With just three weekends of the regular season remaining, attention over the coming weeks will be divided more or less equally between the cup finals, and the races for the titles and to avoid relegation in the top three Grades.
The first of the finals takes place on Sunday when Crescent meet 2nd Ellon in the final of the Reid Cup at Methlick; while the following weekend Methlick and Queens Cross meet in the final of the Bon Accord Cup at Cults; and a week after that Bon Accord will seek to add the Aberdeenshire Cup to the SCU Small Clubs Cup when they take on Ellon at Mannofield.
Meanwhile the race for all three of the top league titles still remains open, with two key games in Grade 1 this weekend and next, as Cults take on first Kintore and then next weekend Bon Accord. With less than 10 percentage points covering the top three sides, the results of these games will obviously be vital; and both could go either way, though Cults have home advantage on Saturday.
At the foot of Grade 1 meanwhile 2nd Cults and Caledonian look favourites to make an early return to Grade 2; but Mannofield are still dangerously poised in eighth position, though with only Caledonian and Inverurie to play after this weekend they should have enough in hand to retain their Grade 1 status for a further season.
The race at the top and bottom of the other grades is equally tight. In Grade 2 a win for Gordonians against Grammar FPs could see them move above the Rubislaw team into second place; though St Ronald will be fancied to return to winning form at the top away to bottom side Kemnay. Academy’s defeat by Kemnay last weekend has left them poised perilously in ninth place; and they will be keen to beat Fraserburgh at the Duthie Park on Saturday, while hoping that Crathie can do them a favour by beating Artisans in eighth place. Queens Cross face Methlick in a preview of the Cup Final.
In Grade 3 it could be a second successive promotion for Turriff, with much hinging on Saturday’s game at the Burnett Park against 2nd Banchory; while at the foot it looks like any two from Stoneywood-Dyce, Dunecht or 2nd Methlick to drop to Grade 4, with Dunecht facing a critical game on Saturday at Lairds.
In Grade 4, where Saturday sees the final round of league fixtures, 2nd Stonehaven have already secured the title, with the race for the second promotion spot depending on the outcome of Saturday’s games between Portcullis and 2nd Queens Cross, who meantime occupy second place; and, should the Harlaw side slip up, between 2nd Gordonians and 2nd Mannofield, who are the other two teams currently in the top five.
wytbu8 Aug 7 2008 - 6:24pm
