And then there were 8. The SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division campaign ticks ever closer to its conclusion, and we are no closer to seeing who will make the playoff spots at the end of this season. Cork City are champions-elect, while all 9 other sides remain mathematically in the race for the 4 playoff places in a race that will likely run on until the final stages of this season.
Treaty United are the visitors to Mounthawk Park tomorrow night, in the penultimate Munster Derby fixture in the Kingdom this year. Following defeats away to Cork City and to Sligo Rovers in the FAI Cup in back-to-back weeks, Kerry got somewhat back on track with a hard-fought draw with second-placed UCD in Mounthawk Park last Friday night. Kerry came from behind, with Niall Brookwell netting a minute into the second half and battled hard right until the final whistle to search for a winner.
But a positive result nonetheless, that has extended Kerry’s unbeaten run in Mounthawk to 11 matches, without tasting defeat on home turf since early in April. But Kerry will have to make home advantage count, with Treaty, Bray Wanderers, Wexford and Cork City all due to visit the south-west before the end of the campaign.
With Longford winning against Bray on Saturday, Kerry’s gap to the playoff places is now 4 points, but with 24 still on the table, it really is a race on for everyone in this playoff run. Kerry prop up the table in 6th place as the best of the rest, but Athlone and Wexford are waiting to pounce, just 2 points behind the Kingdom on the table. Treaty are also ready to pounce, and a victory for Tommy Barrett’s side tomorrow night could close the gap to the Kingdom to just 3 points. Finn Harps are all but out of the race; they sit 18 points off the playoff places.
There will be a real Munster Derby feel to this one tomorrow night, where both sides know how valuable 3 points could be in the grand scheme of this end-of-season run.
Head-to-head
Kerry FC Wins – 2 Draws – 7 Treaty Utd Wins – 6
Did You Know?
Treaty’s victory in the fixture back in July ended a series of draws between the sides that was running since the summer of last year. That came when Kerry beat Treaty by a goal to nil in May 2025. Since then, the sides have shared 3 draws, three 1-1’s and one 2-2 draw, before Treaty took the spoils against 10-man Kerry when the sides last met.
Injury Update
It’s more or less as you were for Colin Healy on the injury front following last Friday night’s draw against UCD. Cian Murphy will make a welcome return to the squad following his one-match suspension. Daniel Okwute edges closer to a return; he has returned to on-field training after missing last week with a hamstring issue. Arran Healy made a return from a 4-month layoff last Friday night off the bench, and went on to score for the MU20 side in Saturday’s win over CK United. Finn Barrett and Luke Doolan remained sidelined, along with Ryan Kelliher, who remains out long-term after surgery on his ACL injury.
‘What they said’
Colin Healy – “Treaty are a really well-organised side, with some really good players and a great manager. We’ve seen how close the games have been over the last 12 months or so. We want to win every game, and each game carrys it’s own importance. But it’s always about what we do ourselves; the lads will most definitely be ready for the challenge. We will have a big crowd behind us, and we need to keep pushing now.”