Clohessy free to face Ballymena

The scrap for those coveted play-off places in the AIB League hots up by the week, and regardless of the quality, the quantity cannot be disputed. With only five rounds of matches left, any four clubs from 10 are in contention in what is undoubtedly the most open First Division in a decade.

It says everything about the competitiveness within the top flight that Shannon, in fourth place, and Cork Constitution, in 10th, have the same win-loss records. All that separates them is the four bonus points Shannon have stealthily accrued, whereas the holders are the only first division team without a single bonus point.

Two or three of the rump are likely to have suffered four defeats by about 4.15 this afternoon, but even then they couldn't be ruled out of contention. Brent Pope, the St Mary's coach, believes that fourth place could ultimately go to a team with five defeats from their 11 games.

So play-off eight-pointers come thick and fast, with Garryowen-Buccaneers and Dungannon-Lansdowne today's cases in point. Even Young Munster, in splendid isolation atop the table with five wins from six, could rapidly be consumed by the pack and drop out of the top four were they to lose a couple of matches.

Their coach, John "Paco" Fitzgerald, is the first to accept this and accordingly has successfully pleaded with Warren Gatland to have Peter Clohessy in the Young Munster line-up for today's match at Ballymena, on the understanding that he will endeavour to return the favour by resting the old warrior at a later date.

"I explained to Warren that this was a big one for us and that I'd make it up to him somewhere along the line," revealed Fitzgerald, who also recalls fit-again Tongan Matt te Pau.

"We're going 1,000 per cent for a result in this one. We need to maintain some continuity now while we're on a bit of a roll and if we won it would give us great direction."

Indeed, while it might be stretching things to say they'd have one foot in the play-offs, were Young Munster to win today they would certainly have their big toes in the semi-finals.

But Fitzgerald admits that "you underestimate Ballymena at your peril".

"They're a good side. They've a big pack and some good backs. They're quite mobile too and like to play a ball-in-hand game, which is obviously down to the influence of Dion O'Cuinneagain."

Another significant game sees third-placed Terenure entertain fourth-placed Shannon, who welcome back Mick Galwey - with Eddie Halvey reverting to open side - while Maurice Lawlor replaces winger John O'Neill (ankle) in the only changes from the side which beat Ballymena 31-5 two weeks ago.

"That's history," says Pat Murray of Shannon's last outing. "Last season we had a brilliant result against Lansdowne and then we came out against Terenure and we got a good hockeying. They're going well, they're a solid team and they work hard for each other."

Second-placed St Mary's seek to end an unnerving sequence of two defeats tomorrow when they entertain Clontarf, unsurprisingly unchanged from their last outing against Garryowen, which gave substance to the old chestnut that any team can beat any other team on a given day.

But that is unlikely to extend to Con's trip to bottom-placed DLSP, all of which prompts Fitzgerald to ponder: "It should be an interesting table at five o'clock." In Division Two, eight teams remain in the hunt for the four automatic, and one play-off, promotion places. Match of the day is the clash of leaders City of Derry against unbeaten Blackrock.

The top two, Old Wesley and Ballynahinch, clash in Division Three at Ballymacarn Park. The top six continue a closely fought battle for the five automatic promotion places - the sixth placed club will go into a play-off with the bottom team in Division Two.

In the penultimate round of Division Four, the pacesetters Trinity and Barnhall should maintain their winning way at Waterpark and Omagh to ensure the divisional title will go down to the wire.