Half a dozen quarter-final spots still to be sorted out

It is all to play for on paper and on the field in group one of the intermediate championship, Kilmaine head the table at the moment with two wins from their games against Bonniconlon and The Neale, with Hollymount-Carramore and The Neale on two points each, with last year’s junior champions in front courtesy of seeing off their more famed fellow south-Mayo men in the last round. This weekend The Neale will host Bonniconlon in their first home game in this year’s championship, and first at this grade, knowing a win could see them into the last eight at their first attempt. In the other contest Kilmaine are hosting Hollymount-Carramore. By all accounts, Kilmaine have been moving well in this year’s championship, while Hollymount-Carramore will be ruing their loss to The Neale in the previous round. The current table toppers should have enough in the bag to make it three from three so far this year in the championship, with the Neale following them through. Group two also still has not been sorted out, with it all to play for this weekend. Killala are top at the moment with four points, from two games with Burrishoole and Swinford behind them with two points each and Burrishoole leading on the head to head rule, with Mayo Gaels rock bottom and pointless. This Sunday Burrishoole will host Mayo Gaels in McGovern Park and will be confident of picking up the win that should see them through. In the other tie Swinford will host Killala, where a win for the hosts, along with Burrishoole win, would force a three way tie and see Killala harshly miss out on the last eight despite having won their opening two game. It really could all come down to who wins out in Swinford to make the quarter-finals. In group three, Moy Davitts top the table with two wins from two over both Parke and Belmullet, and on Saturday evening are favourites to make it three from three when they take on Islandeady. The west Mayo men left their qualification ambitions hanging by a thread when they were caught by Parke at home last time out, and with Parke taking on a Belmullet side who are rock bottom in the other game it looks like a solid two points in the bag for the black and amber men. It would take big turn up for Islandeady to turn over Moy Davitts and force a three way play-off and hope their better scoring difference than Parke comes into play. In group four, both Kiltane and Kiltimagh are going through already, so it is only a matter of who takes top spot when both sides meet on Saturday evening. The real action is in Achill on Sunday afternoon where Ballyhaunis host Achill, both sides are winless and it is a battle to avoid the relegation play-offs. Achill's difficulty with getting the numbers needed to compete at this level is well known and it will take an almighty performance for them to pull this one out of the bag away from home in east Mayo on Sunday.