The group stages are over and all there is left to play for in the Allianz Football League is silverware this Saturday and Sunday. Seven tough rounds of games have come and gone and while the winners are yet to be determined we know the six counties who have been condemned to the drop. While relegation doesn’t necessarily always translate into a poor Championship campaign, there can be no denying that it’s a tough blow to take. However, what may be even tougher to take is those teams who had promotion within their sight and let it slip away with one game to go. Here are our winners and losers following the final round of the Allianz Football League. ___ Winners Mayo After back-to-back defeats against Dublin and Galway, James Horan’s charges looked further away than ever from football’s top table. However, a win over Kerry followed by Monaghan means that Mayo can now look forward to their first Allianz Football League final since 2012. The fact that they have already beaten Kerry – albeit in horrendous conditions – will fill them full of confidence heading into this weekend’s decider against the Kingdom. ___ Donegal Similar to Mayo, all looked lost for Donegal following back-to-back defeats in the third and fourth round. However, they rallied to win their final three games to gain promotion back to the top-tier. Donegal are a dark horse heading into the Championship, however, you get the sense that had they missed out on promotion it could have had a damaging effect on the Tir Conaill men. However, they are back in the top-tier and looking forward to a league final this Saturday against Meath in Croke Park. ___ Laois Back-to-back promotions for John Sugrue’s side. Their win over neighbours Carlow ensured that they topped Division 3 just as they had done in Division 4 last season. They are now back in the second tier, a level that most would agree they are probably at and will enter the Championship season buoyed by yet another successful league campaign. They can relax this weekend as Westmeath and Louth are still to play each other in what has effectively become a league semi-final before facing the winners in the Division 3 final, probably two weeks from now. ___ Losers Roscommon It’s back to Division 2 for the Rossies following a final day defeat to Kerry. It’s their second relegation from the top flight in three years and will come as a huge blow psychologically to Anthony Cunningham’s side. While they put in some good performances throughout the seven league games, little mistakes and bouts of indiscipline cost them greatly in the end. Roscommon are arguably in that top eight bracket considering their recent Connacht successes, however, their Division 1 form in both 2017 & 2019 suggests that they are a long way off the games top teams. ___ Down It all looked so promising for Down heading into Round Seven of the Allianz Football League. They topped Division 3 and looked to be going straight back up into Division 2 for 2020. However, a one-point defeat to Louth ensured that Paddy Tally’s men have to endure another season in Gaelic football’s third division. It’s a disappointing end to the league for the Mournemen who were many people’s favourites for promotion. Their fans will be hoping that they can re-group ahead of their crunch Ulster Championship tie with Armagh. ___ Carlow The Carlow Rising has fallen off the wagon somewhat in Gaelic football. Turlough O’Brien’s men started the league campaign very well and sat in second place after a couple of rounds of games, however, the wheels well and truly came off the train and now they find themselves back in Division 4 ahead of next season. A bitter pill to swallow no doubt. ___ Read More About: Allianz Football League, allianz leagues, carlow gaa, donegal gaa, down gaa, laois gaa, mayo gaa, roscommon gaa, Top Story<doc-sep>It's been a whirlwind final day of the Allianz National Football League and yet still we don't have a definitive idea of how next year's league shake-up will look. Division One What we do know is that Kerry will meet Mayo in this year's Division One decider. The Kingdom were in pole position to book their place in next weekend's finale at Croke Park and they broke little sweat in making that certain at Dr Hyde Park today with a ten point victory over Roscommon. Behind Kerry, three sides were battling to take their league campaigns into finals weekend with Galway knowing that a victory over Tyrone in Omagh would seal their spot. Mickey Harte's men had something to play for too after a tremendous late drive to their campaign. Advertisement If Red Hands could beat the Tribesmen and hope that fellow final chasers Mayo slipped up at home to Monaghan it would be them who would make Croke Park. In the end, it would be Mayo who would progress after a convincing win in Castlebar, that despite Galway looking the most likely for a lot of Sunday. Up by seven at half-time, Kevin Walsh's side capitulated in the second half, as goals from Peter Harte, Mattie Donnelly and Conal McCann saw Tyrone lead by the seven come the final whistle. At the foot of the table, Cavan went into the day knowing it would take a minor miracle to survive, but Dublin snuffed out any chance of that with a six-point win at Breffni Park. Joining them in Division 2 next season will be Roscommon, with Monaghan surviving. Division One Final: Kerry v Mayo Relegated: Cavan, Roscommon Division Two Meath and Donegal will make a return to the top-flight next winter after deservedly sealing promotion after home wins over Fermanagh and Kildare respectively. Advertisement All four sides had a squeak of making it to the promised land going into the last set of round robin fixtures, but things went very wrong very quickly for the Lillywhites in Ballyshannon. Playing against a gale in the first half, they trailed 0-13 to 0-01 at the break, a deficit they could not close in the second period. James McEntee and Barry Dardis were the goalscorers for the Royals, as they will return to Division One next year after an wxile of fourteen years. Arguably the bigger story in Division Two this season has been the demise of Cork. Having toiled most of this league campaign, they travelled to Armagh knowing that should Tipperary manage to hold Clare, that a point would be enough for the Rebels to survive. In the end, they managed two, winning by the minimum at the Athletic Grounds. Unfortunately for Ronan McCarthy's side, Clare triumphed in Thurles and it'll be Cork and Tipp that have been banished to Division Three Advertisement Promoted / Division Two Final: Meath v Donegal Relegated: Tipperary, Cork Division Three You might want to sit down. With the rearranging of the postponed fixture between Westmeath and Louth still hanging over everyone's heads, it was Down who led the pack before a ball was thrown in this afternoon. Paddy Tally's charges knew that a point at home to the aforementioned Louth would guarantee the Mourne men a place in next Saturday's third tier decider as well as an immediate rebound to Division Two. Disaster struck for those of a Red and Black persuasion, as the five-time All-Ireland winners just failed to rein in their neighbours, after allowing them a six-point lead half-way through the second half, Connaire Harrison's goal giving them the eventually unfulfilled hope in a 1-06 to 0-10 defeat. Advertisement Laois condemned their own neighbours, Carlow, to the doldrums of Division Four with a three-point win in Portlaoise and in doing so confirmed their place in Division Two next year. More of that below, first we need to point out that Westmeath kept their own promotion hopes alive with a four-point win over Longford. So what does it all mean? Well, whatever happens, Laois will finish above Down, given the fact they beat their rivals in Newry on the opening weekend and they have a superior score difference. This is enough for John Sugrue's men to advance to the Division Three decider because any result from the outstanding Louth-Westmeath match would not see them drop from the top two. Down will miss out, however. Having lost to Louth, a victory for the Wee County over Westmeath would see Wayne Kieran's side promoted on the head-to-head basis, whilst a win or draw for the Lake County would see them progress given the fact they have a better score difference than the Ulstermen. To explain, a draw in the game would see Laois, Down, Westmeath finish on 10 points. The head-to-heads see Laois overcoming Down, Down overcoming Westmeath and Westmeath overcoming Laois, typically. In that event, the three sides will be separated by score difference. In that scenario, Westmeath will qualify top with +15, Laois would meet them in the Division Three final with +14, with Down just missing out with +13. Advertisement Fuck my head hurts! Promotion / Division Three Final: Laois v A.N. Other Relegated: Sligo, Carlow Division Four Thankfully Division Four was already wrapped up. Derry and Leitrim wrapped up the promotion thing a few weeks back and final weekend of divisional games interest was focused on whether Derry could maintain their winning streak at home to Wexford. They did, in what looks like a belter - the Oak Leafers winning on a scoreline of 3-21 to 4-16 last night. London finish bottom of the heap, having not been able to muster a final day win over Wicklow in Aughrim.<doc-sep>The Treaty march on to the decider Limerick and Waterford are through to the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final, after wins over Dublin and Galway respectively. The final will take place next Sunday at Croke Park, as part of a triple-header with the Gaelic football and camogie deciders. Limerick 1-19 Dublin 1-16 Dublin didn't come to Nowlan Park to roll over, and took the fight to the All-Ireland champions right from the off. With Seán Moran deployed as a sweeper, the Dubs frustrated the Treaty, punishing their mistakes dearly. Although Mattie Kenny's charges were short-changed up front due to their defensive structure, Eamonn Dillon and Danny Sutcliffe were economical, scoring five from play between them in the first half. Nonetheless, John Kiely's charges led by a point at the break. Limerick turned the screw in the third quarter, finding their way through the Dublin defence. Diarmaid Byrnes was instrumental, scoring five points, before Cian Lynch played in Seamus Flanagan for a decisive goal. While the Treaty led by nine at one point, the Dubs never gave up, breaking back through a Ronan Hayes goal and finished strongly. Limerick continue their fine form as they march on to the decider, but Dublin have cause for optimism ahead of their Leinster Championship opener in Kilkenny on May 11. Dublin have enjoyed a promising league campaign Waterford 1-18 Galway 0-19 Galway got off to a far quicker start in the second semi-final, as they burst into an early lead. Although the Westerners were full value for a 0-11 to 0-6 cushion approaching the break, the Deise hit back as a long-range free from Stephen Bennett fell short and went straight into Fergal Flannery's net. Although they were facing into the breeze in the second half, Paraic Fanning's charges would have been happy with trailing by just two points at the break, given that Galway dominated the first half. The Deise started the second period brightly, but Galway eventually came to terms with their opponents' purple patch. When Mikey Kearney was given his marching orders with 15 minutes to go, it looked like the Leinster champions would kick on, but it proved to galvanise the Deise. Scoring six points in succession, including a Calum Lyons effort in the 61st minute to give them the lead for the first time of the game, Waterford finished the stronger to dig deep for a deserved three-point victory. Micheál Donoghue will be worried, after Joe Canning was stretchered off late on.<doc-sep>
Kerry and Mayo will contest the Division 1 final after a thrilling day of action in the Allianz Football League. Mayo's three point win over Monaghan, coupled with Tyrone's victory over Galway, was enough for Mayo to book their place in next Sunday's decider in Croke Park. It will be Mayo's first appearance in a final since 2012. Kerry's nine-point win over Roscommon saw them cruise into the final. The Kingdom were virtually guaranteed of their place in next week's decider before a ball was kicked, but made absolutely certain with a routine victory. Sunday's final will be the third part of a triple header at Croke Park, taking place after Waterford and Limerick meet in the Division 1 hurling final and Galway and Kilkenny play out the Division 1 camogie final. At the other end of the table, defeats for Cavan and Roscommon against Dublin and Kerry respectively consigned both counties to Division 2 next season. Both Cavan and Roscommon were promoted last year, and were relegated from Division 1 in 2017. In Division 2, Meath secured their place in Division One for the first time since 2006 after a facile seven-point victory over Fermanagh. Donegal will join the Royals in Division 1 in 2020; their 13-point hammering of Kildare proving enough to seal an immediate return following last year's relegation. Meath and Donegal will meet in the Division 2 final next Saturday at 5pm. Only four years since they contested the Division 1 final against Dublin, Cork have been relegated to Division 3. The Rebels secured an impressive win in Armagh, but Clare's thrilling victory over Tipperary meant it wasn't enough. Clare's victory also condemned Tipperary to Division 3 football next season. The picture still remains somewhat unclear in Division 3 due to a rescheduled fixture between Louth and Westmeath. First placed Laois are guaranteed to be promoted, benefiting from both a superior head-to-head and points difference than second placed Down. The winners of Westmeath and Louth will join Laois in Division 2 next season as both counties boast a better points difference than Down. If the match ends a draw, Westmeath will be promoted by virtue of points difference. What is clear, however, is that Sligo and Carlow have been relegated to Division 4. Sligo's fate has been sealed for quite some time and defeat to Offaly saw them finish their league campaign without a point to their name. Carlow needed just a point against Laois to maintain their Division 3 status, but a three-point defeat took their destiny out of their hands. Offaly's last gasp victory over Sligo saw them leapfrog their Leinster rivals on the head-to-head rule. Division 4 has been wrapped up since the fifth round of matches with Derry and Leitrim occupying the promotion places. The two counties will play out the Division Four final at 3pm next Saturday as a curtain raiser to the Division 2 final.