Eleven of the 12 teams involved in the Co-op SuperStores IAHC still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages, with plenty to be decided in Friday night’s final group games.
With two games remaining in each group, the permutations are particularly intriguing in Groups 1 and 2, where all four teams remain in contention.
Group 1 – Five Possible Qualifying Pairings
Kilbrittain and Bandon currently lead the way on three points, while Aghada and Russell Rovers have one point each.
| Final Results |
Teams Qualifying |
| Kilbrittain win + Bandon win/draw |
Kilbrittain & Bandon |
| Bandon win + Kilbrittain lose |
Bandon & Russell Rovers |
| Kilbrittain win + Bandon lose |
Kilbrittain & Aghada |
| Kilbrittain draw + Bandon lose |
Kilbrittain & Aghada |
| Bandon draw + Kilbrittain lose |
Bandon & Russell Rovers |
| Aghada win + Russell Rovers win |
Decided by scoring difference |
However, there is one qualification combination that cannot happen: Bandon and Russell Rovers cannot both qualify if Bandon lose, because of the possible points and head-to-head permutations.
Current Group 1 Standings
| Team |
Points |
Scoring Difference |
| Kilbrittain |
3 |
+14 |
| Bandon |
3 |
+3 |
| Aghada |
1 |
-3 |
| Russell Rovers |
1 |
-14 |
If both Aghada and Russell Rovers win, all four teams would finish on three points. In that scenario, scoring difference would decide the top two.
Kilbrittain currently hold a significant advantage on scoring difference, meaning Aghada and Russell Rovers would need substantial victories to overhaul the teams above them.
Group 2 – Almost Two Knockout Games
Mallow lead Group 2 on three points, with Blackrock on two and Midleton and Kildorrery also still in contention.
The final fixtures are:
Mallow v Blackrock – Glantane
Kildorrery v Midleton – Mourneabbey
| Results |
What It Means |
| Mallow avoid defeat |
Mallow qualify; the second place is decided by the other game |
| Blackrock beat Mallow |
Blackrock move ahead of Mallow; Mallow can still qualify depending on Kildorrery v Midleton |
| Midleton win |
Midleton qualify; if Blackrock also win, Midleton finish ahead of them on the head-to-head |
| Midleton draw |
Midleton qualify |
| Kildorrery win |
Kildorrery can qualify, depending on the margin of victory and other result |
If Mallow avoid defeat, the Kildorrery-Midleton game effectively becomes a winner-goes-through contest, with Midleton already holding the advantage of a point.
Group 3 – Sarsfields Through as Group Winners
Group 3 is considerably clearer.
Sarsfields’ second team have already secured top spot following victories over Erin’s Own and Youghal.
That leaves the remaining qualification place to be decided between Erin’s Own and Youghal, who are both currently on two points.
Final Group 3 Fixture
Erin’s Own v Youghal – Carrigtwohill
| Result |
Outcome |
| Erin’s Own win |
Erin’s Own qualify |
| Youghal win |
Youghal qualify |
| Draw |
Scoring difference decides |
Ballygiblin are already eliminated, while Sarsfields cannot be caught at the top of the group.
Everything to Play For
With 11 of the 12 teams still having a route to the knockout stages, Friday night promises plenty of drama.
Group 1 is particularly finely balanced, with five different possible pairings still capable of filling the top two positions.
In Group 2, Mallow, Blackrock, Midleton and Kildorrery all remain in contention, while Group 3 will see Erin’s Own and Youghal battle it out for the final knockout place.
The final round of group fixtures will determine who keeps their IAHC title ambitions alive.
Championship Standings After Round Two
With two rounds of the group stages now completed, the race for places in the knockout stages is finely balanced heading into the final round of fixtures.
Sarsfields currently lead the standings having won both of their opening games, while Kilbrittain and Mallow sit on three points apiece.
Bandon also have three points, with Blackrock and Erins Own currently on two points each. With one round remaining, there is still plenty to play for across all three groups.
Overall placing League Table – After Round 2
| Pos |
Club |
Group |
P |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
Pts |
| 1 |
Sarsfields |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
+10 |
4 |
| 2 |
Kilbrittain |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
+14 |
3 |
| 3 |
Mallow |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
+2 |
3 |
| 4 |
Bandon |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
+3 |
3 |
| 5 |
Blackrock |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
+5 |
2 |
| 6 |
Erins Own |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
+2 |
2 |
One round remains in the group stages, with the final round set to determine the group winners and runners-up who will progress to the knockout stages.
