Mayo are flying high having booked their Division 1 FL final place but who will join them with this Sunday set up for a fascinating finale.
It’s successive League deciders for the Connacht men – they were comfortably defeated by Kerry in last year’s final – and the only unbeaten team in the top tier have the luxury of running their bench against Monaghan this weekend if they wish.
That Castlebar clash with the Farney men is far more important to Vinny Corey’s side as they bid to pull off another Houdini act and preserve their nine-season Division 1 status on the final day once again.
Mayo’s final opponents will be either Galway, Kerry, Roscommon or Tyrone with all to play for for that quartet and the possibility of the second-place coming down to score difference should more than two sides end up on eight points.
Galway (8 points), Kerry, Roscommon, Tyrone (6 points each) are all in with a chance of reaching the final with a draw against Kerry enough for Pádraic Joyce’s Tribesmen, irrespective of results elsewhere.
Donegal (3 points), Monaghan (4), Armagh (5) have serious relegation concerns, with Donegal most at risk as Paddy Carr’s men not only need to beat Roscommon but also hope other results go their way to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
Galway are seeking their first win over Kerry since a 2018 League clash with the Kingdom winning their last four clashes, including last year’s All-Ireland final win.
Roscommon and Donegal last met in the League in 2017 when Donegal won by a point while Mayo beat Monaghan by two points in last year’s League clash.
Tyrone and Armagh met twice last year with Kieran McGeenney’s Orchard men winning on both occasions, including when knocking the defending All-Ireland champions out in the Qualifiers.
Division 1 Fixtures (Sunday, 1.45 throw-ins):
Galway v Kerry, Pearse Stadium
Roscommon v Donegal, Dr Hyde Park
Tyrone v Armagh, Omagh
Mayo v Monaghan, MacHale Park.
Division 1 Top Scorers
Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo)……………2-22 (0-16f, 0-1 mark)
Darren McCurry (Tyrone)…………….0-26 (0-18f, 0-1 mark)
Rian O’Neill (Armagh)…………………0-24 (0-13f, 0-4 45s’, 0-1 mark)
Matthew Tierney (Galway)………….3-13 (0-5f, 0-1 ‘45’)
Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon)..1-15 (0-9f)
