Meath set to fall to all-conquering Donegal team

The Church & General National Football League tomorrow stages its last full programme of the year (nine-team Section D has a further programme before the break, next week). Chief amongst the attractions tomorrow are the top-of-the-table clashes in Sections B and C. In the former section, Meath travel to Ballyshannon to take on Donegal and at least one 100 per cent record will go by the board.

Under Declan Bonner, Donegal have been impressive. The nasty atmosphere that pervaded their match against Armagh two weeks ago clouded what was an important victory over opposition that had been playing well and scoring freely. As is frequently the case with wintry League meetings between Ulster counties, the atmosphere and intensity reached championship levels and the win was accordingly all the more valuable.

Whereas Donegal's win was filed among victories over three of their top four rivals in the section, Meath - under-strength in the absence of the county's last two captains, Tommy Dowd and John McDermott - on the other hand have so far recorded wins over the bottom three counties. These contrasting successes hold the key to tomorrow's probable outcome - the win that will essentially guarantee Donegal a quarter-final place four months ahead of schedule.

Elsewhere in Section B, away teams should prosper: Derry at Casement Park, Armagh in Mullingar and Longford across the water in Ruislip.

In Section C, the currency of 100 per cent records is of higher value and whoever wins tomorrow's meeting at Dungannon between Tyrone and Offaly will go into the break in high spirits.

Like Meath in their section, Tyrone have built a full-points record against the teams in the table's lower reaches. That success rate is a tribute to some effective experimentation. Since the Errigal Ciaran contingent is still being rested, Danny Ball names the same team that defeated Cavan. They will be up against it this weekend. Offaly's matches to date have been impressive for the very fact that they haven't had to kill themselves to record victories over Monaghan, Dublin and Kerry. In the last two cases, strong finishing bursts and a calm refusal to panic have seen them to good wins by unflatteringly tight margins.

Finbar Cullen returns to the team only four weeks after losing his three front teeth.

At Parnell Park, Dublin and Cavan contest what gifted writers refer to as "a four-pointer" with the losers staring in the face a Division Four stint next season. Hard to call, but given the Ulster champions' mountainous injury problems, Dublin get the nod.

Kerry will be glad to call it a day after Sligo's visit. The Connacht finalists have been having a good League and will doubtless put up another good show in Tralee, but Kerry have strengthened their selection since defeat in Tullamore and should see out a memorable year in fitting style.

Another of the weekend's fixtures between unbeaten teams takes place in Drogheda where Section A teams Galway and Louth play. The home side are in the middle of a good run and have acquired full points as well as the B All-Ireland. Galway have assembled a less-satisfactory unbeaten record, dropping points in draws with rivals Laois and Mayo.

In themselves, these results aren't bad but in this most competitive of sections, teams hoping to reach the play-offs have to beat a couple of the other leading sides. John O'Mahony is also experiencing difficulties in nailing down his first-choice team and has excused Corofin players ahead of next week's Connacht club final. Tomorrow is Galway's last chance to score a hit on likely play-off rivals and they may just avail of it.

Eire Og and Skibbereen and greatly vexed the Carlow club by failing to call a free out in the dying moments of the first match which as a result of his non-intervention and a subsequent free awarded against Eire Og, was drawn on stroke of time by the Cork champions.

In the replay he disallowed a last-minute goal which would have decided the match in the Carlow side's favour.

Leitrim have been making good progress under Peter McGinnity and their win in Fermanagh was evidence of as much - notwithstanding the poor form of last year's B champions. Kilkenny travel to Carrick-on-Shannon tomorrow whereas Fermanagh, with Mark Gallagher's comeback after injury apparently on ice, play Laois in Portlaoise. A brace of home wins is short-odds.

The last of the clashes between unbeaten teams takes place in Section D, with Newbridge as the venue for the local derby between Wicklow and Kildare. Wicklow rested the last day while Kildare experienced a troublesome outing in Tipperary which they were lucky to survive. Since Niall Rennick's return, Wicklow have enjoyed solid performances. This match is not beyond them but the balance tilts slightly towards the home team.

Cork make the long trip to Newcastle, where Down must win to make any sort of an impact on the top of the table. The visitors have the full Castlehaven contingent and should take the points. Ditto Roscommon and Clare at the expense of Waterford and Limerick.