League too tight to call

With two rounds of the National Football League left, there is still intense competition in the two sections of Division One.

Section B is particularly tight, with only four points covering all eight teams. At the moment no team has either qualified for the semi-finals or been relegated.

Kerry lead Division One A by two points and are likely qualifiers. They will be fancied to take two more points off an out-of-sorts Mayo next weekend, although their final match is against Tyrone - chasing a third successive title.

The holders may well have cleared enough of a space in their matches against Cork and Westmeath to ensure that they qualify along with Kerry.

Cork have found form after a poor start and their trip to Tyrone, postponed after the death of Cormac McAnallen, will be a critical indicator of their prospects. A new date hasn't yet been fixed and, in the meantime, Billy Morgan's team will face Dublin and Fermanagh.

None of the remaining counties are likely to make the semi-finals. Even were Dublin to win both their remaining fixtures, against Cork and Longford, nine points would hardly beat the final tallies of whichever two from Kerry, Tyrone or Cork qualify.

Kerry and Tyrone have the additional advantage of having by far the biggest scoring differences in the division, +28.

At the bottom, the water is up to the chins of Westmeath and Fermanagh. Westmeath have yet to play Tyrone and Mayo and, whereas two points might suffice, Fermanagh have the best shot at salvation with a match against Longford, the team just above the drop zone and with the division's worst scoring difference, -26.

Division One B is tighter. Limerick have done really well in their first season to be still leading the group. It wasn't widely acknowledged at the weekend, but the injury-time goal that gave Liam Kearns's team a share of the points against Meath copper-fastened their place in Division One for next year - the original goal for their first season in the top flight.

Remaining matches against Sligo and Armagh give Limerick a good chance of making the semi-finals, although the second of those matches on the last day of the regulation season may well turn out to be a winner-takes-all clash with the semi-final place resting between them and Armagh.

Second in the table, Galway are fancied to take the other spot, as their remaining fixtures against Wexford and Cavan will be expected to yield full points.

The other end of the table is tightening with the improved form of back-markers Cavan and Laois. The counties play each other next weekend and should Cavan lose their cause looks hopeless with only Galway left; if it's Laois who get beaten, they have the consolation of a home match against Wexford, whom they beat in last year's championship, to keep hopes of staying up alive.

The promotion stakes in Division Two A are straightforward. Donegal have beaten both of their main rivals already and will be expected to defeat Clare and seal promotion this weekend.

The other place will be taken by the winners of the OffalyRoscommon match.

Division Two B is trickier. Kildare are odds-on with the formality of a trip to Waterford the only obstacle between them and promotion. The final spot is too close to call, but chances are that the winners of Sunday's Wicklow-Derry match will go up.