As we head into the final round of group fixtures of our Senior, Intermediate, Junior & Junior ‘A’ Club Football Championships, there follows an explainer of the championship format, what happens in the event of two or more teams being tied on points, and a look at the key issues to be decided in each grade next weekend.
Championship Format
Our football championships continue to follow the long-established structure of four teams from each group qualifying for quarter-finals. The line-up for the quarter-finals is:
- 1st in Group A v 4th in Group B
- 2nd in Group A v 3rd in Group B
- 3rd in Group A v 2nd in Group B
- 4th in Group A v 1st in Group B
An open draw will then take place for semi-finals, with repeat pairings from the group stage allowed.
Two-way ties
In the event of a two-way tie in the final group standings, the deciding factor will be the head-to-head result between the two teams involved. If the match between the sides was a draw, then overall scoring difference will be used to decide which of them finishes higher.
Three-way and ‘more-way’ ties
In the event of a three-way (or ‘more-way’) tie, the ‘mini league’ rules come into play. The first determining factor here is the number of league points earned in the games between the teams involved in the tie.
If the tie cannot be resolved on this basis, the next deciding factor will be the scoring difference from only the games between the teams involved.
It is only if things are still not decided after this that overall scoring difference comes into play.
While this represents a change from last year in how our championships are run, it brings us into line with national rule.
Dominic Smith Expert Electrical Senior Football Championship
Group A fixtures: Castletown v Glynn-Barntown; Kilanerin v Sarsfields; Starlights v Shelmaliers.
Group B fixtures: Gusserane O’Rahilly’s v Crossabeg/Ballymurn; Naomh Éanna v HWH Bunclody; St. Mogue’s Fethard v St. James’.
In Group A of the Dominic Smith Expert Electrical Senior Football Championship, all the key issues are already decided. The current top four teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, with Castletown topping the group, while Starlights are bound for the relegation final.
While there could be a three-way for 3rd, 4th and 5th if Sarsfields win and both Shelmaliers and Glynn-Barntown lose, the relevant ‘mini league’ has already been completed. It sees Shelmaliers on 4 points, Glynn-Barntown on 2 points, and Sarsfields on zero, so the teams would finish in the same order as they currently occupy.
In Group B, the four qualifiers are also already known. The big issue here will be who finishes bottom, and that will be decided by the meeting of St. Mogue’s Fethard and St. James’. A draw will be good enough for the Fethard side to avoid the relegation final, while St. James’ have to win.
Amber Springs & Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate Football Championship
Group A fixtures: St. Martin’s v Horeswood; Ferns St. Aidans v Ballyhogue; Adamstown v Rathgarogue-Cushinstown.
Group B fixtures: St. Anne’s Rathangan v St. Fintan’s; Clongeen v Taghmon-Camross; Fr. O’Regan’s Craanford v St. Mary’s Maudlintown.
Group A of the Amber Springs & Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate Football Championship is where things get interesting. While it’s clear that St. Abban’s Adamstown will top the group, it’s not so clear that Ballyhogue have also already qualified – but that is indeed the case.
Worst-case scenario for Ballyhogue on Saturday is that they lose and the match between St. Martin’s and Horeswood ends in a draw. That would force a three-way tie on 5 points for 3rd, 4th, and 5th, behind Ferns St. Aidans on 6 points and Adamstown at the top. However, in the relevant ‘mini league’, Horeswood would have 3 points, Ballyhogue would have 2 points, and St. Martin’s would have just 1 point, meaning it is St. Martin’s who would exit the championship.
So, that leaves two remaining spots for St. Martin’s, Ferns St. Aidans and Horeswood to fight over. In simple terms, all three can claim one of those spots by winning their match. But two of them also have a pathway to the quarter-finals even if they lose:
- St. Martin’s would need Ballyhogue to beat Ferns St. Aidans
- Ferns St. Aidans would need St. Martin’s to beat Horeswood
On the contrary, Horeswood would exit the championship if they lose, even if Ferns St. Aidans also lose and so finish tied with them on 4 points, as Ferns St. Aidans have the head-to-head result over them.
After all those complications, back to a simple consideration: Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will finish bottom and contest the relegation final, no matter what happens on Saturday.
Group B is a little more straightforward. St. Anne’s Rathangan and St. Fintan’s have already qualified, and will play each other on Saturday to decide who finishes top. Meanwhile, Fr. O’Regan’s Craanford will finish bottom.
St. Mary’s Maudlintown will be hotly fancied to also make the knockout stages, as they take on the pointless Craanford club. It all means that the other match (Taghmon-Camross v Clongeen) is basically a straight shoot-out for the fourth quarter-final spot.
Whizzy Internet Intermediate ‘A’ Football Championship
The group stages of the Whizzy Internet Intermediate ‘A’ Football Championship are already complete, as this competition needs to finish earlier than others in order to allow the winners compete in the Leinster Junior Club Football Championship. The quarter-finals to take place next weekend are:
- St. Mary’s Rosslare v St. Patrick’s
- Oylegate-Glenbrien v Cloughbawn
- Kilmore v Bannow-Ballymitty
- Monageer-Boolavogue v Duffry Rovers
There will be no relegation final in this grade as Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s withdrew after two rounds of group games, and so they are automatically demoted for 2026.
Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior Football Championship
Group A fixtures: Sarsfields v Kilanerin; Gusserane O’Rahilly’s v St. Anne’s Rathangan; Marshalstown-Castledockrell v Our Lady’s Island.
Group B fixtures: Castletown v Shelmaliers; St. Brigid’s Blackwater v Réalt na Mara; St. Martin’s v Buffers Alley.
In Group A of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior Football Championship, the current top four teams are already through.
While St. Anne’s Rathangan could force a three-way tie on 4 points if they beat Gusserane O’Rahilly’s and both Sarsfields and Marshalstown-Castledockrell lose their matches, the relevant ‘mini league’ has already been completed. It sees all three teams on 2 points, and so it goes to score difference in that ‘mini league’: Sarsfields +2, Marshalstown-Castledockrell +1, and St. Anne’s Rathangan -3. So, if those results were to happen, the current positions would remain unchanged.
The consolation for St. Anne’s is that they are already safe from relegation, even if they lose. While it may appear that would see Gusserane jump to fifth on the head-to-head rule, they (Gusserane) are destined to finish bottom of the group no matter what. The reason is that they conceded a walkover during the group stage, and so in accordance with rule, they go straight to the bottom of any tie with another team on the same number of points.
In Group B, the current top three will go through. The meeting of Buffers Alley and St. Martin’s will decide who joins them in the quarter-finals. While a win for Réalt na Mara could see them tied with St. Martin’s on 4 points for 4th and 5th place, St. Martin’s have the advantage of the head-to-head result in that one.
However, Réalt na Mara will still be going all-out against St. Brigid’s Blackwater, as a win for them there would lift them off the bottom, no matter what happens in the Buffers Alley v St. Martin’s match.
Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior ‘A’ Football Championship
Group A fixtures: HWH Bunclody v Naomh Éanna; Starlights v St. Joseph’s.
Group B fixtures: Ferns St. Aidans v Davidstown-Courtnacuddy; St. Abban’s Adamstown v St. Mary’s Maudlintown; Shamrocks v Rathgarogue-Cushinstown.
Group A of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior ‘A’ Football Championship has only five teams, due to the withdrawal of Glynn-Barntown’s third team before competition commenced. They are thus relegated to Junior ‘B’ for next year.
The current top four are already through to the quarter-finals. Even if HWH Bunclody win on Sunday and Starlights lose, Starlights have the head-to-head result to decide that one. There’s also the consideration that HWH-Bunclody conceded a walkover along the way, and so would end up bottom of any tie on points anyway.
In Group B, it’s all over bar the shouting. The current top three are already safely through, and the only way Rathgarogue-Cushinstown can fail to join them is if they lose to Shamrocks, St. Abban’s Adamstown beat St. Mary’s Maudlintown, and there is a scoring swing of more than 30 points in those two matches.
The eye-catching tie here is the top-of-the-table meeting of Davidstown-Courtnacuddy and Ferns St. Aidans. Both sides have 100% records so far, and the winners here are likely to earn the tag of favourites for the entire championship – but of course, there’s a long way to go yet, and anything can happen in the championship!
