BRIGADE may go into the last full weekend of matches in the NW Premiership as favourites and table-toppers but it is Ardmore and Killyclooney who have the destination of the title in their own hands.

As fate would have it, the second and third place teams meet today at Ballyheather Road with the winners certain to leapfrog Brigade who do not play their penultimate game until Sunday.

A Killyclooney win would then give them the chance to beat Brigade in their final match to lift the Premiership trophy for the first time, while an Ardmore victory would keep them in pole position ahead of games at Donemana and at home to Fox Lodge next weekend.

Mathematically, Ardmore can actually pick up no points tomorrow and still lift the title with maximum point victories in the final two games – if Killyclooney beat Brigade - and even without professional Aviwe Mgijima, skipper Rachit Gaur knows they still have a great chance of lifting the league trophy for the first time in their long history.

“We have an excellent pool of players which gives us flexibility in every aspect of the game. There have been plenty of match-winning performances throughout the season but we are just taking one game at a time,” said Gaur.

“We are certainly right in contention for the league and it’s up to us now how well we perform. For the moment our focus is on Killyclooney and we will take it from there.”

Brigade are the idle team today but their game at St Johnston is one of four matches on what could be a decisive Sunday, especially in the battle for a top eight place which will decide the teams who will play in next year’s Premiership.

Even a St Johnston maximum points win against the leaders would still leave them three points adrift of a top eight slot so in effect it is a fight between five teams for four places with Eglinton, currently fifth, still under pressure as they have only two games left – the others have three.

Coleraine start the weekend in ninth place but with a home game against Ballyspallen they would expect to put the pressure on Fox Lodge (two points above them) Donemana (11) and Newbuildings (22), ahead of their huge game at Fox Lodge tomorrow, the same day as Newbuildings host Donemana.

Tomorrow –NW Premiership (12.00): Fox Lodge v Coleraine, Newbuildings v Donemana, St Johnston v Brigade, Strabane v Bonds Glen.