eircom Premier Division Permutations

[blutil]

from fai.ie
eircom Premier Division Permutations

EIRCOM PREMIER DIVISION TITLE

Just two clubs, Cork City and Derry City, can still claim the eircom Premier Division title with Cork currently enjoying a slender one-point advantage. But with the two sides facing each other on the last day, the title race could have a thrilling climax.

Cork City
Points: 70
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Shelbourne (a)
Fri 18th: Derry City (h)

For Cork City, the maths are simple; win their two remaining games and they are champions. If they fail to win their final two games, they must hope to match Derry’s points total. Already guaranteed at least second place, Cork could even win the title this weekend if they beat Shelbourne and Derry lose to St Pats on Saturday.

Derry City
Points: 69
Games remaining:
Sat 12th: St Patrick's Athletic (h)
Fri 18th: Cork City (a)

Like Cork City, two victories will guarantee Derry City the eircom League title while simply getting a result on Saturday against St Pats and beating Cork next week will also be enough. If Shelbourne fail to beat Cork on Friday, Derry can also afford to lose to Pats and still be in with a chance of winning the title on the last day.

EUROPE

Cork City are already guaranteed at least second place and a UEFA Cup spot while Derry City need just one more point to be certain of at least second place.

Shelbourne will still hope to catch Derry in second place though they cannot be caught for third place will guarantees them a European spot.

What competition they will be entered in, however, remains a mystery. Normally, the third-placed team is entered in the Intertoto Cup but if Derry City win the League and Cork City win the FAI Cup, it will mean that the UEFA Cup available for second place (which Cork would normally take but will have also qualified through the FAI Cup) will be shunted down to third place.

That would also mean that the Intertoto Cup spot would then go to the fourth placed side in the League which has led to a scramble between Cup finalists Drogheda United and Bohemians.

Longford Town, while still automatically in with a chance of making fourth place, would have to make up a goal difference of 12 in two matches while hoping that Drogheda and Bohemians lose their two games.

Shelbourne
Points: 63
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Cork City (h)
Fri 18th: Bohemians (a)

Shelbourne will hope to win their final two games, with Derry losing their final two, to ensure they can nab second place though otherwise, they will finish third.

Drogheda United
Points: 45
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Finn Harps (h)
Fri 18th: Waterford United (a)

Bohemians
Points: 45
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Bray Wanderers (a)
Fri 18th: Shelbourne (h)

Drogheda United have a goal difference that is currently six better than Bohemians meaning that just matching Bohemians in the final two games should be enough for them to claim fourth spot. However, any slip up could prove costly.

MID-TABLE

Just four sides have, realistically, nothing at stake but League placing at this point of the season; Longford Town, Bray Wanderers and St Patrick’s Athletic and UCD.

Longford Town
Points: 39
Games remaining:
Sat 12th: UCD (h)
Fri 18th: St Patrick’s Athletic (a)

Bray Wanderers
Points: 33
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Bohemians (h)
Fri 18th: Finn Harps (a)

St Patrick’s Athletic
Points: 32
Games remaining:
Sat 12th: Derry City (a)
Fri 18th: Longford Town (h)

UCD
Points: 32
Remaining games:
Sat 12th: Longford Town (a)
Fri 18th: Shamrock Rovers (h)

RELEGATION

Just three teams are still involved in the relegation dogfight; Waterford United, Shamrock Rovers and Finn Harps.

Waterford United
Points: 28
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Shamrock Rovers (a)
Fri 18th: Drogheda United (h)

For Waterford United, there are two possibilities — survival or a promotion relegation play-off. A victory on Friday against Shamrock Rovers would ensure survival while a defeat would leave them needing to win against Drogheda on the final day and hope that Rovers slip up. A draw would mean that Waterford would just have to watch Rovers’ result on the final day.

Shamrock Rovers
Points: 26
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Waterford United (h)
Fri 18th: UCD (a)

Shamrock Rovers could still survive automatically, go into a play-off or face automatic relegation. Two more points will guarantee they avoid automatic relegation though any slip ups by Harps in the final two games would also ensure that avenue is sealed off. To stay up automatically, Rovers must overhaul Waterford who are currently two points clear of them. A victory on Friday against the Blues would put them in the driving seat to achieve that goal though a defeat would mean they are confined to the bottom two.

Finn Harps
Points: 21
Games remaining:
Fri 11th: Drogheda United (a)
Fri 18th: Bray Wanderers (h)

Finn Harps simply must win their final two games to have any chance of avoiding automatic relegation and securing the play-offs. If Shamrock Rovers get any more than one point in the final two games, Harps will also be relegated

[dcfcsteve]

Good to see the FAI looking at what's going on in the league, but it's a badly written piece.

Things like "If Derry City win the League Cup..." . Err - that was settled 2 months ago. And the bit about "if Shels fail to beat Cork, then Derry can afford to drop points against Pats". Errr - no we can't....

There are others. Good to see something on the league coming out of the Muppets of Merrion Square, but they still had to go and make a dog's arse of bits of it....

[noby]

Funny, I don't see'League cup' mentioned anywhere.

But yes, they should have said "if Shels draw with Cork, Derry can also afford to lose to Pats and still be in with a chance of winning the title on the last day. "

Other than that, it covers it pretty well.

[ColinR]

it just highlights what a quality season that this year has been (on the field) when so many teams have so much to play for over the next week or so.

i cant remember such an exciting end to the season, and to top it all all the big games are being shown on tv as well.

[pete]

They neglected to mention that if Cork City just win at home to Derry City its enough to win the league no matter what results this weekend.

[Dodge]

Yeah, lets nit pcik. They put automatically,when I think they menat technically when talking about Longford's chances of fourth...

[Peadar]

while simply getting a result on Saturday against St Pats and beating Cork next week will also be enough.

That's not exactly correct.
If Derry got a draw against Pats, which is a "result", and City beat Shels, that would put Derry 3 points behind City. Assuming that we beat Shels by a single goal, Derry would need to win by at least 2 clear goals.

[blutil]

this is what soccerbot predict !

Predicted Final Table Pld Pts
1 Derry City 33 73
2 Cork City 33 72
3 Shelbourne 33 65
4 Drogheda United 33 49
5 Bohemians 33 47
6 Longford Town 33 42
7 St Patricks Athletic 33 35
8 UCD 33 35
9 Bray Wanderers 33 35
10 Shamrock Rovers 33 29
11 Waterford United 33 29
12 Finn Harps 33 22

[Buller]

yey, go on the soccerbot!!! (rovers stay up on goal difference)