THERE ARE FOUR more quarter-final spots up for grabs in the TG4 All-Ireland senior ladies football championship tomorrow.
Champions Meath, Dublin, Mayo and Galway all sealed their respective passages to the last eight last weekend, and four more counties are set to join them by Saturday night.
The relegation picture will also become clearer as we hit the business end of the competition.
There are five games down for decision in the top-flight tomorrow, with the Portlaoise double-header meeting of Cork and Waterford, and Dublin and Mayo, to be broadcast live on TG4. All other games are available on the LGFA live-streaming service.
The meeting of Mick Bohan’s Sky Blues and Michael Moyles’ Westerners could determine who finishes first and second in Group A, and go some way in confirming the quarter-final line-up. Both teams have two wins from two under their belt.
Elsewhere in that group, Cavan and Tipperary do battle for the safety spot. Both with zero points on the board thus far, the losers will be consigned to the relegation play-offs.
See below for the outcome should the games finish in a draw, though.
The rest of the groups are made up of three teams. The top two advance to quarter-finals, while the bottom side faces a fight for survival at senior level.
Holders Meath sit out of the Group B action this weekend, with Armagh and Monaghan going head-to-head.
The Orchard county, who drew with the Royals last weekend, will be hotly-fancied to prevail here, with the Farney mustering up just one point against Meath when they played.
In Group C, it’s Kerry versus Westmeath. Galway secured their progression to the last eight last weekend, and the Kingdom are in pole position to join them, having previously triumphed over the Tribe.
2021 intermediate champions Westmeath will be up for a fight though, keen to preserve their senior status.
And finally to Group D, where Munster rivals Cork and Waterford do battle, with Donegal waiting in the wings to learn their fate.
- Today’s fixture details and results to date are all listed below
If teams finish on equal points in the group stages, the final places shall be decided in the following order:
Two teams only involved
- The outcome of the head-to-head game between the two teams concerned.
- Should that have finished in a draw, the team that finishes in the higher position will be the team that registered the highest number of points i.e. scores converted over the bar, in that head-to-head match.
- Should the teams remain equal at this point, the team with the highest score difference throughout the championship will come out on top.
- Should this not separate the pair, it goes to the team with the lowest number of goals conceded throughout the championship.
More than two teams level on points
- Score difference.
- Should that have finished the same, the team that finishes in the higher position will be the team that registered the highest number of points.
- If the teams are still level on points scored, it goes to the team that registers the highest number of points and goals. (Over the bar = 1, goal = 3.)
- If two teams are still level after the above, their head-to-head will come into effect.
- Should that have finished in a draw, the team with the lowest number of goals conceded throughout the championship will finish higher.
(Further details on the LGFA website.)
The quarter-final and semi-final line-up is as follows:
• Quarter Final 1: 1st Group A v 2nd Group D
• Quarter Final 2: 1st Group B v 2nd Group C
• Quarter Final 3: 1st Group C v 2nd Group B
• Quarter Final 4: 1st Group D v 2nd Group A
• Semi Final 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
• Semi Final 2: Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4
The quarter-finals are scheduled for 9 July in the master fixture plan. The semi-finals are down for the 16 July, with the final slated in for 31 July.
Looking at the relegation situation, Monaghan, Westmeath and Waterford join Cavan and Tipperary as the teams yet to get off the mark in the competition.
The bottom teams in each of the four groups are staring down the barrel at relegation play-offs, unless they’re a 2022 provincial champion. None of the above area, anyway.
Two relegation play-offs will take place at neutral venues on 9 July, with the losers of each dropping to intermediate for 2023.
- Relegation Playoff 1: 4th place Group A v 3rd place Group C
- Relegation Playoff 2: 3rd place Group B v 3rd place Group D
(Result on the day: extra-time and a 25m shootout will follow if necessary.)
Today’s TG4 All-Ireland SFC Round 3 fixtures
Group A
Cavan v Tipperary; Kingspan Breffni, 2pm
Dublin v Mayo; MW Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 7.15pm – live on TG4
Group B
Armagh v Monaghan; Athletic Grounds, 2pm
Group C
Kerry v Westmeath; Fitzgerald Stadium, 1pm
Group D
Cork v Waterford; MW Hire O’Moore Park, 5pm – live on TG4.
Results to date
Group A
Mayo 1-16 Tipperary 1-6
Dublin 5-14 Cavan 2-4
Cavan 2-9 Mayo 0-16
Tipperary 0-6 Dublin 1-11
Group B
Monaghan 0-1 Meath 1-13
Armagh 0-9 Meath 0-9
Group C
Galway 3-8 Kerry 3-10
Galway 1-18 Westmeath 0-4
Group D
Donegal 0-10 Waterford 1-5
Cork 2-12 Donegal 1-10.
