Knockout places up for grabs in intermediate championship
TEAMS from the south of the county have it all to play for in this weekend’s last round of group fixtures in the Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship.
Tang’s victory against Rosemount in the last round of fixtures ensured qualification to the knockout stages for Eamonn Mahon’s side, but they will be looking to ensure a semi-final berth by taking at least a draw from their last Section A outing against Ballymore (Saturday, Tubberclair, 5.30pm). Ballymore and Rosemount are both on six points from the opening four matches and in fairly good positions to reach the quarter-finals.
Rosemount play Ballinagore at Moate on Saturday (5.30pm), and can still finish top of the group - but only if Ballymore beat Tang which, to most observers, would appear to be a long shot.
Ballynacargy, who play Castletown-Finea Coole/Whitehall on Sunday in Milltown (2pm), are the only other team that can qualify to the knockout stages from Section A. Ballinagore - Rosemount’s opponents on Saturday - have already been confirmed as finishing bottom of Section A and, thus, will participate in a relegation play-off with the bottom team from Group B (either St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge or Mullingar Shamrocks' B, who play each other this weekend).
In Section B, both Caulry and Tubberclair will be looking to finalise their positions in the knockout phase. Tubberclair, currently on six points in the group behind table-toppers Milltownpass, play fellow knockout contenders Shandonagh at Cusack Park on Sunday (5.30pm), while Caulry face Milltownpass at the same time in Rosemount.
Either side could still be forced into a play-off to qualify for the quarter-finals.
In the event of both Caulry and Tubberclair winning this weekend, Tubberclair will take top-spot and qualify for the semi-finals, with Caulry and Milltownpass qualifying to the quarter-finals.
If both Caulry and Tubberclair lose, however, it will mean Milltownpass reach the semi-finals as group winners and that Caulry, Tubberclair and Shandonagh finish levels on points. In the event of this scenario - where three teams finish level on points in the qualifying place - scoring difference will determine which side finishes the Section in second place. The other two sides involved will contest a play-off for a quarter-final berth.
Meanwhile, Moate All-Whites are also in action this weekend when they take on St Joseph’s in Rosemount on Friday (7pm) in the final round of Westmeath JFC Section A fixtures. Moate have won all seven of their group matches and have already qualified for the semi-finals in their bid to return to the intermediate ranks.