Working nine for five - the SAFC permutations

Nine of the 12 teams in the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC will by vying for five knockout places as the group stages conclude on Sunday afternoon.

Ahead of the last set of games, Bishopstown are the only club guaranteed to progress, having won twice in Group 3. One of the sides they have beaten – Dohenys, the beaten finalists of 2023 – are unable to qualify, with Fermoy in the same situation in Group 2, but otherwise everyone else has a chance.

Nowhere is that more true than in Group 1, which has all four teams tied on two points each after two games. Éire Óg, relegated from premier senior last year, started off with a narrow win over Kanturk but then lost to Newmarket; the Duhallow side had been beaten by Kilshannig but last year’s premier intermediate champions then lost to Kanturk.

It means that the two group games are effectively quarter-final qualifiers, albeit with a slight chance that victory might allow for a bye straight through to the semis. Kanturk top the table on scoring difference and that may yet be useful if their clash with divisional rivals Newmarket in Banteer finishes in a draw; equally, Éire Óg have a two-point advantage on Kilshannig that means the avoidance of defeat in Donoughmore will be enough to keep alive their hopes of an immediate return to the top flight.

Group 2 sees three teams vying for two spots. Cill na Martra and Knocknagree played out a thrilling draw in the first set of games and then beat Fermoy and Clyda Rovers respectively. Clyda’s win over Fermoy means that a second defeat ended the hopes of the latter, but now the Mourneabbey side must beat Cill na Martra in Páirc Uí Rinn to extend their season.

If Knocknagree win or draw in Buttevant against a Fermoy side seeking to avoid the relegation play-off, then the beaten finalists of 2022 and 2024 will be progressing; they could even get through with a defeat if Cill na Martra beat Clyda but a Clyda win in such circumstances would see the Duhallow team edged out on scoring difference by their Gaeltacht rivals.

Bishopstown will go into their last Group 3 match, against Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in Coachford, with the pressure off to a degree but they will still be chasing the win that would give them a semi-final spot and knowing that a loss would see them overtaken at the top of the table by the Muskerry outfit, who have three points.

The other game in that group is the west Cork derby clash between O’Donovan Rossa, who have one point, and Dohenys, who have yet to register. In recent years, the clubs have met in knockout fare but here the mission is to try to escape fourth place and a possible relegation match.

While Dohenys cannot qualify, a win for Skibb coupled with defeat for Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh and a six-point overall turnaround would be enough for them to take second behind Bishopstown.