Crunch Offaly Senior B Football Championship games deferred to Tuesday

THE quarter-final pairings will be determined when the final round of group games takes place in the Tullamore Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship next Tuesday evening.

The games were originally fixed for Saturday but have been put back because of a death in the Ballycommon area. Mrs Breda Heffernan, Ballyfin passed away earlier this week and Ballycommon sought the postponement - she is the grandmother of a Ballycommon player, the mother in law of a long time club stalwart, Declan Todd and had been in hospital since sustaining serious injuries in a road traffic accident a few weeks ago. Under Offaly GAA regulations, postponements must be granted for the death of a parent, grandparent, or sibling of a player, if the club seeks it.

With the final round down for decision, all games have to be played at the same time and on the same date. The funeral takes place on Saturday and as a result all four games have been deferred to Tuesday evening - resulting in U-20 football games being cancelled that night. The venues have been changed as floodlights are required for the games.

The big surprise so far has been the struggles of Tubber who are on the bottom of group 2 with no point from their two games and desperately looking for an escape chute.

Group 1 looks fairly straightforward. Cappincur are top with four points, Ballycumber and Walsh Island have two and St Rynagh's have none.

Cappincur are favourites to beat Walsh Island and claim a semi-final place and Walsh Island should still be okay for a quarter-final – second and third make the quarter-finals.

Even if they lose and St Rynagh's did shock Ballycumber and three teams tied on two points, scoring difference means that the Cloghan club will probably still go out – they are on -33 points compared to +13 for Walsh Island and +4 for Ballycumber.

St Rynagh's can only realistically survive if they beat Ballycumber and Walsh Island get a result against Cappincur – then they would go through ahead of Ballycumber on the head to head but the odds of both those results happening are so long that very few will be availing of them.

Group 2 is more interesting, though Gracefield are definitely through. The Laois border side have performed really well this year to win their two games and a point against Ballycommon will secure a semi-final place.

Clonbullogue and Ballycommon have two points and Tubber have none. This Saturday, Ballycommon meet Gracefield and Tubber take on Clonbullogue. No result would be a surprise in these games. You could end up with three teams on four points and scoring difference deciding who goes into the semi-final.

You could also end up with three teams on two points and scoring difference deciding which two go into the quarter-finals and who goes into the relegation play off. If that happens, Tubber are still in trouble – their scoring difference is -27 compared to + 4 for Clonbullogue and +2 for Ballycommon.

That scoring gap is very unlikely to be bridged and Tubber's only road to salvation is to beat Clonbullogue and for Ballycommon to get a result against Gracefield. Both could happen but they are asking for a lot and it looks like Tubber are on the way out – they went very well in the Division 2 Football League earlier in the year, defeating Clonbullogue in the final but it has unravelled badly for them in the championship as they have shipped heavy defeats against Ballycommon and Gracefield.

Tubber could have a sting in their tail but it is hard to turn things around after two bad defeats, though there is still a chance there for them.

Group 1

Cappincur v Walsh Island: Tuesday in Geashill 7.30pm

Verdict – Cappincur.

St Rynagh's v Ballycumber: Tuesday in Doon 7.30pm

Verdict – Ballycumber.

Group 2

Ballycommon v Gracefield: Tuesday in Rhode 7.30pm

Verdict – Gracefield.

Clonbullogue v Tubber: Tuesday in Croghan 7.30pm

Verdict – Clonbullogue.