Fascinating final football round ahead

There's a wonderful weekend of football action in store in Westmeath as the final round of the club championships take place.

Many teams are in with chances of progressing to the knock-out stages at senior, intermediate and junior level, but the interesting scenario this year is that a revamped rule could come into play to decide their future.

According to the Football Planning Report, 'Rule 6.21 shall apply for placings in the various groups of the championships' in the event of ties.

This is what Rule 6.21 (which was amended at the Annual Congress last February) has to say about what happens when teams finish on equal points in the league stage of a championship.

In such a situation, the rule states that ties shall be decided by the following means and in the order specified:

(i) The higher number of league obtained in the ‘Head-to-Head’ games defined as the games in which the teams involved in the tie have played each other. (In other words, 2 points for a win etc when the teams involved in the tie play against each other, Team with most points rank 1 etc).

(ii) The higher Scoring Difference (subtracting the total Scores Against from total Scores For) in the ‘Head-to-Head’ games.

(iii) The higher Scores For in the ‘Head-to-Head’ games.

(iv) If the application of criteria (i) to (iii) results in a team(s) being successful or eliminated but there is still a relevant tie to be decided, criteria (i) to (iii) are to be repeated for the ‘Head-to-Head’ games only of the still tied teams.

(v) The higher Scoring Difference in all games in the League Group. (vi) The higher Scores For in all games in the League Group.

(vii) A Play-Off.

Clubs were briefed on the rule change last week at the August meeting of the County Committee, with Head of Operations Patrick Doherty leading a presentation on the matter.

St Loman’s, Mullingar and Coralstown/Kinnegad remain the leading contenders in the race for the Flanagan Cup.

St Loman’s are through regardless and heading for a semi-final, but will bid to record their fourth victory of the campaign when they meet Killucan at Moynihan Park, Ballynacargy on Sunday (4pm). Killucan are fifth on the table and must win to have any chance of qualifying, but they need other results to go their way. Coralstown/Kinnegad play Tyrrellspass, while Caulry take on The Downs in two crunch games at the same time in TEG Cusack Park and Shandonagh. Tyrrellspass and Caulry can both qualify if they win and it’s certainly all to play for as both sides have an outside chance of second place in the group.

Section B is fascinating with Mullingar Shamrocks, Moate All Whites, Athlone and Shandonagh all vying for second place. Tang have already topped the group and play Shandonagh in Cusack Park on Saturday (4pm), while at the same time, Athlone face their nemesis Garrycastle in Tubberclair and Mullingar Shamrocks meet Moate All Whites in The Downs. It’s very likely that three teams will end up on six points and it’s then down to Rule 6.21 to determine who qualifies.

In intermediate football, the two groups are close, with Section A being led by Tubberclair and Castledaly (six points). However, Milltown, Rosemount and Ballymore are very much involved.

The games run on Friday evening at 8pm in Castledaly, Kinnegad and Tubberclair.

Section B sees St Malachy’s safely through and they meet Multyfarnham (Saturday, Milltown, 4pm) who are in pole position to take second place. However, Milltownpass (who play Maryland at the same time in The Downs) could take second place on the head to head rule if they end up on six points alongside Multyfarnham. Ballynacargy can get to six points also if they beat CFCW (Raharney, 4pm), but are outsiders to qualify: they need St Malachy’s to win in order to come into the reckoning as their score difference is prohibitive.