Permutations aplenty as final round of group games looms

This year’s Westmeath club football championships have certainly thrown up plenty of surprises and talking points.

2019 champions Garrycastle who also reached the 2021 final - when it required a replay and extra-time for St Loman’s, Mullingar to prevail - have been relegated to the intermediate grade with a round of group games to spare.

Last year’s champions The Downs - who went on to contest the 2022 Leinster club decider - have been eliminated from the championship with no wins from four group games.

In addition, 2021 intermediate winners Tang have emerged as one of the stories of the senior championship with four wins from their four games.

There are a plethora of different permutations ahead of this weekend’s final round of group games. The situation is complicated by the new rule, introduced nationally at this year's GAA Congress, which stipulates that when two or more teams are level on points, it’s the league points and then the scoring difference in the games involving the tied teams, rather than the overall scoring difference in the group, which decides placings. If this is unable to separate teams, overall scoring difference then comes into play.

This means things could get very complicated this weekend, but we’ll attempt to make things clearer below.

SFC Section A

In this section, local interest in the south of the county revolves around whether Caulry can advance to the knockout stages. In order to do so, the Mount Temple/Baylin men need to defeat or at least draw with The Downs. Although The Downs are already out of contention, the black and amber men will be very keen not to sign off with another defeat.

St Loman’s, Mullingar are already assured of a place in the knockout stages and they can secure an automatic semi-final berth with a win over Killucan.

There are three other qualification places up for grabs, with Coralstown/Kinnegad, Caulry, Tyrrellspass and Killucan in contention. Coralstown/Kinnegad have been seen as the most likely team to challenge championship favourites St Loman’s for the Flanagan Cup, but a narrow defeat to Killucan in their last game means they still have work to do when they face Tyrrellspass this weekend.

SFC Section B

Tang are already through to the quarter-finals and there are four teams vying for the other qualifying spot in this group.

If Athlone beat Garrycastle, if Shandonagh beat table toppers Tang and if the Moate All Whites v Mullingar Shamrocks match doesn’t end in a draw, three teams will be level on six points.

Let’s say Moate beat Shamrocks and there are wins for Athlone and Shandonagh. This would see Moate, Athlone and Shandonagh finish on six points. In a ‘mini table’ involving the three teams, they would be level on league points, but scoring difference would give the All Whites the edge. Moate have a scoring difference of +3 from the games involving these three teams, Shandonagh are on +1, while Athlone are on -4.

If Moate win, the only way they can still lose out on qualification is if they end up level on points with just Shandonagh (the latter would have a head-to-head advantage in that situation).

If Shamrocks overcome Moate, and Athlone and Shandonagh both win, these three teams would be level on six points. But although the Mullingar side’s scoring difference would be superior, Athlone would go through as they would have more league points from the games involving the three tied teams.

For Athlone, the most straightforward way for them to qualify is for a win over Garrycastle to be combined with a victory for Shamrocks over Moate and Shandonagh failing to beat Tang. In that scenario, Athlone and Shamrocks would be tied for second place on six points, but the Shannonsiders would get through on the head-to-head rule by virtue of their win over the Mullingar men.

In a nutshell, Athlone will go through if they win and Moate fail to do so in their game.

Athlone have been a long time waiting for a senior championship win over Garrycastle. This observer reckons their last such victory was back in 2001, though there have been at least three SFC draws between the clubs since.

Garrycastle have a new management team with decorated former players Tom McHugh and Karl Henson involved and they will not want to end their lengthy stint at senior level with a defeat to their closest neighbours.

The usual passion and fervour associated with a local derby is likely to be evident, but both sides will be looking for an improvement when it comes to the crucial matter of putting scores on the board.

IFC Section A

The Westmeath IFC hasn’t thrown up as many shocks as its senior equivalent, but the fact that last year’s semi-finalists St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge are out with four defeats has raised some eyebrows.

As things stand in Section A, Tubberclair and Castledaly are in the automatic semi-final places, and it looks a battle between Milltown, Rosemount and Ballymore for the other two qualifying places.

Interestingly, there is a possibility of five teams finishing on six points – this would happen if Ballymore beat Tubberclair, Rosemount overcome Castledaly and Milltown defeat St Mary’s.

The meeting of Castledaly and Rosemount on Friday evening is an intriguing contest as the clubs play together under the Cill Óige banner at underage level. It’s a game where Rosemount’s need for victory is greater, but they will be facing a Castledaly side that has bounced back from their opening-round defeat to record three straight wins.

IFC Section B

Two issues are decided here - St Malachy’s are through to the quarter-finals and Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall have been relegated to the junior ranks for next year

Multyfarnham, Milltownpass, Maryland and Ballynacargy are level on four points, and one of those teams will advance to the knockout stages.

Maryland need to beat Milltownpass and hope other results go their way. But with Ballynacargy looking virtual certainties to defeat the already relegated Castletown-Finea men, Bal’ look likely to advance, though scoring difference could work against them.

Junior 1 FC

The format in the Westmeath Junior 1 FC is different in that there will be four quarter-finals. The top four teams in Section A will meet the top four teams in Section B in four quarter-finals.

In Section A, which contains the second teams of senior clubs, Garrycastle and Killucan are already out. Section B features ‘sole junior clubs’ in addition to the second team of Moate All Whites, who are now out of the running.

Kilbeggan Shamrocks are currently top of Section B and are already assured of a quarter-final place. They will be joined by three of St Joseph’s, Ballycomoyle, Bunbrosna and St Paul’s.

The team which tops Section A will meet the fourth placed team in Section B, and it’s second v third, third v second and fourth v first thereafter.

*Click here for this weekend's Westmeath GAA fixtures.