Play-offs go down to the wire

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE:FAR FROM clarifying the picture, the penultimate round of matches in the AIB All-Ireland League merely muddied the waters, especially with regard to the Division One play-off places. After 14 rounds only three points separate the top seven, all of whom can either qualify or miss out on the top four play-offs going into next Saturday's finale.

All seven changed places during the course of a fluctuating afternoon last Saturday, with Cork Con, Dolphin and Shannon all jumping two positions in moving into the top three, while Garryowen dropped from first to fourth and Clontarf and St Mary’s each pushed up a place to fifth and sixth.

The big losers were Blackrock, who plummeted from second to seventh after losing 22-8 to Dungannon.

Despite being outscored by three tries to one, the champions steadied the ship with a 22-20 win at Old Belvedere (who thus lost any hope of making the top eight and next season’s Division 1A) thanks largely to Jeremy Manning’s fourth penalty in the last minute. Dolphin ended Garryowen’s ten-match winning run in the result of the day with a 14-9 win at home, while Shannon turned a 6-0 interval deficit away to UL Bohs into a 12-6 win thanks to two second-half tries by scrum-half Fionn McLoughlin.

UL Bohs had the consolation of securing qualification for next season’s Division 1A.

The permutations next week are endless, so much so that mathematically, Con are not even certain of a semi-final place even if they win.

But, realistically, the champions should almost certainly qualify by dint of beating Ballymena at home, as should the winners of the Shannon-Dolphin shoot-out, though the losers will probably miss out, given Garryowen host Galwegians, Clontarf host Dungannon and St Mary’s make the short trek to already relegated Terenure.

Blackrock, at home to UL Bohs, may have missed the boat.

Young Munster kept their hopes of retaining Division One status alive with an 18-0 win at Buccaneers. Munsters now travel to UCD in what looks like a face-off for survival after the students’ defeat to St Mary’s, though Buccs (at home to Belvo) still aren’t safe.

The two promotion slots from Division Two will go down to the wire if Ballynahinch beat Highfield at home in their controversially rearranged match today after the top three all won, although Lansdowne and UCC know they can secure promotion if they win away to Trinity and DLSP next Saturday.

DLSP are safe after their hugely significant win at Wanderers, who now face a last-day scrap for survival away to Highfield, while Thomond (a point above them) entertain Bective after securing a potentially invaluable bonus point in their defeat to UCC.

Corinthians secured promotion from Division Three after their 15-10 win at home to Queens, who drop to fourth, while Old Wesley dropped out of second place with their defeat at Barnhall (which should ensure their safety) thanks to Midleton’s 92-0 win at home to doomed Waterpark.

Queens host Midleton next week, while Wesley are at home to a Sunday’s Well side now in the relegation play-off place.