With Division 1 and 2 of the the Open Competitions taking a break for the weekend it is an opportune time to get an update on what is happening around the other leagues. With about a month to go before the end of the season this is the last checkpoint of the year.
Division 3 is always a highly competitive league with 2nd XIs dominating. With a couple of results still to be updated YMCA IIs are in a strong position to take the title. There is a sizeable gap between them and second placed Clontarf IIs. Leinster IIs have faded, losing to YMCA and Merrion in recent weeks. So the 1-2-3 is YMCA II, Clontarf II and Merrion II. At the other end of the table Laois, despite their great cup form in winning the Senior II Cup and getting to the National Cup final look to be going down, probably with North County IIs. Pembroke IIs could also be drawn into the relegation mix if they don’t win a couple more games soon.
Phoenix IIs have looked the best side in D4 all season and remain favourites for the title. But they are being pressed by The Hills II and Civil Service. At the other end of the table it is between Merrion III, Dundrum and YMCA III who will go down. Dundrum have a lot of games still to play - so a route to safety is in their own hands.
Knockharley are well out in front in D5 and the highest team in the OC that has still to loss a game this year. The battle is really about the second place. Merrion IV beat Leinster III last weekend which gives them an outside chance of getting into a promotion spot. But the most likely is that this will be occupied by either Phoenix III or Leinster III. Still a lot to play for. At the other end of the table Malahide III are well detached from the rest and would need a massive reversal in fortunes to survive. Mullingar and Pembroke III are the other two teams fighting to stay up.
D6 is a very tight league with four teams going into this weekend within 10% points of each other. Of these there is a head-to-head between Longford [1st] and Rush II [3rd] today which could have a major bearing on the title. The other two teams in the frame are Railway Union III and Adamstown [who won yesterday]. There are three teams looking anxiously to secure their futures. With a defeat each still to be recorded, Terenure II and North County III look the most vulnerable with Castleknock also needing a couple more wins for relative safety. Merrion V are floating above the bottom three but are not yet safe.