Cork football talking points: Fall out from an epic club weekend 

FINE MARGINS:

For the first time since the inception of the group stages, two teams will meet again to decide who moves into the quarter-finals.

St Michael's squeezed out a one-point win over Mallow while Douglas lost by seven to St Finbarr's. The results left the southside clubs on the same scoring difference and scores in total, so they couldn't be separated per the rulebook.

Interestingly, only for Ian Maguire's late point for the Barrs, the margin would have been six and Douglas would have grabbed a quarter-final with Duhallow. Instead, it's a unique Douglas versus St Michael's playoff on Friday, September 22 in Páirc Uí Rinn.

DERBY DELIGHT:

While clashes between local rivals can often be tetchy affairs, some of the best games on Leeside last weekend were derbies.

Best of the lot was arguably Knocknagree's SAFC victory over Kanturk. They needed to down the neighbours by three points or more to progress and it took a 67th-minute Anthony O'Connor free to seal a 2-11 to 0-14 success. 

O'Donovan Rossa were the odd team out, their scoring difference the same as Kanturk but they managed fewer scores overall.

At a heaving Coachford, early green flags from Darragh O'Mahony and Liam O'Connell, who is set to depart for Aussie Rules in the coming weeks, laid the platform for Ballincollig's win over Éire Óg. It was a first championship joust at the top level between the clubs and didn't disappoint in terms of excitement. 

A draw would have sufficed for the Ovens side, and Colm O'Callaghan did his best to pull them back level, but Collig sharpshooter Cian Dorgan's accuracy was a key factor in their exit. 

Castlehaven and Clon ended 1-16 to 1-14, a great advert for Gaelic football on the Rebels Online streaming service, lit up by some terrific scores from Brian Hurley, Jack Cahalane and Darragh Gough, though both West Cork bluebloods move on to the knockout section.

Dohenys condemned Ilen Rovers to an SAFC relegation playoff in a cracker that finished 3-13 to 1-15, Fionn Herlihy and Mark Buckley shone again while Keith White raised two green flags.

Chris Óg Jones, who enjoyed a breakthrough season for Cork, showed his class at Premier Intermediate level with 1-4 from play in a victory over Naomh Abán. Iveleary's reward is another, even tougher, derby with Cill na Martra, from whom Shane Ó Duinnín helped himself to 1-5 in a rout of Na Piarsaigh.

HAT-TRICK HERO:

St Finbarr's and Nemo remain the teams to beat at Premier Senior but at the lower levels, city clubs St Nicks and Na Piarsaigh, who are immersed in a relegation dogfight with Macroom, failed to fire.

St Vincent's bucked that trend by seeing off Glanmire thanks to a treble from Blake Murphy in a nine-minute burst. Murphy, exceptional at U20 in the 2019 All-Ireland triumph, might have a bit to offer Cork at senior yet.

Vincent's, with Keith Ricken involved, are through to an IAFC quarter-final against Adrigole.

BARRS DEPTH:

With a plethora of dual Blues, they needed a weekend off in Togher and grabbing top seed in the Premier SFC provides just that. They were fairly comfortable against Douglas despite the absence of marquee forward Steven Sherlock.

Even more impressive is the fact the Barrs' second team are through to the semi-finals of the Premier Junior grade, along with Kilmurry. 

Their squad is so strong because they've consistently lifted minor silverware in the modern era. Indeed they're through to another Premier 1 final next Monday night where they will be marginal favourites against Douglas.