Cliftonville have not given up hope of being able to play at their Greenisland ground next season.

The cricket members will attend the Sports Club’s AGM on Wednesday week, following a court ruling, and the meeting will go a long way towards deciding if the cricket club can resume playing home fixtures in 2009.

With no Plan B, a welcome homecoming would appear to be their only chance of preserving their Premier League status but first they have to get out of the bottom two who will be automatically relegated.

They were the only team in the bottom three to win at the weekend, to make it a three-way tie with Derriaghy and CIYMS.

However, even after their six wickets win over CI, it is the Belmont side who remain in pole position to escape the drop with four games still to play, three more than Derriaghy and Cliftonville.

Cliftonville had Mark and Andrew Patterson in the team for Saturday’s match but Mark’s two wickets were matched by four other bowlers as CIYMS were dismissed for 101. Mark scored all six runs the brothers managed as Ricky Stirling led his side to a six wickets victory with 49.

CI lost again yesterday to Carrickfergus, with an unbeaten 64 by Derek Heasley still leaving his side 15 runs short of the visitors’ 139 for six.

It was former International team-mate Ryan Eagleson, the Carrickfergus captain, who was his side’s match-winner, top scoring with a modest 25 but then taking four wickets for 10 runs as CI were bowled out in the 45th over.

Derriaghy had a great chance to move out of the bottom three yesterday when, although totalling only 100, they reduced Bangor to 48 for six and 87 for eight at Queensway.

The Seasiders’ ninth wicket pair of Jordan McKeown and Ryan

Adair got Bangor home and send Derriaghy into their last match, against Cliftonville next Sunday, knowing the losers will definitely be relegated.

At the top, North Down and Civil Service North meet for the first time on the same day and they are set to be level on points going into their last three games.

With home advantage, North Down beat Carrickfergus by six wickets on Saturday and followed up yesterday with a seven wickets success against Cliftonville.

At one stage, Cliftonville were 106 for two with Johhny Terrett hitting 57 and Paul Stirling 49 but when they were dismissed the visitors lost their last eight wickets for 61, in spite of a brave 24 by Davy Munn.

Ireland opening bowler Peter Connell was the destroyer-in-chief with four wickets in his second spell to finish with six for 30 and Taimur Khan, with 11 fours in his 82 not out, ensured victory for the defending champions with 18 overs to spare.

CSN needed just 10 overs to score 99 and beat Derriaghy by nine wickets on Saturday and yesterday Ewen Thompson, fittingly, signed off with four wickets for 15 as Instonians were bowled out for 113.

Although the popular Kiwi scored only 13, CSN won by four wickets in the 30th over.