Lidl National Football League Division Two round six: Monaghan v Roscommon (Sunday, Eire Og, Smithborough, 2pm)
MONAGHAN can ensure their Division Two status for next season with a win over Roscommon in Sunday's crunch game at Smithborough.
The Farney have one win from the five games so far and it is those three points that separate them from winless Roscommon who are bottom of the table. They come to Monaghan knowing they must win if they are to keep their hopes of staying up alive. Defeat will relegate them to Division Three for next year.
Monaghan's win came in the second round against Tyrone and while they have been on the back of three successive defeats, their most recent to Tipperary, manager Kieran Kearns says there have been plenty of positives to take from their performances and it's all about building and looking forward.
"We are definitely improving and will only get better with time," said Kearns. "We, as a management team, are very happy with the girls' progression to date, notwithstanding that the results have not come our way, but we're not that far away either. We'll keep working hard on ourselves, and with time, the results will come. I've no doubt about that."
With Monaghan relegated from senior to intermediate championship status last year, remaining in Division Two is important as they look to rebuild and get back to both a senior championship and division one league team in the future, to play at the highest level possible.
"We're no different than every other team. We want to be playing at the highest level that's attainable to us," said Kearns. "This is a very young Monaghan team that's always learning, always growing, and are always willing to do whatever is necessary for Monaghan ladies' football. Our goals are clearly defined, and we as a group know exactly what they are.
"We know what's at stake on Sunday. If we focus and concentrate on ourselves and perform as well as we know we can, then the result will look after itself. We'll worry about the last game on Sunday evening after we play Roscommon."
Roscommon have been unlucky in some of their results to date, not least their last game against Cavan, who hit two late points to win by the narrowest of margins. They also suffered two point defeats to Westmeath and Tipperary.
Despite those results, Kearns know they will face a tough challenge from their opposition.
"Roscommon could very well be sitting with six or even nine points if they had the luck of the green. They've been terribly unlucky. But we definitely feel we left a couple of games behind us as well, so it'll be an interesting tussle on Sunday.
"We know we're going in as underdogs, and rightfully so, we've shifted one heavy defeat to Laois, and whilst we were close in other games, Roscommon was definitely closer to opposition teams than we were. It's another big test for this young Monaghan team on Sunday, but we're really looking forward to it," he said.
Division 2: Armagh v Westmeath (Sunday, Athletic Grounds, 2pm)
ARMAGH have been business-like in their Division Two outings to do. Played five, won five. Shane McCormack's side sit top of the table and it's hard to see them slipping up as they look to reach a second successive league final.
Anything from the penultimate game against Westmeath at home in the Athletic Grounds – a point from a draw, but ultimately they will want the win – will see them book their place in the decider.
Westmeath are out of the contention at the top of the table and they have done enough to ensure their second tier status for another year. They will have been disappointed to have lost to Tyrone in their round four game and they know they size of the challenge ahead against Armagh. The Orchard County will look to keep doing what they have been for the previous five games and that was win. Not everything has been plain sailing for McCormack's side but so far any questions that have been asked of them they have answered with aplomb.
Division 2: Laois v Cavan (Sunday, Crettyard, 2pm)
THESE two teams are breathing down the neck of Division Two top two favourites Armagh and Tipperary. If either of them slip up in the final two rounds of games, Laois and Cavan will be ready to pounce. For the winner of this one, they are still in with a chance, mathematically, but for the other, that chance will be gone.
Laois lost to Armagh in their last outing while Cavan had a hard-fought one-point win over Roscommon. This will be a good test for both sides with the round robin stages of the league coming to a close and they will want to get as much out of it as they can with attentions soon turning to the championship.
Division 2: Tipperary v Tyrone (Sunday,, Fethard Town Park 3G, 1pm)
TYRONE are sitting mid-table, safe from relegation but out of reach of a final berth, however, Sean O'Kane will hope he can add another few points before the league finishes up.
With Tipperary chasing down a top two finish and currently occupying second spot behind Armagh they will be out to ensure they do not slip up and bag the three points at home, which would keep them in the hunt for that final berth.
Tyrone recorded a good 2-13 to 1-12 win over Westmeath in the last round that took them put more distance between them and the foot of the table while Tipperary found enough in the last 10 minutes of their game to get past a dogged Monaghan challenge.
Division 3: Down v Offaly (Sunday, Burren, 2pm)
DOWN will hope to return to winning ways with victory over Offaly on Sunday in their penultimate round game to ensure they finish as high up the table as possible.
While mathematically, they are still in with a chance of finishing in the top two, the race for a place in the league final looks to between Kildare, Wexford and Louth and with the latter still to play, Down can have a say in who makes the decider and not rule themselves out of being there either despite losing to Clare 0-6 to 0-4 last day out. Offaly are in serious relegation difficulties with no points from their five games so far.
Fixtures (2pm unless stated)
Sunday
Division 1: Meath v Waterford (Ballinlough), Mayo v Galway
Division 2: Tipperary v Tyrone (Fethard Town Park 3G, 1pm), Laois v Cavan (Crettyard), Monaghan v Roscommon (Eire Og, Smithborough), Armagh v Westmeath (Athletic Grounds)
Division 3: Wexford v Longford (Chadwicks Wexford Park), Sligo v Kildare (Enniscrone, Kilgras), Down v Offaly (Burren), Clare v Louth (Doonbeg).
