AIL: Sunday's Well and Dolphin battle for survival

IT’S a critical round 15 in energia All-Ireland League with Cork’s representatives striving to avoid a repeat of Black Saturday, when all six clubs lost a week ago, plunging some of them to crisis point with just four games to play.

Chief among them are Sundays Well, whose senior status is hanging by a thread, propping up Division 2C with 11 points and staring down the barrel of playing junior football next season.

They face into the first of three cup finals in effect tomorrow against fellow strugglers Omagh Academicals at Musgrave Park with the Ulster side a place above them and nine points better off, underlining the significance of the outcome.

The Cork club follow that with a trip to eighth-placed Ballina before hosting Midleton in seventh, a set of fixtures that will determine the Well’s future.

The team finishing last will be relegated and the side in ninth will play the runners-up of the junior qualifiers in a one-game play-off with the senior club having home advantage.

Omagh won the corresponding home tie 19-10 with Finn MacFhlanncha crossing for a try, converted by Fabien Loughrey, who also kicked a penalty, for the Well.

Midleton are still in the mix, just two points ahead of Omagh and one in front of Ballina but with some wriggle room even if they face a difficult test against promotion-chasing Tullamore at Towns Park.

The visitors are second in the standings with no hope of catching runaway leaders, Instonians, who’ve won all 14 games with bonus points, and have Skerries breathing down their necks for that important runners-up place, which carries a home tie in the play-offs.

Midleton lost 20-12 in the midlands, scoring a try via Ryan Lehane as well as being awarded a penalty try.

It’s also a trying time at the other end of Musgrave Park where Dolphin’s Division 2A status is also under serious threat, currently in last spot on 17 points and four behind tomorrow’s opponents UL Bohemians in a game of major importance.

In effect, it’s almost like a relegation decider in its own right with the Cork club needing to win to avoid being shoved closer to the automatic slide to Division 2B while victory, which would only be Dolphin’s third of the season, would leave the Limerick club just as vulnerable on the run-in.

And a further indication of just how tight matters are in that area of the table is the scoring difference of a mere eight points with UL Bohs marginally in front on that count.

Dolphin won their earlier meeting on home territory by 27-24 with tries from Rob Reardon, Cameron O’Shaughnessy and a penalty try. Tomas Quinlan kicked 10 points.

The pair are striving to avoid finishing bottom of the pile and automatic relegation with the other facing teams from 2B in the play-offs.

Higher up the food chain, UCC are also in a precarious position in Division 1B, where they currently sit eighth on 24 points, four more than ninth-placed Banbridge, who visit the Mardyke while Malone prop up the table on 15.

A win would considerably boost the Students’ survival prospects and a repeat of the 32-21 victory up north would be gratefully accepted by all involved.

College crossed five times that afternoon with Johnny Murphy, Sam O’Sullivan, Joe O’Leary, Andrew O’Mahony and Killian Coghlan touching down.

Cork’s other sides, Constitution and Highfield have different challenges in attempting to make the play-offs in search of the title and promotion to the top tier respectively.

Con travel to play Garryowen, who were relegated from Division 1A a week ago in a repeat of their 2014 experience though they bounced back immediately.

The Cork side have lost their last three competitive games, but this represents an opportunity to cement third spot and hunt down Terenure College in second.

Highfield have a crunch tie with Old Wesley in Division 1B at Woodleigh Park, where it’s fourth against fifth and just two points separating the rivals. The Dublin club won 6-5 at home, Travis Coomey scoring ’Field’s try.

It’s an opportunity to make amends for last week’s disappointing late defeat by Old Belvedere, who opened up a six-point gap in third.