Here’s how the Brian McCormick Sports Premier Division race is shaping up

THE RACE FOR THE Brian McCormick Sports Premier Division title is hotting up as the season enters its business end.

It seems now to be a two-horse race between Drumoghill FC and Milford United with Wednesday night’s draw at Drumoghill tripping up the dark horse of Kildrum Tigers.

Kildrum player-boss Shane Brown is the proprietor of Wizzy Brown Bookmakers, but even he might have trouble trying to figure out if the title will head for the Moss or Moyle View, having all but admitted that his own team’s hopes had faded.

Drumoghill FC lead the way at the summit, with Christopher O’Donnell’s late leveller against Kildrum taking Michael Lynch’s side a point clear of Milford.

Crucially, Drumoghill have a game less played and must now be the favourites to land their first title in 21 years; Danny McConnell’s class of the 1994/95 season the last to take the prize to Drumoghill.

The Moss men were runners-up to St Catherine’s last season and Lynch’s designs have been on winning it since the summer, when he added the likes of Ray Quinn, Paddy Collins, Benny Bonner and Gerard McGranaghan to his ranks.

Drumoghill have suffered with a lack of games of late, with Lynch using words like ‘rusty’, ‘slow’ and ‘sluggish’ to describe his charges on Wednesday.

Kildrum, whose last Premier Division crown was won in 2001 before they departed for the Ulster Senior League, are now ten points adrift. Notions of a title were ambitious before Wednesday although it was, and is still possible.

However, the draw has put a massive dent in their hopes, even if they have two games less played than Drumoghill, who visit Station Road on the final day of the season.

Kildrum will have a big say in the destination of the silverware, though and they head to Moyle View Park on Sunday to take on Milford, whose manager Noel Gillespie was an interested spectator in Drumoghill during the week.

Drumoghill have three away games, at Kilmacrennan, Cappry and Kildrum, to come with a home game against Gweedore Celtic to pencil in, too.

Milford – aiming for a first Premier Division since 2008 – host Kildrum this weekend, are away to St Catherine’s and, in their final game, host derby rivals Rathmullan.