St Mary’s to survive - just

From the highs of winning a championship for the first time in 46 years to the agonising lows of being pipped at the post by two late two-point frees in their relegation semi-final St Mary's have endured it all in the last 12 months.

Around this time last year the Donore side were the talk of the town their victory in the Junior B FC was one of the stories of a remarkable footballing year, but this year they have struggled.

Their FL Div 5 form was decent. Six wins and five losses, but that was mainly against second teams or Junior B opposition, so when it came to competing in the JFC St Mary's found the going tough.

They thought they had given themselves a lifeline when they defeated Nobber in round two, but losses to Ballinlough and Moylagh left them bottom of the table and the nature of their last second loss to Dunderry has hurt even more.

Can they pick themselves back up for one last crack at survival against St Brigid's?

The Ballinacree side operated in a higher level in the leagues and finished second in the group with eight wins and a draw from their 11 games. however the semi-final loss has sent them into a spiral and they haven't recovered, losing all three games in a very tough group in the championship.

League form suggests St Brigid's should be favourites, but St Mary's showed enough promise against Dunderry and Nobber to say they will avoid an immediate return to the Junior B ranks. Verdict - St Mary's.