Richard White (NCU PRO) & Wylie McKinty

It is back to league action for the Robinson Services Premier League this Saturday while Section 1 has a full complement of fixtures. Section 2 only has 2 games on Saturday due to the quarter finals of the Junior Cup.

Robinson Services Premier League
Only eight points separate seven of the eight Premier League teams. On Saturday the game of the day is at The Lawn as defending champions Waringstown host North Down.

Armagh host second placed CIYMS at the Mall, and Muckamore play an Instonians side that have lost their last two Premier League fixtures and were pushed hard by Holywood in the Gallagher Challenge Cup last weekend.

Despite going well in the Challenge Cup and Lagan Valley Steels T20 competition CSNI are the only Premier side not to win a league game so far this season and they make the journey to Middle Road to take on Carrickfergus.

Saturday Fixtures
Armagh v CIYMS, at The Mall, Armagh
Carrickfergus v CSNI, at Middle Road, Carrickfergus
Muckamore v Instonians, at Moylena, Muckamore (12noon)
Waringstown v North Down, at The Lawn, Waringstown

Robinson Services League Section 1
Section 1 has the tightest race for promotion as 8 teams are within 4 points of each other and 5 of those have 12 points each. 4 of those latter teams meet this weekend with Bangor hosting Cregagh at Upritchard Park and Holywood, after coming the closest of the Section 1 sides to causing a Challenge Cup upset last weekend, take on Downpatrick at Seapark.

Derriaghy and Lisburn meet for the second time this season at Queensway, the last meeting in the Challenge Cup turned out to be a thriller so the expected good crowd will hope for some of the same.

Laurelvale have lost their last two games and will be up against it as they travel to Ballygomartin Road to take on Woodvale. The final game of the weekend sees the bottom two teams meet at the Factory Ground, Donaghcloney. A loss for Lurgan will see a gap open up between them and 9th place and drop them further behind their local rivals.

Saturday Fixtures
Bangor v Cregagh, at Upritchard Park, Bangor
Derriaghy v Lisburn, at Queensway, Derriaghy
Donacloney Mill v Lurgan, at the Factory Ground, Donaghcloney
Holywood v Downpatrick, at Seapark Oval, Holywood
Woodvale v Laurelvale, at Ballygomartin Road, Belfast

Robinson Services League Section 2
Due to the quarter finals of the Junior Cup there are only 2 Saturday fixtures but there are also 2 rearranged games scheduled for Sunday.

On Saturday Larne make the short journey to Mallusk Playing fields to take on BISC while Drumaness, after their dramatic tied game against Dunmurry last time out, will be looking to go one better and record their first win of the season when they entertain Victoria at the Village Ground (start time brought forward to 12noon).

On Sunday two of the three unbeaten teams in Section 2 meet at Northfield, Donaghadee where Cliftonville Academy are the visitors. Monaghan, one of a number of teams on 12 points, once again give up home advantage while their ground improvements continue as they travel to Mallusk to take on Belfast SuperKings (start time brought forward to 12noon).

Saturday Fixtures
BISC v Larne, at City of Belfast Playing Fields, Mallusk
Drumaness v Victoria, at The Village Ground, Drumaness (12noon)

Sunday Fixtures
Donaghadee v Cliftonville Academy
Monaghan v Belfast SuperKings, at City of Belfast Playing Fields, Mallusk (12noon)