SEEING as we are in the middle of the four-week football break, we promised to turn our attention to the Bandon Co-Op Carbery junior A football championship and give it the focus we just haven’t had the chance to give it to date.

Many of you will know I have a vested interest here as the manager of Carbery Rangers’ second string, and so I will have to choose my words wisely when discussing Roinn 2 in which we feature. 

That said, there is no point in doing this if we can’t be straight up, so I will start with our group and then look at the rest. 

Strangely, the two draws in this group last time out between ourselves and Randal Óg and between Kilbrittain and Kilmeen have produced something of an anomaly in the group of four format, being that a draw between us and Kilbrittain will see both teams through. 

I can assure everyone there will be no Mick McCarthy/Ruud Gullit at Italia ‘90-style agreement between parties here – both teams will be going out to secure top spot. 

The games in the group have been razor-close to date. Truthfully, my troops are, to borrow a phrase, ‘haunted’ to be sitting on three points. We were six points down against Kilmeen until an injury-time scoring blitz snatched a scarcely-deserved win. We needed a late equalising free against Randals from a three-up breach in a contest where again we were under the cosh. 

To the lads’ credit, they persevered in both games to get results, however, a repeat of those performances won’t be enough to beat Kilbrittain, it’s that simple. 

Randal Óg and Kilmeen can both consider themselves unfortunate not to have more points on the board and needing other results to go their way to secure qualification. This is where it gets slightly tricky – if Kilmeen win, they need a Carbery Rangers win or they will be eliminated on head to head after losing to us, while the opposite is true for Randals, who need Kilbrittain to do them a favour if they beat Kilmeen. 

Confused? Now we add the scoring difference to the mix, which is remarkable because both ourselves and Kilbrittain have scored 32 points and conceded 31 to sit on +1, while Randals and Kilmeen also have identical records having scored 31 points and conceded 32 for a scoring difference of -1 each. Both teams need to be cognisant of being drawn into the relegation pit if they don’t secure a result also, but we will come back to that point because the criteria for relegation are unclear. 

Suffice to say, it is well set up for some drama in Roinn 2. I’m sure you will understand if I refrain from making any predictions here. 

A quick point of note, all games in groups 1 and 2 are scheduled for 6pm on Friday, September 11th, which strikes me as early for everyone who will be working that day. Fading light is the issue, I suppose, with sunset around 8pm at that time of year. 

Newcestown's Niall Murray goes past St Mary's David Curtin during the Bandon Co-op JAFC Roinn 1 game. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Returning to the important matters, in Roinn 1, St Mary’s will face Argideen Rangers in Ballinascarthy while the second teams of Castlehaven and Newcestown play off at the same time in Dunmanway. 

It is Newcestown (+5) in pole position in this group with three points on the board after a win over Argideen Rangers (-4) and a draw with St Mary’s (0). The Timoleague and Ballineen outfits both sit on two points. Rangers have to win to progress, while a third draw in a row might suffice for St Mary’s. 

If that third draw does transpire and Castlehaven (-1) beat Newcestown, all four teams will finish on three points and scoring difference will be needed to decide the qualifiers. 

What did I say in last week’s column about needing AI technology and data analysts to figure out all the permutations! 

A big win for Castlehaven could see leaders Newcestown eliminated, so everyone in this group can qualify and everyone can be knocked out. The tension and drama has the potential to create superb excitement for spectators, championship football at its best. I genuinely can’t call these games either, they are on a knife-edge. I’m going to back another St Mary’s draw and a Castlehaven win, but not by enough to overturn Newcestown’s scoring advantage. That would see St Mary’s and Newcestown through, but it could quite easily go the other way entirely.  

Ballinascarthy's Padraic Cullinane breaks from Barryroe's Diarmuid McCarthy and Daniel Moloney during their recent Roinn 4 game.

The picture in Group 3 is a little clearer with St James already qualified on four points after two wins. They will face winless St Oliver Plunkett’s and the already-eliminated Ahiohill side will need a result to avoid finishing without a point and a potential relegation. 

The other game is a straight shoot-out between Tadgh MacCarthaigh and Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas with both teams after a win each over Plunkett’s. Both teams are also on +1 scoring difference, however a draw would see the Caheragh men progress by virtue of having scored 37 points to Mathunas’ 27. St James can claim a third win in succession while Caheragh might have the scoring power to do enough to join them in the quarter-finals, just about. 

Finally, in Roinn 4, and the games in this group are slated for 7pm throw-ins on Sunday 13th, presumably due to the availability of floodlights at Drimoleague and Skibbereen, with Ballinascarthy facing St Colum’s at the former venue and Barryroe taking on Goleen in the latter. 

Goleen are the only team other than St James with two wins and they join Ardfield in the quarter-finals. Barryroe have their fate in their own hands and any result, win or draw, will put them through also. 

Ballinascarthy need to win and hope Barryroe lose, while also requiring an eight-point swing in scoring difference. St Colum’s are in the same boat as St Oliver Plunkett’s, already eliminated but needing a win to avoid possible relegation. 

I am choosing my words around the relegation issue very carefully because, unlike at the higher grades, the relegation will not be decided by a play-off between the two teams with the worst records across the groups. I venture that Barryroe will do just enough against a good Goleen side, rendering a Ballinascarthy win over St Colum’s futile. The way my predictions have been of late, that is a good omen for the people of Kealkil! 

There you go, that has been my deep dive into what is a hugely exciting Carbery junior A championship. The games are shaping up to be superb to watch or be involved in. 

Junior football is alive and well in West Cork, bring it on. 

I do want to highlight the relegation issue before I finish, even if it’s not something that is a direct concern to my team this year. I appreciate it’s tricky with teams possibly coming up from junior B or dropping from premier junior, but ideally there should be more clarity for the teams that could finish bottom of their group, which is a substantial amount of teams given the closeness of each of the groups. Relegation matters should be settled on the pitch, where at all possible. 

As it stands, the relegation criteria are as follows: there will be no play-offs; relegation is automatic for the bottom team if a team is coming up from junior ; the bottom team from each group may be subject to relegation, depending on their standing at the end of the group stage; as there are so many different variables, additional teams may be relegated from junior A to junior B. Relegation will be determined by results from county junior B, Carbery county junior A winners and county premier junior relegation.