Five of the eight quarter-finals are filled with St Brigid’s also likely to be in the last eight of the Championship barring an unlikely set of results this weekend
Five teams are certain of their place in the Antrim SFC quarter-finals – six if you count St Brigid’s who are almost there.
For a host of other teams, this weekend won’t be about the knockout stages, it will be about trying to avoid relegation to the Intermediate grade for 2026.
Ahoghill, by virtue of finishing bottom in Division One, are already down, unless they can win the Senior Championship.
The four teams finishing bottom of the groups will play-off in relegation semi-finals and the loser of the final will down down to Intermediate football.
The quarter-final draws are pre-determined with the winners and runners-up in Group One facing off against the winners and runners up in Group Four with Group Two and Three clashing in the last eight.
There will then be a semi-final draw with repeat pairings, where possible, avoided.
Holders Cargin are already through to the quarters along with Dunloy and they meet this weekend for the right to top the group, in what is a repeat of the 2023 final, with the winners likely to avoid St Brigid’s in the last eight.
Ronan Devlin’s side have been handed a boost following confirmation that Conhuir Johnston’s appeal against his red card in the win over St John’s was successful.
St John’s and Randalstown meet with the winners avoiding the relegation play-offs.
In Group Two, last season’s beaten finalists Portglenone are through and will top the group if they avoid a loss to Aldergrove, who are already out and will contest the relegation play-offs.
Rossa’s clash with Glenravel is a straight knockout clash, although the losers will be spared relegation.
It is a straight-forward scenario in Group Three as the top two, Creggan and St Gall’s meet to decided who tops the group while the bottom two, Lámh Dhearg and Ballymena are seeking to avoid the relegation play-offs.
In Group Four, things could get very complicated. Although they are unbeaten with two wins from two, there’s a unlikely scenario that could see St Brigid’s miss out on a quarter-final berth.
Lose to Aghagallon and, should Ahoghill beat St Paul’s by a significant margin, there’s a small chance the Malone men could exit the Championship – but it would require a 48-point swing in the scoring differences.
They could lose and still top the group, but only if St Paul’s don’t claim their first win of the campaign.
Ahoghill’s head-to-head win over Aghagallon is only in play if there are only two teams level on points.
Antrim SFC fixtures
Saturday, August 30
Group Four: St Brigid’s v Aghagallon (Glenavy, 4pm), Ahoghill v St Paul’s (Creggan, 4pm)
Group One: Cargin v Dunloy (Portlglenone, 6.30pm), St John’s v Randalstown (Ballymena, 6.30pm).
Sunday, August 31
Group Three: Creggan v St Gall’s (Dunsilly, 1pm), Lámh Dhearg v Ballymena (St Enda’s, 1pm).
Group Two: Portglenone v Aldergrove (Randalstown, 4pm), Rossa v Glenravel (Cargin, 4pm).
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