ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION TWO
Cork 6-18 Limerick 0-12
LIMERICK’S quick return to Division Three took a step closer after they were thumped by rampant Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Rebels got off to a quick start, with goals from Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan shooting them into a 2-3 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes. Sean Powter and Brian Hurley bagged further goals in the first half as Cork opened up a 4-9 to 0-6 lead at half-time.
There was no let-up for Limerick in the second half, with Cian Corbett finding the net in the first minute.
Steven Sherlock kept the scoreboard ticking over, finishing with 0-5, and Cork’s sixth goal came from Conor Corbett.
Dublin 0-16 Clare 1-12
CORMAC Costello’s injury-time point saw Dublin snatch a dramatic victory over Clare at Croke Park on Saturday.
The Dubs’ 100 per cent record in the division had been put under serious threat by the Bannermen, who led by six points with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The home side had looked comfortable early, stretching out a three-point lead after a quarter of an hour, but Clare slowly chipped away at that advantage and drew level before Gavin Cooney’s goal and a Podge Collins point saw them open up a 1-8 to 0-8 lead at the interval.
Dessie Farrell brought on Costello and Niall Scully at half-time and introduced Jack McCaffery later in the second half, but it was Clare who maintained the initiative, stretching their advantage to six points, thanks to scores from Emmett McMahon and Eoin Cleary.
However, Dublin quickly reeled them in, thanks to points from Colm Basquel, Ciaran Kilkenny, Dean Rock and Con O’Callaghan and with the sides level, Costello popped up with the match-winning score in injury-time.
Meath 1-12 Louth 1-15
LOUTH scored their second win of the campaign, defeating neighbours Meath in Navan for a hard-fought derby win.
Meath scored 0-4 without reply after 12 minutes, but Louth came storming back and the sides were locked together on 0-5 apiece just after the half-hour mark and a point from Sam Mulroy ensured the visitors went in at the break a point ahead.
The Royals soon levelled and it was nip and tuck until Donal Keogan’s goal 10 minutes into the half put the home side three points clear.
They stretched that gap out to five before Louth came back again, and having brought it back to the minimum, Craig Lennon’s goal 10 minutes from time put Louth into the lead again. Sam Mulroy and Dennis McKenny added further points.
DIVISION THREE
Longford 0-14 Tipperary 1-11
A POINT apiece will do little to easy the worries of either team in this relegation battle at Pearse Park, but it’s the home side who will be happier with that as it took an injury-time point from Oran Kenny to ensure a share of the spoils.
Longford had clawed back a five-point deficit to give themselves a chance in the closing stages having led Tipperary by four points at half-time.
Dessie Reynolds and Robbie Smyth helped Paddy Christie’s men build that first-half advantage, which saw the half-time score at 0-9 to 0-5 in favour of the home side.
However, Tipperary were a team transformed in the second half, a goal three minutes into the half from Teddy Doyle getting their recovery underway. Points from Emmet Maloney and Donough Leahy put them into the lead and Longford’s chances took a further hit with the sending off of Darren Gallagher.
It wasn’t until the 66th minute that Longford got their first point of the half through David McGivney, and that sparked a revival which led to Kenny’s leveller.
DIVISION FOUR
Laois 2-10 Wicklow 2-12
THE promotion race in Division Four was blown wide open as Oisín McConville picked up his biggest win since taking over Wicklow.
JP Hurley’s late goal helped the Garden county to overcome Laois in Laois Hire O’Moore Park, and when the dust settled after the weekend’s action, it meant that there’s just one point between the top five teams in the division.
Despite missing key forward Evan O’Carroll, Laois started strongly and it looked like everything was going to plan for the midlanders when Mark Barry’s goal moved them 1-3 to 0-1 in front.
Yet Wicklow, who would have taken plenty of confidence from winning the last meeting between these sides in the 2022 Leinster Championship, hung in there and gave themselves a real shot in the arm through a Jack Kirwan goal in first-half injury-time.
Kieran Lillis and Eoin Lowry pointed for Laois immediately after the break but Wicklow took over and struck six in a row, with Kevin Quinn scoring twice from play, along with one apiece from Patrick O’Keane and Dean Healy.
The home side drew level and then slipped a couple of points behind again, and were left with too much to do when Hurley swept in his goal at the start of added time. Mark Barry’s late penalty may yet be relevant in scoring difference terms however, given the closeness of several counties at the top of this division.
London 0-6 Sligo 1-10
THERE was no such drama at McGovern Park in Ruislip, where Sligo produced a very professional display to rack up a third win in succession, joining Laois and Leitrim at the top of the table.
Two points from David Quinn in just two minutes settled Tony McEntee’s troops, and they put real daylight between the teams when Sean Carrabine was fouled by London keeper Andrew Walsh and Patrick O’Connor stepped up and hit the back of the net from the spot.
Aidan McLoughlin and Christopher Farley (two) did score for London in the opening half, but three points from Niall Murphy ensured Sligo led by six at the interval, and they locked down London in the second half too, restricting Michael Maher’s side to just three further points, all of them in the last 15 minutes.
Leitrim 2-22 Carlow 0-13
Having lost to Wexford last weekend, Leitrim needed to bounce back and they did that in fine style, racking up a 2-22 to 0-13 win over Carlow, who lost two players to red cards late in the game.
There was no sign that a high-scoring tie was in the offing as the two sides registered just 0-2 apiece in the opening 20 minutes, but a sudden scoring burst from the home side that saw Keith Beirne score 1-1, followed by points from Mark Plunkett and Jack Heslin, changed the game.
Two Darragh Foley frees reduced the gap, but Jack Heslin’s goal ensured a 2-7 to 0-8 interval lead. Foley struck the first score of the second half but Leitrim moved through the gears from there, with Evan Sweeney and Barry McNulty each catching the eye with 0-2 apiece off the bench.
Waterford 1-5 Wexford 2-12
Wexford made sure to follow up last week’s momentous home win over Leitrim with another good performance, as they made the short trip across the provincial border to Fraher Field picking up a 2-12 to 1-6 win over Waterford.
Wind-assisted, Waterford started well with a Darragh Corcoran goal in the eighth minute, and they could have had another almost immediately, but for a wonderful save from Darragh Brooks to deny Donal Fitzgerald.
Mark Rossiter’s goal edged Wexford in front for the first time 21 minutes gone and they didn’t look back. Eoghan Nolan and Rossiter shot a couple of points each in the third quarter, and the contest was effectively settled once Brian Molloy finished off a nice team move to score their second goal in the 50th minute.
