THIS Sunday John Mitchels will enter into a four team playoff for promotion to Division 1, if successful it will mark a return to the top flight for the first time in 12 years.

It won’t be easy however, first they must get over Senior County Championship semi-finalist, Rathmore, in a match fixed for Finuge this Sunday at 2pm..

On the other side of the playoff are Munster Intermediate Champions, St Mary’s and Spa Killarney who defeated Mitchels in this year’s Intermediate County Championship semi-final.

That game will go ahead in Farranfore, also on Sunday at 2pm.

A play-off is required after all four teams finished in third spot on 15 points apiece in last year’s Division 2. The winner will join Templenoe and Kenmare in Division 1 for 2016.

Speaking to Traleetoday.ie, John Mitchels selector Eoin Kelliher is happy to report a clean bill of health and that preparations are going well heading into the playoffs.

“We’re fairly confident of putting up a good performance but we know what we’re up against,” said Eoin Kelliher.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve played a lot of challenge games and training has gone well, even over the Christmas period which is a bad time for training,” he said.

When the sides met last June in the County League, Mitchels made the trip to Rathmore and suffered an nine point loss.

“They are a very well drilled outfit and a good championship side. It will be a tough ask,” he said.