Finals Weekend in NFL

Following the successes of Tipperary and Westmeath over Galway and Carlow respectively in last Sunday’s exciting Allianz Division 1 and 2 hurling League finals it’s the turn of the footballers this weekend with the four Divisional finals fixed for Saturday and Sunday.

Dublin and Westmeath launch the programme with their Division 2 final in Navan on Saturday evening, followed by the Division 1 and 3 finals in a double-header in Parnell Park.

Saturday:
Div 2: Dublin v Westmeath, Navan, 7.00

Sunday:
Div 1: Derry v Kerry, Parnell Park, 2.15;
Div 3: Fermanagh v Wexford, Parnell Park, 12.30
Div 4: Offaly v Tipperary, Portlaoise, Portlaoise, 2.00

DERRY v KERRY

It’s the first time since 1961 that Derry and Kerry have clashed in the Allianz Football final, giving the tie a special interest. Kerry won that final comfortably on a 4-16 to 1-5 scoreline but Derry are confident that it will be much different this time.

Kerry are attempting to win the Div 1 title for the 19th time, thereby extending their lead at the top of the honours’ table to eight over second placed Mayo while Derry are seeking their 6th title which would put in 5th place on the table.

Derry last won the title in 2000 while Kerry’s last success was in 2006, having also won in 2004. The sides have already clashed in this year’s League, with Kerry winning by a point (0-10 to 0-9) in Killarney on March 2.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

DERRY

Derry 2-9 Mayo 1-9

Derry 2-12 Laois 1-9

KERRY 0-10 DERRY 0-9

Derry 1-16 Kildare 0-8

Galway 3-9 Derry 0-13

Derry 0-14 Tyrone 0-10

Derry 0-15 Donegal 0-10

Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2

Average For: 0-15; Average Against: 0-12

KERRY

Donegal 1-8 Kerry 1-7

Kerry 0-12 Tyrone 0-9

KERRY 0-10 DERRY 0-9

Mayo 0-16 Kerry 1-12

Kerry 0-16 Laois 0-12

Kerry 0-9 Kildare 0-8

Kerry 0-15 Galway 0-10

Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2

Average For: 0-13; Average Against: 0-11.

Last Clash….

Kerry 0-10 Derry 0-9, Killarney, 2 March 2008

A late free pointed by Bryan Sheehan gave Kerry the edge in a tightly contested game where Derry led by 0-6 to 0-5 at the break.

Scorers: Kerry: B Sheehan 0-6 (0-3 frees), S O’Sullivan 0-2, K Donaghy, P O’Connor 0-1 each.

Derry: P Bradley 0-5 (0-1 free), E Muldoon 0-2 (1 free, 1 ‘45′), L Hinphey , J Conway 0-1 each.

Kerry: K Cremin; M O Se, T O’Sullivan, P Reidy; T O Se, A O’Mahony, D Bohane; S Scanlon, T Griffin; Darren O’Sullivan, B Sheehan, S O’Sullivan; K O’Leary, K Donaghy, P O’Connor.

Subs: E Brosnan for O’Connor; K Young for Bohane, D Moran for Darren O’Sullivan, T Walsh for S O’Sullivan, D Walsh for O’Leary.

Derry: J Deighan; K McGuckin, N McCusker, F McEldowney; L Hinphey, M McBride, M McIvor; F Doherty, J Conway; M Lynch, B McGoldrick, E Muldoon; C Gilligan, P Bradley, C Mullan.

Sibs: K McCloy for Mullan, J Keenan for McBride, P Murphy for McGoldrick, E Lynn for Gilligan.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROLL OF HONOUR

18 – KERRY (1928-29-31-32-59-61-63-69-71-72-73-74-77-82-84-97-2004-2006)

11 – Mayo (1934-35-36-37-38-39-41-49-54-70-2001)

8 – Dublin (1953-55-58-76-78-87-91-93)

7 – Meath (1933-46-51-75-88-90-94)

5 – Cork (1952-56-80-89-99)

5 – DERRY (1947-92-95-96-2000)

4 – Down (1960-62-68-83)

4 – Galway (1940-57-65-81)

2 – Laois (1927-86)

2 – Tyrone (2002-2003)

1 – Armagh (2005)

1 – Cavan (1948)

1 – Longford (1966)

1 – Monaghan (1985)

1 – Offaly (1998)

1 – Roscommon (1979)

1 – Donegal 1 (2007)

DIV 2: ALL-LEINSTER CLASH AT NAVAN

Dublin and Westmeath met in the first round of the Division 2 campaign in early February unaware that they would clash again for the title, having already secured promotion to Div 1 for next season. Dublin won the February tie by two points, having earlier beaten Westmeath by ten points in the O’Byrne Cup.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

DUBLIN

DUBLIN 1-7 WESTMEATH 1-5

Cork v Dublin – not played (points awarded to Dublin)

Dublin 1-9 Cavan 0-7

Dublin 1-10 Monaghan 0-13

Dublin 3-20 Roscommon 0-7

Armagh 3-13 Dublin 1-10

Dublin 0-13 Meath 2-6

Played 6, Won 4, Drew 1, Lost 1. (Game v Cork not played)

Average For: 1-12 Average Against: 0-12

WESTMEATH

DUBLIN 1-7 WESTMEATH 1-5

Westmeath 1-11 Armagh 1-6

Westmeath 1-10 Meath 0-8

Cork 0-11 Westmeath 0-9

Westmeath 1-14 Roscommon 0-6

Westmeath 0-10 Cavan 0-6

Westmeath 1-10 Monaghan 0-11

Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2.

Average For: 1-9 Average Against: 0-9

Last Clash…

Dublin 1-7 Westmeath 1-5, Parnell Park, 2 February 2008

Scorers: Dublin: M Vaughan 0-5 (4f, 1 ‘45′), P Flynn 1-0, B Cullen, C Keaney 0-1 each.

Westmeath: D Dolan 1-2 (0-2f), M Flanagan 0-2 (1 ‘45′), A Mangan 0-1 (f).

Dublin: S Cluxton; D Henry, N O’Shea, S O’Shaughnessy; P McMahon, P Casey, C Moran; E Fennell, S Ryan; B Cullen, J O’Brien, P Flynn; J Sherlock, C Keaney, M Vaughan.

Subs: B McManamon for O’Brien, D Murray for Flynn, K Bonner for Keaney, D Lally for Cullen.

Westmeath: G Connaughton; J Keane, K Gavin, F Boyle; M Ennis, D Heavin, D Healy; M Flanagan, D Duffy; F Wilson, A Clinton, D Bannon; M Green, D Dolan, P Bannon.

Subs: A Mangan for Bannon, G Dolan for P Bannon, K Scally for Clinton, T Cleary for G Dolan, D O’Donoghue for Mangan.

FASCINATING DIV 3 FINAL

They drew when they met earlier in the League and with promotion to Division 2 secured, Fermanagh and Wexford clash again on Sunday to decide the Div 3 title. They are the only two teams to remain unbeaten in the entire League. They dropped a point against each other while Wexford also dropped a point to Limerick.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

FERMANAGH

Fermanagh 3-10 Leitrim 2-9

Fermanagh 0-14 Limerick 1-7

Fermanagh 2-10 Longford 1-10

Fermanagh 0-11 Louth 0-10

Fermanagh 0-17 Sligo 0-14

FERMANAGH 2-6 WEXFORD 0-12

Fermanagh 1-12 Down 0-13

Played 7, Won 6, Drew 1-12; Average Against: 0-13

WEXFORD

Wexford 3-8 Longford 1-9

Wexford 0-14 Sligo 0-12

Wexford 2-8 Down 0-9

Limerick 1-12 Wexford 1-12

Wexford 1-10 Leitrim 0-7

WEXFORD 0-12 FERMANAGH 2-6

Wexford 2-16 Louth 0-15

Played 7, Won 5, Drew 2

Average For: 1-13 Average Against: 0-12

Last clash….

Fermanagh 2-6 Wexford 0-12, Lisnaskea, April 6

Scorers: Fermanagh: M Murphy, E Maguire 1-0 each, M Keenan, M McGrath 0-2 each, D Kelly, T McElroy 0-1 each.

Wexford: M Forde 0-8, A Flynn 0-2, C Morris , C Lyng 0-1 each.

Fermanagh: C Breen; S Goan, S Lyons, D O’Reilly; D Kelly, R McCluskey, T McElroy; M Murphy, J Sherry; S McDermott, M Keenan, M Little; M McGrath, N Keenan, E Maguire.

Subs: L McBarron for M McGrath, C McElroy for Little, N Bogue for Keenan.

Wexford: A Masterson; N Murphy, P Wallace, B Malone; A Morrissey, D Murphy, C Morris; B Doyle, C Byrne; N O’Sullivan, R Barry, A Flynn; C Lyng, J Hudson, M Forde.

Subs: D Walsh for O’Sullivan, PJ Banville for Hudson, M Curtis for M Forde.

OFFALY v TIPPERARY IN PORTLAOISE

Offaly topped Division 4 on 13 points and were joined in the promotion bay last Sunday by Tipperary whose win over Wicklow, coupled with Waterford’s defeat of Antrim, earned the Premier county Div 3 football next season. They will now be hoping to build on that by beating Offaly in Sunday’s final, having already lost to Pat Roe’s men by four points in the group stages.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

OFFALY

Offaly 5-16 London 1-6

Offaly 3-19 Carlow 0-8

OFFALY 1-11 TIPPERARY 1-7

Antrim 0-13 Offaly 1-10

Offaly 3-15 Wicklow 1-6

Offaly 0-13 Waterford 1-8

Offaly 4-22 Kilkenny 1-6

Clare 1-9 Offaly 1-8

Played 8, Won 6, Drew 1, Lost 1.

Average For: 2-15 Average Against: 0-10

TIPPERARY

Tipperary 4-20 Kilkenny 1-5

Tipperary 0-13 Clare 1-7

OFFALY 1-11 TIPPERARY 1-7

Tipperary 1-23 London 0-4

Carlow 1-10 Tipperary 1-9

Tipperary 0-10 Antrim 0-7

Tipperary 2-8 Waterford 1-10

Tipperary 0-12 Wicklow 0-10

Played 8, Won 6, Lost 2.

Average For: 1-13 Average Against: 0-10

***

Last clash…

Offaly 1-11 Tipperary 1-7, Tullamore, 16 February 2008

Scorers: Offaly N McNamee 0-8 (5f), T Deehan 1-0, C McManus 0-2, P Kellaghan 0-1.

Tipperary: B Grogan 1-5 (1-1 pen, 0-4f), D O’Brien, K Mulryan 0-1 each.

Offaly: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Brady, B Darby; P McConway, R Fox, N Grennan; A McNamee, C McManus; D Egan, P Kellaghan, N Smith; T Deehan, J Reynolds, N McNamee.

Subs: J Keane for McConway, K Casey for Egan.

Tipperary: P Fitzgerald; A Foley, M Peters, C McDonald; C Aylward, N Fitzgerald, R Costigan; E Hanrahan, G Hannigan; P Austin, E Kearney, D O’Brien; D Darcy, S Grogan, B Grogan.

Subs: B Mulvihill for S Grogan, K Mulryan for Kearney, M Harding for Darcy.