Allianz NFL Round-Up
Allianz NFL Div 1:
Westmeath 2-10 Tyrone 1-15
Tyrone, the All-Ireland champions, salvaged two badly needed league points from an incredible NFL Division One clash with Westmeath at Cusack Park on Sunday, winning 1-15 to 2-10 thanks to a late goal.
There was heartbreak for the Lake County, who remain rooted to the foot of the table, as Colm Cavanagh’s goal condemned them to their fourth straight defeat in the competition.
Mickey Harte’s charges were under pressure to produce a good performance after struggling so far this year, but they failed to contain Westmeath’s attack throughout a frenzied encounter, and nearly paid the price.
The sides were level at 1-10 to 0-13 with just two minutes left on the clock before Michael Ennis prodded the ball over the line with his right hand for a goal that looked to have won it for Tomas O’Flatharta’s side.
But Mickey Harte’s side displayed all the steel that has made them champions to strike back for two quick points before Kevin Hughes’s shot was brilliantly saved by Gary Connaughton and Colm Cavanagh snuck in to save the day for the Red Hands.
Tyrone had led 0-9 to 0-7 at the break after taking an early lead thanks to points from Niall Gormley, Davey Harte and Sean Cavanagh.
Westmeath soon found their feet thanks, in the main, to Denis Glennon, who struck three early points and Niall Kilcoyne, who managed two.
Glennon then changed the complexion of the game with a 50th minute goal, his run from the 21-yard line ended with a sweetly-struck shot beyond Jonathon Curran, the Tyrone goalkeeper.
The Westmeath forward was on top form, his tally of 1-5 the chief factor in his side’s much-improved display.
Tyrone, who struck eight wides looked to be heading for defeat when Ennis grabbed the Lake County’s second goal late on, but the script was written for Colm Cavanagh, who eased the Red Hands’ relegation fears with his late, late match-winning goal.
—
Allianz NFL Div 1:
Galway 1-16 Donegal 0-12
Galway underscored their Allianz NFL Division One credentials with a comfortable 1-16 to 0-12 win over Donegal at Pearse Stadium.
Liam Sammon’s side gave another fine display of attacking football, with Michael Meehan again the star of the show, his fine goal putting the Tribesmen 1-7 to 0-2 ahead after just 24 minutes.
Galway played with the breeze in the first half, and led by 1-10 to 0-2 at the break. Such was their dominance and the panache with which their forwards played, the Salthill faithful gave the team a standing ovation leaving the pitch.
John Joe Doherty, the Donegal boss, made two changes at the break, bringing in Michael Magee and Ciaran Bonnar to bolster his ailing charges.
Galway eased off the gas and the 2007 league champions finally found their range, as Christy Toye inspired a minor comeback that saw them reduce the gap to seven points, 1-14 to 0-10, with 13 minutes left.
Indeed, Galway did not score for 20 second half minutes, Donegal outscoring them 0-7 to 0-0 in that period.
Ciaran Bonner [0-3], two points from David Walsh, and further scores by Toye and Stepehn Griffin gave Donegal hope that a shock comeback was on the cards.
But Meehan, the Galway full-forward, came up trumps with two late points to give the Westerners their fourth straight win in the league competition.
The home side established their early lead thanks to two scores from Damien Dunleavy, two from Meehan and another from Joyce, with Michael Murphy and defender Eoin Wade keeping Donegal in touch.
However, Meehan all but ended the game as a contest with a fine goal on 22 minutes. He gathered possession 20 metres out and ran straight at goal before planting a fierce drive into the corner of the net.
Meehan came close to finding a second goal just before the break, but his shot was tipped away by Donegal goalkeeper Michael Durcan. Gareth Bradshaw added another point to give Galway an eleven-point lead at the break.
Donegal, despite a second half surge, were completely outclassed and remain mired in relegation trouble with just one point from four league games in 2009, while Galway preserved their perfect record in the division.
—
Allianz NFL Div 1:
Dublin 1-10 Derry 0-18
There were worrying signs for Dublin at Parnell Park on Saturday night, as Pat Gilroy’s new-look side fell to a five-point defeat to National League champions Derry.
It was the manner of the defeat rather than the margin that will cause the new manager a few grey hairs, however. Dublin were completely outplayed for much of the game, and but for a late Ger Brennan goal, they could have found themselves on the end of an embarrassing score line.
Derry, who had Eoin Bradley in sublime form, led by nine points, 0-18 to 0-9, with 14 minutes remaining before the Dubs hit 1-2 in the dying minutes to save face. But it was nothing more than cosmetic.
The damage was done before that. Dublin trailed 0-9 to 0-7 at the break, but there was little sign of the carnage to come. Derry hit five points without reply before Conal Keaney pointed in the 49th minute, their first score in 14 second half minutes.
Damian Cassidy’s charges were in control throughout the field, with Enda Muldoon and Fergal Doherty completely dominant against Ciaran Whelan and Ross McConnell.
Dublin’s rookie defence creaked throughout, as Paddy Andrews, Denis Bastic and Alan Hubbard struggled to deal with the superb Derry attack, which was inspired by Paddy Bradley in the first half before he was forced off at the break with concussion.
Paul Murphy, who finished with 0-3 from play from centre-forward, caused Brennan serious trouble before he was yellow carded for a foul with 12 minutes remaining. Enda Lynn, the Derry half-forward was a constant threat and caused serious problems with a series of probing runs.
But Eoin Bradley will get all the plaudits for his sensational display after his brother had left the fray. The younger of the two Bradley boys finished with 0-6, with two points coming in the second half from sweetly struck sideline balls.
The refrain from Gilroy has been that he is continuing to experiment with new faces, but on this evidence he will be looking forward to the return of his Kilmacud Crokes contingent after the All-Ireland club final on Tuesday.
Only Bernard Brogan who finished with five points [0-2f] can hold his head up high after a dismal team performance, while David Henry was solid in defence and Conal Keaney, who played in fits and starts, did contribute three points from play.
Truth be told, the Dublin forward made little headway against a Derry defence brilliantly led by Niall McCusker at full-back.
Indeed, Derry could have been further ahead at the break had they not missed a number of goal chances. They had two great goal chances in the first half. Stephen Cluxton, the Dublin goalkeeper did well to deny Doherty with a fine save, but the resulting ’45 was beautifully struck over the bar by Enda Muldon.
Five minutes later, in the 22nd minute, Paddy Bradley could have had Derry coasting, but his shot, after rounding the goalkeeper, was blocked by a combination of Paddy Andrews and Ciaran Whelan. Lynn had another cheeky effort on goal brilliantly saved by Cluxton in the second half.
After 23 minutes, the sides were level at 0-6 apiece, but Derry finished the half stronger, with Alan Brogan brought on to replace the ineffective Kevin Bonner.
But Derry never looked back after that point, and the gulf in experience and class between the sides was greater than Derry’s winning margin.
Dublin: S Cluxton, P Andrews, D Bastic, A Hubbard, J Brogan, G Brennan, B Cahill, C Whelan, R Mc Connell, D Connolly, C Keaney, D Henry, B Kelly, K Bonner, B Brogan.
Derry: J Deighan, K McGuckian, N McCusker, S M Lockhart, P Cartin, B McGoldrick, S L McGoldrick, F Doherty, E Muldoon, E Lynn, P Murphy, P Young, P Bradley, E Bradley, B McGuigan
—
Allianz NFL Division 2:
Fermanagh 0-10 Armagh 0-11
Armagh secured two crucial Allianz NFL Division Two points with a narrow one-point win over Fermanagh at Brewster Park on Saturday night.
In a fiery encounter, five players, three from the home side and two from Armagh were yellow carded.
Armagh were a point to the good at the break, 0-5 to 0-4, thanks to five points from the boot of Steven McDonnell after Fermanagh had led early on thanks to two points from Shane O’Brien.
McDonnell landed another point after the interval, with Ronan Clarke also getting on the mark. Indeed, the Orchard men should have been further ahead but Aidan O’Rourke contrived to miss a penalty and then get a yellow card.
But Armagh had too much in the tank, and despite also losing McDonnell, they held out for the win by the narrowest of margins.
Shane Lyons, midfielder Martin McGrath and Hugh Brady all got their marching orders for the losing side. The result leaves Fermanagh facing the very real prospect of relegation, although Laois’s defeat leaves the two sides level on two points at the bottom of the table.
—
Allianz NFL Division 2:
Monaghan 1-11 Kildare 1-14
Kildare produced a display of confidence and control to beat Monaghan in Clones on Sunday to move to the top of Division Two of the Allianz NFL. Kildare opened up a significant early lead and although Monaghan worked away at it tirelessly for the remainder of the game, drawing level towards the end, Kieran McGeeney’s men pulled clear in the final stages for the win.
The Lilywhites, somewhat perversely decked out in green, began well and were 0-4 to no score up early on thanks to two points from Johnny Doyle and a score each from Mark Hanlon and Eamonn Callaghan.
Monaghan got back into the game soon though, but it was well against the run of play. Dick Clerkin charged through from midfield and was fouled by the out-of-position Kildare goalkeeper Shane McCormack for a penalty. Tommy Freeman tucked it away but Kildare remained in front, 0-7 to 1-1.
The visitors weren’t rattled by the goal and they had the ball in the net themselves shortly afterwards, Ronan Sweeney finishing sweetly to leave it 1-9 to 1-4 at the break.
There was something different to Monaghan in the second half and although James Kavanagh got the opener of the half for Kildare, Rory Woods and Freeman pointed for the Farney County soon after. A Freeman free from 13m left two between the sides 15 minutes into the half and then Kildare were dealt a serious blow when talisman Doyle was given a yellow card and forced off.
The tide seemed to be turning. Darren Hughes sent over two sensational scores for Monaghan from well beyond the 45m line to level things up and the stage seemed set for a complete turnaround from the home side.
Kildare stayed ice cool though and points in the final few minutes from Sweeney, Carl Ennis and a final effort from Alan Smith were more than enough to see them take the points.
—
Allianz NFL Div 3:
Cavan 0-10 Limerick 0-09
Cian Mackey was the hero for Cavan at Kingspan Breffni Park, as his late point moved Tommy Carr’s side out of the danger zone in NFL Division Three thanks to a 0-10 to 0-9 win over Limerick.
Cavan led by a point, 0-6, to 0-5, at the break thanks to scores from Seanie Johnston, Kieran Galligan and Marin Reilly [0-2], having trailed by three points early on.
Ian Ryan bagged 0-3 for Limerick, two of his points coming at a crucial juncture when the Treaty men clawed back a three-point Cavan lead at the death.
However, the stage was set for Mackey, delivered the winning score with three minutes left on the clock.
Meanwhile, London claimed the first points of their Allianz NFL Division Four campaign thanks to a 0-9 to 0-8 win over Waterford at Rusilip on Saturday afternoon.
—
Allianz NFL Div 3:
Longford 0-8 0-13 Down
Ross Carr’s Down climbed to second in the Allianz NFL Division Three standings with a comfortable five-point win over Longford on Sunday.
John Fegan was the star men for the Ulster side, hitting five points in total in an eye-catching display.
Fegan fired over 0-3 before the break to give the Mourne men a 0-7 to 0-6 half-time lead, before hitting two more in the second half to add to two Daniel Hughes efforts.
Longford managed just two points against the win in the second half and were completely overrun by a powerful display from Down midfielder Dan Gordon.
—
Allianz NFL Div 4:
Carlow 1-11 Antrim 4-14
Mark Dougan hit three goals for Antrim as they obliterated Carlow in Dr Cullen Park in Division Four on Sunday.
The result puts Antrim top of Division Four ahead of Sligo on scoring difference although they have played a game more than the Yeats County.
Antrim led 1-5 to no score early on thanks to a sweet Doogan strike and some excellent point-taking from the Saffron forwards.
Mark Carpenter finally put Carlow on the scoreboard soon after that but Dougan’s second goal had Antrim well in charge and the third major of the half, coming from Conor McGourty ended the game as a contest.
Things got worse for Carlow when Derek Hayden was given a straight red card in the second-half for an off the ball incident and when Dougan cracked in his third goal of the day, Carlow were forced to battle hard just to keep things respectable, which to their credit they did.
