St James' in fight for championship survival
THE senior club football championship race resumes this weekend, after an eleven-week hiatus, and a fortnight on from Galway’s humbling All-Ireland quarter-final exit at the hands of Tipperary.
There are two championship clashes fixed for a Saturday evening double-header at Pearse Stadium. An Cheathrú Rua face Carna/Caiseal in the Connemara Gaeltacht derby, while Caherlistrane will look to get revenge over city club St James’, who beat them earlier in the competition.
The winners of these games advance to the preliminary quarter-finals, and the losers are out of the championship and go into a relegation battle. Three third round games (Caltra v Salthill/Knocknacarra; St Michael’s v Cortoon Shamrocks and Milltown v Killanin) could not proceed this weekend as players are involved with county squads.
The losers of those three games, scheduled for the weekend of August 28, go into the relegation play-offs, with the winners advancing. Five teams are already qualified, having won their first two matches: Corofin, Mountbellew, Moycullen, Micheál Breathnach and Tuam Stars. They will be joined by NUIG.
Six of the 11 teams will play in three preliminary quarter-finals when the championship race will be whittled down to eight for the quarter finals proper.
The five losers from the third round games to be played this weekend and possibly August 28, will join Killererin, Leitir Mór, Kilconly, Barna and Annaghdown in relegation.
Full preview in this week's Galway City Tribune