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From Very Happy To Beyond Shite: How Each County Will Feel About League Campaign

From Very Happy To Beyond Shite: How Each County Will Feel About League Campaign
Conor Neville
By Conor Neville
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Aside from one match (the clash between Waterford and Leitrim in Dungarvan) the seven rounds of the National Football League have all been played.

From 'Very Happy' to 'Beyond shite', here's how each county may be feeling about themselves afterwards.

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Very Happy

Cavan

Cavan have been threatening to join the big-time for a while. Their progress has stalled following the 2013 championship but the talent is patently there. Reaching the top 8 is another landmark. Euphoria is sweeping the region currently, perhaps hinting at the increased prominence of the League in an era when the championship has become the preserve of the elite. Kieran Cunningham put it better than anyone when he said there won't be 'a dinner shoved in a drawer for a week'.

Clare

Leaving Kildare's dominance and Limerick's ineptitude aside, Division 3 was a congested field. Only three points separated 2nd and 7th place. Clare finished on eight points and won the battle to reach Division 2. Heady days for a team that has known what it's like paddling around in Division 4.

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Roscommon

The sensations of the League five rounds in, they got a land in their penultimate game against Mayo. Fed the perception that this year was essentially little different from the Evans' years. Flourishing in the spring before flailing in the summer. We'll see.

Dublin

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Obviously a great League. The first time in the Jim Gavin era they have won 7 from 7. The extent of their recent dominance made the whole achievement feel humdrum.

Antrim 

The telly box nor the radio machine was rarely alert to the progress of Antrim. Promotion was assured before the final day and they'll face Louth in the League final.

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Happy enough

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Kerry

Custamory slow start to the year under present management. They arose from their slumber a fortnight or so early this year. Finishing the League stronger than they started it. Good effort thus far. As ever, not inclined to scream about it.

Offaly

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After a gruelling run of losses up until the start of 2015, they are showing signs of life under Pat Flanagan. Second positive League season in a row. Were ultimately unlucky to miss out on second successive promotion.

Longford

They won three championship matches last year but this was achievement was rather overshadowed by two high profile hammerings. There wasn't too much optimism at the outset but they have enjoyed a decent League. Strong wins over Sligo, Tipperary and Westmeath.

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Monaghan 

monagh

Survived thanks after coming from behind to beat Donegal in Castleblayney. Played brilliantly against Dublin for long spells. The campaign will be greeted as success.

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Tyrone

Happy enough to return to their natural habitat in the top division. Division 2 was a 'draw-fest' this year and thus they fell short of a 100% record, something many had predicted at the outset.

Kildare

Happy enough that they don't have to spend another year down in Division 3.

 

Louth 

As would be expected, Louth prove too good for the Division 4 stragglers. Failed to top the table however. Get the chance to add to their trophy cabinet at the end of the month though.

Meh

Mayo

rochs

Stephen Rochford set the modest objective of simply surviving in Division 1 before it started. They appeared set to fail before stirring themselves in the final few games. Returning stars helped.

The manner in which they escaped the drop at the finish made them appear knowing and composed, even if Down gave them a fright in the end.

Galway

Following their destruction of Laois on the opening day, some were ready to declare the resurgence is underway. The table reveals they had another ordinary League. Drew three from seven and failed to win at home.

Derry 

Like Galway, they were in the hunt for promotion but they were upset by costly draws against struggling outfits. Scored a remarkable 13 goals and still lost more than they won.

Fermanagh

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Survival in a ferociously competitive Division will satisfy them. They will consider the draws in the final two games (against Galway and Tyrone) as points won rather than points lost.

Meath

Still little signs of rennaissance. Survival aided by the fateful decision to red card Evan O'Carroll while Laois still led in O'Moore Park.

Donegal 

donegal

The reverse of Kerry and Mayo. They started like a freight train but their momentum drifted away badly. Four straight losses but they have the semi-finals to build up some buzz again.

 

Sligo

Won three, lost three and drawn one. Safety assured but promotion not threatened. An indifferent campaign. Still, they've experienced the thrills of Division 4 before.

Carlow

Grand. Irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Won in Rusilip after scoring the same number of goals as points. 4-4 to 1-11.

London

Unlucky not to beat Carlow (presumably they don't fear Carlow in London), they went and beat Waterford by a point in the penultimate game. If Leitrim can win in Dungarvan (a game which will proceed away from the world's glare it's fair to say) they will avoid the wooden spoon.

 

Crap enough

cor

Cork

Unlucky to find themselves descending to Division 2 with Down, not least because they scored six more points than their demoted northern brethren. A congested field meant that one team which won three from seven participates in the semi-finals while another is relegated to Division 2.

Tipperary

Considering their summer form in the past two seasons, they are not where they should be. Languishing slightly above the relegation places.

Laois

After exiting last year's championship as early as it was possible to exit the championship, there wasn't too much buzz surrounding Laois before this year's League. Survival was possible entering the final round but they needed a favour for Derry and for them to get the job done. In the event, neither game went the right way.

Armagh

Roused themselves but far too late. Dismal state of affairs to find themselves in the Division 3 backwater for 2017.

Leitrim

Leitrim have never scaled the heights in League or Championship since the early 90s, but these days they are mired in irrelevant obscurity more than ever.

Wexford 

Will spend another year in Division 4 after missing out on promotion. Failure.

Wicklow

Losing four games in the middle of the campaign was no fun. Scoring 1-2 against Louth wasn't either.

Waterford

Poor stuff. They find themselves bottom of Division 4 albeit with one game remaining against Leitrim. No one much cares.

Beyond shite

down

Down 

Almost a record-breakingly bad season. After six rounds, they amassed an average points score of under 0-8. In a spirited last stand in Castlebar, they mustered an inspiring tally of 1-16.

Like a senior team sick of shipping hammerings and happy to step down to intermediate, one suspects they are happy to get out of Division One.

Limerick 

Relegated before the final game, they were four points off even second bottom team Westmeath. Performances varied. They only lost by a point to Kildare but were slaughtered by also relegated Westmeath.

Westmeath

Were mixing it with the elite in 2014. Three successive relegations and now they are living amongst the minnows for 2017.

Read more: You're In Division 1 Now So Y'are: The Berserk Reaction As Cavan Earn League Promotion

 

 

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