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Preview: Weekend's Allianz Football League action

The meeting of Monaghan and Tyrone is a big game in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League this weekend. 

The meeting of Monaghan and Tyrone is a big game in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League this weekend. 

It's moving day across the four divisions of the Allianz Football League with teams facing off in the penultimate round.

No team has yet clinched promotion or been relegated, but that's likely to have changed by the time Round 6 has concluded.

How they stand in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League.

How they stand in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1

Saturday, March 18

Armagh v Galway, Box-It Athletic Grounds, 5pm - RTÉ2 / RTÉ Player

Kerry v Roscommon, Austin Stack Park, 7.30pm – TG4

Sunday, March 19

Monaghan v Tyrone, Clones, 2pm

Donegal v Mayo, Ballybofey, 3.45pm - TG4

Unbeaten Mayo are the only team in Division one who don’t have to at least keep one eye on the relegation picture.

With three wins and two draws from five matches they’re sitting pretty at the top of the table and a win over Donegal on Sunday will more than likely clinch their place in the League Final.

That result would put bottom of the table Donegal in ever greater dire straits, and even relegate them if Armagh beat Galway, Kerry beat Roscommon, and the Monaghan v Tyrone match ends in a victory for either team.

That meeting of Armagh and Galway is the first match of the weekend and will have an impact at the top of the table too, as the winner will be very much in the League Final picture.

But defeat for either could mean they’re sweating going into the final round of games next weekend.

Saturday’s other match is the meeting of Kerry and Roscommon in Austin Stack Park.

The Rossies won their first three matches of the competition but have stumbled since then, falling to defeats to Monaghan and Mayo. Another loss here would probably mean they’d need to beat Donegal in the final round to be sure of retaining their Division One status.

As for Kerry, the reigning All-Ireland champions have struggled to find their rhythm so far this year, losing three of five matches played, and really need to win this one to ease their relegation worries with a tricky trip to Galway coming in the final round.

But so fine are the margins in Division 1 that Kerry could yet qualify for the Division 1 Final by winning their final two matches.

That’s also mathematically true for both Monaghan and Tyrone, though you suspect they’d both happily settle for retention of their Division 1 status after some inconsistent form so far this year.

Their meeting in Clones on Sunday is arguably the biggest of the round, with defeat for either leaving them with a real battle on their hands to avoid the drop.

How they stand in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League. 

How they stand in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League. 

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2

Saturday March 18

Meath v Dublin, Páirc Tailteann, 3pm - RTÉ2 / RTÉ Player

Sunday March 19

Derry v Clare, Owenbeg, 1pm - BBC iPlayer

Louth v Cork, Ardee, 1pm

Limerick v Kildare, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 3.45pm

With five wins from five Derry are sitting pretty on top of Division 2 but promotion isn’t a mathematical certainty just yet. They can make it so by defeating Clare in Owenbeg on Sunday, but that won’t be a straightforward game.

Clare are second from bottom in the relegation zone, but they were unlucky to lose to both Dublin and Kildare by a single point and are capable of troubling the best on any given day.

They’ll probably need to get something from this match, because if they lose and Kildare beat bottom of the table Limerick, then both Clare and Limerick will be relegated.

Kildare have been so inconsistent this year that a win over an improving Limerick team that drew last time out against Meath isn’t a certainty though.

A big crowd is expected at the first Division 2 match of the weekend – the meeting of Meath and Dublin in Páirc Tailteann on Saturday.

Dublin will be keen to bounce back after their defeat to Derry and move one step closer to promotion whereas a wobbling Meath need to find their feet again.

They started the campaign strongly with two wins from two but then suffered bad defeats to Derry and Louth and only managed a draw last time out against a Limerick team that had lost their previous four games by an average of 12 points.

Cork and Louth both still have an outside chance of promotion and their clash essentially decides which of them stays in that picture.

Cork’s wins have been more high-scoring but Louth have gotten better with every game and with home advantage will fancy their chances of producing another upset.

How they stand in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League.

How they stand in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3

Saturday, March 18

Antrim v Cavan, Corrigan Park, 2pm

Fermanagh v Westmeath, Brewster Park, 6pm

Tipperary v Offaly, FBD Semple Stadium, 2pm

Down v Longford, Páirc Esler, 7pm

Cavan have been the form team in Division 3, winning five matches from five, and can clinch promotion if they make that six wins by defeating Antrim.

That looks a likely outcome given the Saffrons fell to a 31-point defeat to Westmeath last time out.

With just one win from five matches Antrim sit a single point above the relegation zone, and are perhaps fortunate that both Tipperary and Longford below them have also struggled for form this year.

That pair, with just one point each to their name, are now very much in must-win territory, though both will be underdogs this weekend with Tipperary hosting Offaly and Longford travelling to Down.

The meeting of Fermanagh and Westmeath will have a big say on the promotion picture. Fermanagh are currently second on eight points with four wins from five, but Westmeath on six points will have been buoyed by that big win over Antrim.

If they can come away from Brewster Park with a win then they’re right back in the mix as will Westmeath and Offaly if they win their matches.

How they stand in Division 4 of the Allianz Football League. 

How they stand in Division 4 of the Allianz Football League. 

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4

Saturday, March 18

Carlow v Sligo, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm

Waterford v London, Lemybrien, 5pm

Wexford v Wicklow, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 7pm

Sunday, March 19

Leitrim v Laois, Avant Money Páirc Seán MacDiarmada, 2pm

It’s a testament to the even standard in Division 4 that six teams are still in the hunt for promotion.

Laois and Sligo currently occupy the top two spots and can narrow the field of contenders if they beat Leitrim and Carlow respectively this weekend.

In that scenario the only other team they’d have to then worry about would be Wicklow if the Garden County manage to overcome Wexford on Saturday.