The outstanding games in Allianz Football League Division 2 will be played this weekend, with relegation on the line.
Croke Park have confirmed that Down-Tipperary and Louth-Meath will throw-in at 3.0pm on Saturday with Cork, Down or Meath facing the drop to Division 3 next season.
The Wee County are already down so that makes the Royals favourites to move away from the trapdoor as their opponents this weekend have nothing to play for. A win away in Drogheda would ensure survival.
Down need a win to have a chance of avoiding the drop, but for this to happen they need Meath and Louth to draw so that Down, Meath and Cork all finish level on six points and the issue would then go to scoring difference.
Tipp can feel hard done-by as defeat to Cavan last weekend brought an end to their promotion push. It may have turned out differently had they played Down first, as scheduled, and all of the final round games been played on the same day.
These games were called off on the weekend of 18 March after snow left GAA fixtures across the country badly it.
It looks like the two outstanding Division 4 games, Laois-Antrim and Waterford-Leitrim, both of which fell victim to the weather, won’t be played. Laois beat Carlow at the weekend to book their place in the Division 4 final, meaning there are no outstanding issues to be resolved.
It would mean though that Leitrim will only play five of their seven games in the League this year, having already conceded their fixture with London which was called off when Storm Emma battered Ireland at the start of March.
Roscommon manager Kevin McStay, who guided his team to a quick return to the top flight with a win over Cork on Sunday, has criticised the GAA’s decision not to play all of the final round games on the same day.
He said: "It was the wrong thing to do, no question about it. We haven’t suffered because of it, but if there’s integrity to the League all these matches in the final round should take place at the same time on the same day; whatever that took.
"The Leagues are the big selling point in the GAA; the Leagues are so level. Everyone in our division, bar Louth, who’ll admit themselves that they had a poor campaign, all of our games were tight, tight games that weren’t decided until the last five minute.
"The League is a fantastic competition. The Leagues are the big selling point in the GAA and they really should go after them and try to develop them."
All four football finals will go ahead as planned this weekend – Armagh v Fermanagh in Division 3 and Carlow v Laois in Division 4 on Saturday, and the Division 2 decider between Cavan and Roscommon and Galway-Dublin in Division 1 on Sunday. All of those games are at Croke Park.
Meanwhile, the two Allianz Hurling League Division 1 semi-finals have been split over two days. Tipperary-Limerick is on Saturday evening at 7.0pm at Semple Stadium on the same bill as the colleges’ final between Presentation Athenry and St Kieran’s.
Wexford-Kilkenny is then on in Innovate Wexford Park at 2.0pm on Sunday.
Saturday
Allianz Hurling League
Division 1 semi-final
1900, Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium
Allianz Football League
Division 2 Round 6 re-fixtures
1500 Down v Tipperary, Páirc Esler
1500, Louth v Meath, Gaelic Grounds
Division 4 final
1500, Carlow v Laois, Croke Park
Division 3 final
1700, Armagh v Fermanagh, Croke Park
Sunday
Allianz Hurling League
Division 1 semi-final
1400, Wexford v Kilkenny, Innovate Wexford Park
Allianz Football League
Division 2 final
1400, Cavan v Roscommon, Croke Park
Division 1 final
1600, Dublin v Galway, Croke Park
