GAELIC GAMES NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE:THE NATIONAL Football League has consistently delivered one thing for its sponsors Allianz and the GAA in recent years - an exciting climax to the season. This year will be no different with only five counties in the top three divisions having nothing to play for at this stage.
Ironically one of them is Cork, whose absence from the first two rounds of the Division Two fixtures created a potential administrative headache that hasn't completely receded, and who on six points can be neither relegated nor promoted.
The others are Laois and Roscommon, relegated from Divisions One and Two respectively, and Louth, currently in third place in Division Three but unable to catch the top two and out of reach of the relegation zone, and Armagh, similarly becalmed in Division Two.
Even Division Four, with its runaway leaders Offaly and Antrim and no threat of relegation, is managing to keep four counties interested with two rounds left (the division has nine rather than eight teams).
Galway's narrow win over Mayo leaves them top of a Division One that is perfectly poised going into the last weekend. Behind Liam Sammon's team on 10 points are Derry, Kerry and holders Donegal.
Adding to the intrigue is the draw for the final series of matches, which sees the top four play each other.
In fact Galway and Kerry, who face each other in Salthill next Sunday, could be renewing rivalry a fortnight later in the divisional final - which would be the third time in five years that the counties would have met in the National Football League final, although the likelihood is that Kerry will have to achieve a win in order to advance.
Donegal have home advantage for their match with Derry, who have the benefit of the best scoring difference in the division.
Kildare look set to follow Laois down to Division Two, as even a win over Laois and defeat for Tyrone at home to Mayo would leave Kieran McGeeney's team needing to make up a scoring difference of 13.
Should Tyrone win the match in Omagh, Kildare need to close a points deficit of 20 on Mayo.
Of course should Tyrone and Mayo wish to pursue the West Germany-Austria option, they can play out a draw, which would preserve both counties' status by placing them beyond the reach of a Kildare win, however emphatic.
As things stand Dublin and Monaghan hold the whip hand in Division Two when it comes to replacing Laois and whoever accompanies them. Dublin have two matches left, against Armagh and Meath, and one point will see the Leinster champions promoted and into the divisional final.
Monaghan have a home match against third-placed Westmeath and the winners will join Dublin.
There are other permutations some of which raise the spectre of the forfeits awarded to Dublin and Meath for Cork's failure to fulfil those fixtures.
A draw between Monaghan and Westmeath could - were Dublin to lose their two remaining matches - lead to a three-way tie on nine points between Dublin, Meath and Westmeath. This would be particularly tricky, as play-offs would be required to separate the three.
A tie between Dublin and Meath - with Westmeath losing to Monaghan - would in all probability be resolved in Dublin's favour because they hold a massive 30-point scoring difference advantage over Meath, and because both were conceded walkovers by Cork there'd be no need for a play-off.
Cavan are favourites to accompany Roscommon down the chute, as they need to beat Roscommon with Armagh losing both matches against Dublin and Cork and in the process make up a points differential of 31.
Coming in the other direction from Division Three will be Fermanagh and almost certainly Wexford, who were very unlucky a year ago to miss out on a Division Two ranking on scoring difference. Both counties have managers in their first season, Malachy O'Rourke and Jason Ryan respectively.
The big disappointment in the division has been McKenna Cup winners Down, who have to beat both Limerick, in a back match, and Fermanagh and hope Wexford lose to Louth and blow a points advantage of 15 over the course of the three matches.
There has been huge interest at the other end of the table with the two relegated teams going into this year's Tommy Murphy Cup and missing out on the qualifiers unless they reach their provincial final. Propping up the table are Connacht champions Sligo, who need to beat Longford by three points and hope Limerick lose their postponed match against Down.
Failing that they can keep fingers crossed that the Wicklow motion before this weekend's Congress reverses the exclusion of Division Four counties from the qualifiers.
Escaping that fate regardless of congress will be Offaly, already promoted to Division Three, and in all probability Antrim despite their setback at the weekend, losing to Tipperary in Ardfinnan.
Whoever wins next week's match between Waterford and Tipp will still have a chance of getting past Antrim.
Meanwhile in next weekend's NHL semi-finals Tipperary will be back in Nowlan Park, to face home side Kilkenny with the match starting at 4.15pm. Cork versus Galway will be at the Limerick Gaelic Grounds at 3.30pm.
Remaining group fixtures
Sunday, April 13th - Tyrone v Mayo, Donegal v Derry, Laois v Kildare, Galway v Kerry.
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