The bookmakers have crunched their numbers I see and one has provided handicap already. Tbh I don't disagree with their predictions
Fermanagh v Sligo….a tight affair that could well need extra time to sort it out. Sligo are marginal favourites and naturally I'll agree with that. Home advantage didn't count for a lot for Fermanagh against Carlow so it's a fairly level end encounter
Wicklow v Westmeath….Westmeath will win this one by 4/5 points at least. Wicklow can thank the order of games that gave them Waterford last to rack up a big score and bizarrely top the group. I thought scores against the team not involved in a 3 team tie were not to be included?! Or is that just a club thing. Beating Laois at home yes was a good result but look at where Laois wound up at the weekend.
Kildare v Offaly…the pick of the round and somehow is not on GAA+! Kildare won't be beaten a third time especially at home. Offaly I think have regressed a bit from the league and even against NY showed they can be exposed at the back. Kildare gave us a hard time in this regard and can do so again here.
Limerick v Wexford….Home advantage a help to Limerick and they are given a 2 point advantage in one establishment. I think it's about right. The win against WH shows they are capable of taking bigger scalps.
So that'd leave us with Sligo, Kildare, Westmeath and Limerick and if it proves true that the semi final has restrictions it'd mean Kildare can't play Sligo or WH again so Kildare v Limerick, Sligo v Westmeath. If true….come on Wicklow should we manage to get over Fermanagh!
Replying To eoinog: "We are down to the last 8 in the competition . I make it 1 Div 2 team left, 4 Div 3 teams and 3 Div 4 teams. Therefore there's no need for another tier."
Is this before or after taking promotion and relegation from the league into account?
Replying To Sligoman1234: "The bookmakers have crunched their numbers I see and one has provided handicap already. Tbh I don't disagree with their predictions
Fermanagh v Sligo….a tight affair that could well need extra time to sort it out. Sligo are marginal favourites and naturally I'll agree with that. Home advantage didn't count for a lot for Fermanagh against Carlow so it's a fairly level end encounter
Wicklow v Westmeath….Westmeath will win this one by 4/5 points at least. Wicklow can thank the order of games that gave them Waterford last to rack up a big score and bizarrely top the group. I thought scores against the team not involved in a 3 team tie were not to be included?! Or is that just a club thing. Beating Laois at home yes was a good result but look at where Laois wound up at the weekend.
Kildare v Offaly…the pick of the round and somehow is not on GAA+! Kildare won't be beaten a third time especially at home. Offaly I think have regressed a bit from the league and even against NY showed they can be exposed at the back. Kildare gave us a hard time in this regard and can do so again here.
Limerick v Wexford….Home advantage a help to Limerick and they are given a 2 point advantage in one establishment. I think it's about right. The win against WH shows they are capable of taking bigger scalps.
So that'd leave us with Sligo, Kildare, Westmeath and Limerick and if it proves true that the semi final has restrictions it'd mean Kildare can't play Sligo or WH again so Kildare v Limerick, Sligo v Westmeath. If true….come on Wicklow should we manage to get over Fermanagh!"
Hard to disagree with your assessment really. Re our Waterford game. It's a bit ironic in that Waterford were to be our first game in Div 4 this year - and at home . This game was called off due to weather, which meant we went into the London game the following week with no experience of actually playing a competitive game under the new rules. London, who had played a game the previous week - think it was against Wexford - beat us by 1 point. Would a game under our belts have proved the difference ? I think it would and had we picked up 2 pts against London, we would be in Div 3 next season. Small margins. I think that Westmeath will be too sharp for us given last weeks display by them against Laois. We have two ways of playing and a lot depends on which team turns up on the day. For me, it will be Westmeath by 5/6. Hope I'm wrong.