexford 2-3 - Sun 09.02.2020
Carlow 0-9 Limerick 1-7
London 0-10 Antrim 0-14
Wickow 1-15 Sligo 1-10 - Sat 22.02.2020
Sligo 0-16 Waterford 2-12 - Sun 23.02.2020
Wexford 4-15 London 1-9
Limerick 5-10 Wicklow 1-14
Antrim 0-11 Carlow 1-8 - Sat 29.02.2020
London 2-10 Wicklow 5-9
Wexford 1-9 Sligo 2-7 - Sun 01.03.2020
Antrim 2-21 Limerick 1-12
Waterford 2-14 Carlow 2-14 - Sat 17.10.2020
Wickow 7-11 Antrim 0-7
Carlow 2-17 Sligo 2-15 - Sun 18.10.2020
Limerick 1-10 Wexford 1-13
Waterford v London – OFF - Sat 24.10.2020
Antrim v Waterford, Portglenone, 2pm
Sligo v Limerick, Markievicz Park, 2pm
Wexford v Wicklow, Wexford Park, 2pm
London v Carlow – OFF