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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Pat Nolan

All the permutations ahead of the final round of the Allianz Football League this weekend

It's all to play for in the final round of Allianz League games this weekend, with only two counties guaranteed a final spot across the four divisions and just one county relegated with a game to spare.

Here are all of the permutations.

DIVISION ONE

Fixtures: Kerry v Tyrone, Mayo v Kildare, Donegal v Armagh, Monaghan v Dublin.

TOP: Kerry are already assured of their place in the final after a fifth successive win on Sunday over Armagh.

In theory, Mayo, Armagh, Kildare, Donegal and Tyrone are all in with a chance of joining them this weekend.

Mayo and Armagh are in pole position with both on seven points though Mayo are currently second due to their head-to-head advantage.

There is potential for as many as five teams to be level on seven points come Sunday evening but for Tyrone, for example, to climb from sixth to second they would require an unlikely 24-point scoring difference swing with Armagh and a 19-point flip with Mayo.

Donegal likely have too much to do in terms of scoring difference also but Kildare have an outside chance.

BOTTOM: Whoever loses the Monaghan-Dublin tie will be relegated and the winner will go down too if Kildare, Donegal and Tyrone all win their games. A draw might be enough to save both Monaghan and Dublin if two of the three immediately above them were to lose.

It’s quite simple for Kildare, Donegal and Tyrone - if they win they will be safe. Anything less though and they’ll be looking over their shoulders.

DIVISION TWO

Fixtures: Down v Clare, Meath v Derry, Offaly v Cork, Roscommon v Galway.

TOP: Galway are already assured of promotion after maintaining their 100% record in emphatic fashion against Derry on Sunday.

They’ll be joined by Roscommon or Derry. A win for Roscommon over Galway will ensure that they return to Division One once again but if they lose Derry will leapfrog them by beating Meath.

A draw between Roscommon and Galway and a six-point win for Rory Gallagher’s side would see Derry earn a second successive promotion.

BOTTOM: Winless Down have already been relegated and the losers of the shootout between Offaly and Cork in Tullamore will make the drop with them. A draw would do Cork given their superior scoring difference.

A draw in that game and a defeat for Clare against Down would see three teams finish on four points but the Banner would have to suffer an unlikely 27-point loss in Newry to drop into the bottom two.

DIVISION THREE

Fixtures: Antrim v Westmeath, Laois v Longford, Limerick v Fermanagh, Wicklow v Louth.

TOP: The most intriguing division of the lot with five teams still in the promotion picture.

It’s probably a bit of a stretch to include Fermanagh, however, as they must beat Limerick by at least 17 points and hope that Antrim and Westmeath draw in order to overtake those three on scoring difference.

Louth are in pole position and know that a win or draw in Wicklow will see them promoted for the second year running.

A win will do Limerick too but if they lose or draw, the winners of Antrim-Westmeath will overtake them.

BOTTOM: It’s two from Wicklow, Longford and Laois to make the drop.

Laois play Longford knowing that a draw will be enough to save them, though they could even stay up with a defeat if Wicklow beat Louth as it would see three teams on five points and they have a superior scoring difference to both of their rivals at present.

Wicklow are essentially goosed, however. If they surprise Louth and Longford beat Laois, it would require a 31-point swing in scoring difference for them to surpass Laois in the table, while they’d also have to beat Louth by six points more than Longford beat Laois on top of that.

All told, the likelihood is that Wicklow will go down and whoever loses Laois-Longford will join them.

DIVISION FOUR

Fixtures: London v Tipperary, Carlow v Wexford, Cavan v Waterford, Sligo v Leitrim.

Cavan and Tipperary will make a swift return to Division Three with wins over Waterford and London respectively though Sligo and Leitrim, who play each other on Sunday, are tucked in just behind them.

It means that a defeat for Tipperary would see at least one of Sligo or Leitrim go above them.

Even if Cavan suffered a shock defeat to Waterford, only a draw between London and Tipperary would deny them promotion as their head-to-head record against Sligo and Leitrim would keep them ahead of either should they finish level on points with one of them.

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