BUSY PROGRAMME FOR SENIOR CLUBS AS TOP FOUR FIGHT FOR TITLE

Action comes thick and fast over the coming week in Division 1 of the Billy Henderson Properties league and we should know quite a bit more at the end of this busy period especially at the business end of the table. Strabane's outstanding league game with Bonds Glen finally got under way last night and ought to be finished this evening while it's a busy few days for all the title contenders and for Limavady in particular. The Roesiders are at home to Eglinton on Saturday, have a crunch game at Beechgrove on Sunday and then travel to Bready on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday if necessary for another tough challenge against the senior cup holders. Here's a look then at what's in store over the next few days-

BONDS GLEN V DONEMANA
It's getting very nervy at the bottom of the table now with the Bee Gees and Eglinton completely marooned and a win of any kind for either could be the difference between relegation and survival. Gary Hamilton's side have their ongoing match with Strabane and this one against a wounded Donemana before their huge game against the Villagers next Sunday and although they look up against it in both, they do at least have home advantage here. Wins against Bready and Glendermott on their own patch have given the Bee Gees some hope of survival but they took a bit of a mauling from Fox Lodge last time and looked very vulnerable. They will obviously have an eye on next weekend but they could well be running into Donemana at precisely the wrong time after last weekend's difficulties for the Holm men. The rights and wrongs of Donemana's decision not to turn up at Limavady on Sunday could be debated all day but if the North West award the points to the Roesiders then that would surely end Richard Kee's side's title hopes. After their cup final defeat against Bready the Tyrone side are certainly feeling hard done by and its starting to look as though the absence of their Under 19 players has played a large part in undermining what had been shaping up to be a big season for them. Both of course are available again now; just what Bonds Glen didn't need!

BREADY V FOX LODGE
No let-up for Bready either after their thrilling midweek win over Coleraine and they then have another tough contest starting on Monday night with the visit of Limavady. This could be a lively encounter despite the fact that there is little at stake although in fairness both have under-performed in the league this season. On the team front, respective skippers Brian Allen and Trevor Hamilton are both on holiday but there is no shortage of cover in either camp. Bready's batting has improved beyond recognition for the addition of Brian Crumley and James Long albeit against Coleraine in midweek only the top five were needed in any case. The bowling looks solid too and with the senior cup now safely locked away the Magheramason side can warm up for their Faughan Valley final at the end of this month by looking to consolidate a top half placing in the league.

The Foxies have been a little bit of everything this season but for the talent at their disposal it will have to go down as a disappointing campaign thus far. Their inexplicable home defeat by Donemana earlier in the season triggered a real slump in form that ended any hope of silverware but a look at the Ballymagorry side's line up suggests that there is more in the locker. They too really need to finish in the top half and a win here would certainly help the cause.

COLERAINE V BRIGADE

Brigade will have little time to feel sorry for themselves after the weekend's disappointment in the Bob Kerr Cup and Mark Simpson's men now have to give their undivided attention to their attempts to wrestle the senior title back from Strabane. Their batting let them down against Waringstown on Sunday; no player able to go over 20 as they struggled to adapt to their own conditions and the absence of Mattie Moran is a definite blow. They've tried several opening partners for Chris Dougherty but without Moran they remain fairly makeshift and the middle order just looks a fraction short. Brigade's attack options are awesome but if they don't manage to bowl teams out, they tend to struggle however this particular task has been made less difficult with the news that Coleraine professional Mohammad Salman has already left Sandel Lodge.

The Pakistan wicket-keeper/ batsman is held in very high esteem down the coast and rightly so after helping to put in place a fantastic youth set up but the player had nothing like the same impact on the field this season and his late arrival and early departure doesn't really add up. It has been a case of so near for the Bannsiders this seasons, their back-to-back defeats at the Holm in league and cup pretty much epitomising their efforts, however the future looks well guarded. They still have Ian McGregor and David Cooke as well as the in-fom Paul Douglas of course and Scott Campbell's return is a boost too so they can't be dismissed lightly. Brigade start favourites here but the real deal for them could be how they cope with their nearest challengers Limavady on Sunday. It isn't yet clear if Adnan Akmal has left to join the Pakistan squad and that could be pivotal to the visitors hopes but if Brigade manage to pick up maximum points this weekend they would become hot favourites to go on to claim the championship.

LIMAVADY V EGLINTON

A crunch clash at both ends of the table this as Limavady start that frantic 5-day programme that will go a long way to dictating their title chances. Adnan Akmal's departure softens them up unfortunately, not least because they have no cover for one of the top keepers around. The Roesiders have been missing Decker's ten overs too so Andrew Riddles has a real job on his hands to work out a plan to deal with those areas while maintaining the pressure at the top of the table. He has quality to call on, no doubt about that but whether they can negotiate this ultra difficult week and emerge with maximum points remains to be seen.

The Villagers looked completely flat in their defeat at Glendermott last time and they really need to fill their lungs if they are to avoid relegation this season. This type of situation is becoming too common for Andy Christie's side and they can't keep pinning their hopes on someone being worse off than them. Failing to win here means that Eglinton go to Bonds Glen next week to take on a side who will be happy to scrap with them for the right to stay up and they have to be ready to match that. You look around the side and see quality like Richard Wylie, Ryan Butterworth, Chris Pierce, Simon Olphert, Mark Averill and Richard and Neal Stewart and wonder why but Eglinton are where they are and they need to find a way of dealing with it. On current form they will be lucky to be second in this one but its a funny old game and the rewards may just be the motivation they need.