NFL Division 3

Antrim: vs Cavan (H), Sligo (A), Fermanagh (H), Wicklow (A), Roscommon (H), Meath (H), Monaghan (A)

Cavan: vs Antrim (A), Monaghan (H), Meath (A), Sligo (A), Fermanagh (H), Wicklow (A), Roscommon (H)

Fermanagh: vs Wicklow (A), Roscommon (H), Antrim (A), Monaghan (H), Cavan (A), Sligo (H), Meath (A)

Meath: vs Monaghan (A), Wicklow (A), Cavan (H), Roscommon (A), Sligo (H), Antrim (A), Fermanagh (H)

Monaghan: vs Meath (H), Cavan (A), Sligo (H), Fermanagh (A), Wicklow (H), Roscommon (A), Antrim (H)

Roscommon: vs Sligo (H), Fermanagh (A), Wicklow (H), Meath (H), Antrim (A), Monaghan (H), Cavan (A)

Sligo: vs Roscommon (A), Antrim (H), Monaghan (A), Cavan (H), Meath (A), Fermanagh (A), Wicklow (H)

Wicklow: vs Fermanagh (H), Meath (H), Roscommon (A), Antrim (H), Monaghan (A), Cavan (H), Sligo (A)

Would have to fancy Monaghan,Meath to get straight back up to Div 2 again.

Gaa_lover wrote:Would have to fancy Monaghan,Meath to get straight back up to Div 2 again.

There is indeed a good chance that both these sides will be leaving division 3 this year....

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Gaa_lover wrote:Would have to fancy Monaghan,Meath to get straight back up to Div 2 again.

There is indeed a good chance that both these sides will be leaving division 3 this year....

Wasn't that one of Tommy Docherty's great lines on arrival at one of his many staging posts....

Fermanagh looking good - Meath a bigger enigma than usual.

Looking at the remaining fixtures i'd still fancy Meath,Monaghan to gain promotion

Gaa_lover wrote:Looking at the remaining fixtures i'd still fancy Meath,Monaghan to gain promotion

I think they will beat Cavan at home in the local derby. Roscommon away will be very tough. Sligo at home should see 2 points but again Antrim in Casement will be difficult as the Saffrons will see the Royals as a prize scalp. Then the last game is Fermanagh - there could be a lot riding on that one but I wouldn't be putting big money on any promotion.

With Meath being as poor as they are, there is nothing easy there. They do, however, have 3 home games still to come, and you'd like to think that they will at least get enough out of those to survive. Win them all, and they will be thinking about promotion.

Meath's attitude will determine how they go.

It's hard to see us beating Meath in Meath. Hopefully the lads will take great heart from beating Monaghan and kick on, conceding a lot fewer goals this year which is great to see. Staying up will be a big challenge and I really hope they can get the bit between their teeth now and scrape together the points to survive. If we could get Keating back to fitness we could afford to move Givney to a more central role which would help us out around the middle. After the next game or two the table will begin to take shape.

With 2 fixtures remaining, Meath's destiny rests in their own hands. Win both and promotion is a certainty. Lose either and it'll probably be Division 3 for another year. I don't think the Meath management could have asked for much more at the start of the League - they are where they want to be - it's in their hands.

Division 3 has been a competitive little division. I'd be the first to say that Meath are a side going nowhere fast but promotion would be a nice little boost.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:With 2 fixtures remaining, Meath's destiny rests in their own hands. Win both and promotion is a certainty. Lose either and it'll probably be Division 3 for another year. I don't think the Meath management could have asked for much more at the start of the League - they are where they want to be - it's in their hands.

Division 3 has been a competitive little division. I'd be the first to say that Meath are a side going nowhere fast but promotion would be a nice little boost.

Armagh will take ye place

This is turning into a real battle for promotion, with most sides still in the running. Well done to the 3 Ulster sides at the top, and especially to Peter Canavan's Fermanagh, a side who were promoted from division 4 last year.

This year's Ulster championship sees Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan, Antrim and Armagh all on the same half of the draw, and 8 league places currently separate those 5 teams. Anyone could come out of that. In the other half you have Tyrone, Donegal, Down & Derry, all currently in the top 10 league positions in the country. The Ulster championship should be brilliant this summer, with every game almost impossible to call with confidence.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:With 2 fixtures remaining, Meath's destiny rests in their own hands. Win both and promotion is a certainty. Lose either and it'll probably be Division 3 for another year. I don't think the Meath management could have asked for much more at the start of the League - they are where they want to be - it's in their hands.

Division 3 has been a competitive little division. I'd be the first to say that Meath are a side going nowhere fast but promotion would be a nice little boost.

Yes it's turned out handy for Meath two wins and they are back in D2. A win against Antrim this weekend will probably send Antrim to Div 4. Fermanagh game is the big one TBH they have been the best so far in this division and probably deserve promotion.

Thomas Clarke wrote: To Peter Canavan's Fermanagh, a side who were promoted from division 4 last year.

It's becoming common place for division 4 sides to get promoted again the following year. Antrim,Sligo,Longford,Tipp have all done it the last 3 or 4 years however they have all found life tough in div 2 and got relegated.

Gaa_lover wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote: To Peter Canavan's Fermanagh, a side who were promoted from division 4 last year.

It's becoming common place for division 4 sides to get promoted again the following year. Antrim,Sligo,Longford,Tipp have all done it the last 3 or 4 years however they have all found life tough in div 2 and got relegated.

You do get the odd exception, the most notable being Banty McEneaney taking Monaghan from division 4 to 1 in successive seasons. Fermanagh also were in division 1 in the mid noughties, having risen from nowhere.

But the point is a fair one, and I was actually chatting about this the other day, particularly from a 'When does Canavan jump ship?' perspective. With Mickey Harte showing no signs of leaving Tyrone, Peter might be content to sit tight for a while and wait patiently. On the other hand, the Tyrone job pays pretty poorly, and Peter is no mug.

My guess is that he'll be with Fermanagh next year, but all Tyrone fans would hope to see him replacing Mickey Harte in the longer term.

Meath record an impressive victory over 13 man Antrim who by the sound of radio were bad. Graham Reilly showing flashes of brilliance chipping in with 6 points from play.

I wonder what all this means for Meath. Wins against the 4 teams at the bottom of the table - Wicklow, Sligo, Antrim and Roscommon, hammerings by the 2 teams nearest them in the table - Cavan and Monaghan and the table toppers Fermanagh still to play with promotion the reward for the winner.

An appearance in a League final would shorten the gap to the Leinster Quarter-Finals by 2 weeks, a win in a League Final would provide silverware for the first time in 3 years.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Meath record an impressive victory over 13 man Antrim who by the sound of radio were bad. Graham Reilly showing flashes of brilliance chipping in with 6 points from play.

I wonder what all this means for Meath. Wins against the 4 teams at the bottom of the table - Wicklow, Sligo, Antrim and Roscommon, hammerings by the 2 teams nearest them in the table - Cavan and Monaghan and the table toppers Fermanagh still to play with promotion the reward for the winner.

An appearance in a League final would shorten the gap to the Leinster Quarter-Finals by 2 weeks, a win in a League Final would provide silverware for the first time in 3 years.

Have you checked the table lately? Cavan,Roscommon are level on 7pts how can one be near the top the other near the bottom? Fermanagh probably deserve a promotion place more than Meath however Meath have the advantage of home game and Fermanagh will be without 3-4 of their key players.

Gaa_lover wrote:Would have to fancy Monaghan,Meath to get straight back up to Div 2 again.

Well at least i got this one spot on!

Gaa_lover wrote:
Have you checked the table lately? Cavan,Roscommon are level on 7pts how can one be near the top the other near the bottom? Fermanagh probably deserve a promotion place more than Meath however Meath have the advantage of home game and Fermanagh will be without 3-4 of their key players.

Teams with small resources always struggle when this happens. They can consider themselves a trifle unlucky not to go up but another year in Div.3 will decide where they're going. Maybe they can increase panel strength and consolidate and go up next time around. Getting to D2 and getting drubbings does nothing for the likes of Fermanagh.
I'll be expecting Limerick to bust some heads in this Division next year particularly if John Galvin returns to the powerhouse (ageing I know) that he once was...

I don't know about Limerick they weren't overly impressive in Div 4 and even London pushed them close. Div 3 promotion next year should between Fermanagh,Wexford and Roscommon any of the other teams could get relegated.