Allianz National Football League 2017 – Weekend Roundup

March 27th, 2017

Allianz Football League Roinn 1

Donegal 1-11 Monaghan 1-11

Donegal and Monaghan are still very much in the hunt for a Division 1 final spot after they couldn’t be separated in Ballyshannon.

The home team seemed to be on their way to their fourth win of the campaign as they led with the time going into the red zone in the first of four minutes injury time.

However, referee David Gough awarded Monaghan a penalty when Martin McElhinney was adjudged to have pushed Darren Hughes in the back and Conor McManus, who had been well flanked throughout by Paddy McGrath, sent Mark Anthony McGinley the wrong way to draw the game.

Donegal perhaps should’ve put the game to bed before the late drama. Nine second half wides – added to seven in the first half – meant Monaghan were never out of the game.

But when all is said and done, Donegal and Monaghan remain in decent positions in the Allianz League Division 1 as both are joint second one point behind Dublin. Malachy O’Rourke’s team face the All-Ireland champions next Sunday, while Donegal are in Castlebar to take on Mayo in the final set of fixtures.

In glorious conditions at Fr Tierney Park, a fifth minute goal from Donegal’s Michael Carroll lit up the first half. The Gaoth Dobhair clubman slammed past Rory Beggan following a trademarked Donegal move that saw McHugh and Eoghan Ban Gallagher make their way up the field at lightening pace to set up the chance.

That made the 1-1 to 0-2 for the side managed by Rory Gallagher. However, Monaghan were well set up and weren’t in the mood for letting Donegal run through them. Eoin McHugh did get in to pop over a nice score late in the half, but Monaghan’s Kieran Hughes and Owen Duffy both posted points with fine efforts.

Playing against a first half wind, Donegal went in a point down at the break, 0-9 to 1-5. Jack McCarron, with six points – two from play – was Monaghan’s main threat and on three occasions in that first 35 minutes referee David Gough penalised Neil McGee for off-the-ball fouls on the Monaghan full-forward.

On the third of those occasions, McGee went into the notebook for a yellow card. McCarron, though, would not add to his total after the break.

Monaghan lost Ryan McAnespie to concession early on and then saw Dessie Ward black-carded late in the half for hauling down McHugh, who was visibly frustrated with the foul.

Michael Murphy intercepted a Beggan kick-out in first half injury time and set McHugh away down the left. His centre to cousin Eoin, whose slap was stopped by the Monaghan goalkeeper.

Two points in the first 37 seconds of the second half, through Murphy and Ciaran Thompson, meant Donegal forced their way in front at 1-7 to 0-9 and with the wind at their backs, looked the most likely.

But there was no further score until the 50th minute as Donegal fired a succession of wides and Monaghan kept McGinley busy with a succession of balls dropping short into the Donegal goalkeeper’s hands.

Patrick McBrearty came off the bench for Donegal and joined his captain Murphy on the scoresheet, with Murphy using the elements to hammer over from 50 metres.

Donegal were 1-9 to 0-9 in front then. Shane Carey eventually opened Monaghan’s second half accept on 56 minutes and then when McManus managed his opening score of the day from a free on 59 minutes, Monaghan were just one down, 1-9 to 0-11.

McBrearty and another monstrous Murphy free with time wearing thin moved Donegal’s margin to three points. And it looked as though that would be enough, only for McManus to grab a draw for Monaghan.

Report: GAA.ie

Cavan 1-10 Kerry 0-13

Down by two points in injury time, it looked as if Cavan were consigned to relegation, but a late salvo saw them snatch a draw here and keep their hopes alive as the campaign enters the final round next Sunday.

Starting debutant Joe Dillon, who got on the end of a Conor Moynagh delivery, landed their penultimate point and then, three minutes into stoppage time, substitute Seanie Johnston held his nerve to fire over a free from all of 40 metres and deny Kerry the win.

Despite the sunshine, a swirling wind made conditions difficult. Cavan played their best football of the first half in the opening 10 minutes, but tailed off thereafter, with seven successive wides in the lead-in to the interval proving particularly costly as they trailed by 0-6 to 0-4 at the break.

A sublime individual point from Breffni captain Killian Clarke opened the scoring and two more top-class scores from newcomers Niall Clerkin and Conor Madden gave the Blues hope.

They were guilty of over-exuberant tackling, though, and after Paul Geaney had cancelled out Clarke’s opener with a free, he added two more from the hands to level matters with a quarter of an hour played.

A minute later, ref Maurice Deegan spotted a foul on Madden from 50 metres away and Gearoid McKiernan converted for Cavan – but that was to be the home side’s final score of the half.

Kerry landed the final three points through Donnchadh Walsh, Geaney (free) and Jack Barry but they were still being held fairly well by a rigid Cavan back-line.

The problem for the home side was that they appeared to be out of ideas at the other end and with each of those wides, confidence was drained bit by bit.

With the excellent David Moran providing steady leadership in the middle third, the Kingdom looked poised to push on in the second half and that feeling was intensified when sub Bryan Sheehan sent over a huge point with his first touch.

But Cavan manager Mattie McGleenan had thrown Dara McVeety into the inside forward line and the Crosserlough man’s pace immediately began to cause Kerry problems.

He won a free which Madden converted and then after a great pass over the top from Cian Mackey, McVeety burst clear and planted a terrific shot to the net.

Sheehan replied with a free but when McVeety earned another and McKiernan converted it, Cavan – 1-6 to 0-8 in front – sensed a first victory over the Kingdom in 51 years was in the offing.

Barry John Keane clipped over a good score for Kerry, but again Cavan responded through two well-struck frees from sub Niall McDermott.

Geaney replied with a similar effort and with 10 minutes to go, Kerry levelled through a super Stephen O’Brien effort.

In the frantic final minutes, Kerry looked like they had done enough when Keane kicked a beauty and Sheehan curled in a tremendous free from the left wing.

But Cavan dug deep and Joe Dillon punched over a crucial score before sub Johnston, with his first touch, nailed a difficult 40-metre free to secure a draw.

Kerry had one final chance, but Geaney’s free from the right wing – on the wrong side for a right-footer and into a treacherous wind – went wide.

Report: GAA.ie

Mayo 1-10 Tyrone 0-12

Mayo struck late to make a big statement of intent in their battle to avoid relegation.

It’s two decades since they last lived life outside of Gaelic Football’s top tier, and their last-gasp win over Tyrone looks set to maintain their status and preserve a proud record.

Kevin McLoughlin broke the deadlock in a tense battle at Healy Park with the stoppage time winner.

Stephen Rochford’s side need a point from their home clash with Donegal next week to be sure of avoiding relegation, while a second loss on the trot for Tyrone has not ruled them out of a place in the Division One Final.

A win at Killarney, along with a few other favourable results, could see them yet feature in next month’s decider.

But they will have to find ways to improve their finishing if they are to compete with the top teams. Another modest return of points marked up their lack of potency one again, and another concern is the fact that they have scored just one goal in this league campaign.

It was, however, looking encouraging in the early stages. When livewire corner forwards Mark Bradley and Darren McCurry found the target, but Mayo pressed from deep for Patrick Durkan, Killian O’Connor and McLoughlin to float over scores.

Just after he had brought the home side level, Niall Sludden picked up a black card for a challenge on Lee Keegan, but Keegan himself saw black 10 minutes later after clashing with Ronan McNabb.

Nevertheless, Mayo struck for a goal, Tom Parsons netting on 28 minutes after O’Connor and Andy Moran had combined smartly.

They led by 1-6 to 0-8 at the break, and while the westerners were under pressure for much of the second half, they defended solidly and prospered on David Clarke’s short kick-outs.

Tyrone missed a host of chances, finishing with 15 wides to Mayo’s six, and paid the price.

At the end of the third quarter, Tiernan McCann sprinted through to give them a narrow lead, but O’Connor was finding the range from placed balls, and his five points were decisive.

The final 15 minutes were tense, with both sides determined to avoid defeat.

However, Mayo had enough ambition to go for it right at the death, and McLoughlin seized his opportunity and finished with confidence and style to snatch what was probably their most important result of the current campaign.

Report: GAA.ie

Allianz Football League Roinn 2

Derry 2-10 Cork 0-20

Meath 3-15 Fermanagh 0-06

Down 1-13 Galway 3-15