Big crowds, topped by an attendance of 42,502 at the Dublin-Kerry game in Croke Park, were the order of the opening weekend in the 2020 Allianz Football League and the pattern looks certain to continue in Round 2 next Saturday and Sunday.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: CAN MAYO END BARREN RUN AGAINST DUBLIN?
Saturday: Mayo v Dublin, Elvery’s MacHale Park, 7.0; Kerry v Galway, Austin Stack Park, 7.0
Sunday: Monaghan v Tyrone, Castleblayney, 2.0; Meath v Donegal, Pairc Tailteann, 2.30
Dublin v Mayo was one of the most enthralling rivalries throughout the last decade and after both made solid starts – drawing with Kerry and Donegal respectively - to the 2020 season, there will be big interest in their clash in Castlebar next Saturday night.
Dublin beat Mayo twice last year, winning their Allianz League clash by 1-12 to 0-7 and the All-Ireland semi-final by 3-14 to 1-10. Mayo are seeking their first win over Dublin in Allianz League or Championship since the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final. Since then Dublin have won 12 and drawn three of the 15 meetings between the counties.
It’s Kerry v Galway in Tralee on Saturday night, with both sides having looked well-tuned for the new season last weekend. Kerry snatched a later equaliser against Dublin while Galway edged past Monaghan by a point.
Kerry beat Galway by 0-14 to 1-10 in last year’s League clash in Tuam Stadium, while Galway won by 1-14 to 0-14 in Tralee in 2018. Donegal and Meath, both of whom were promoted this year, met twice in last year’s Division 2 campaign with Donegal winning both by two points (1-13 to 0-14 in the group game and 1-17 to 1-15 in the final). Donegal also beat Meath in the ‘Super 8s’, winning by 2-19 to 1-13.
Tyrone got off to a good start last weekend, beating Meath by five points and will be hoping to continue their early progress against Monaghan. They beat Monaghan by 1-16 to 0-12 in last year’s Allianz League.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: ARMAGH MOST IMPRESSIVE ON OPENING WEEKEND
Saturday: Cavan v Westmeath, Kingspan Breffni Park, 7 0; Laois v Armagh, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 6.0;
Sunday: Clare v Kildare, Cusack Park, 2.0; Fermanagh v Roscommon, Brewster Park 2.0
Armagh made the biggest impact in the group on opening weekend, beating Cavan by 2-18 to 1-8 in a game where Conor Turbitt (1-6) and Stefan Campbell (1-2) scored 2-8 between them. Kieran McGeeney’s men head for Portlaoise on Saturday to take on Laois, who launched a great comeback to earn a draw with Roscommon on Sunday. Armagh and Laois last met in the Allianz League in 2017, with the Midlanders winning by 2-11 to 0-16 in Division 3.
Cavan will be hoping for a quick recovery when they host Westmeath, who beat Clare by a point last Sunday. The last Cavan-Westmeath in the Allianz League was in 2015 when the Breffni men won by five points in Division 2. Roscommon and Fermanagh meet in what will be their first Allianz League clash since 2014 when the Connacht men won a Division 3 tie by 3-17 to 4-10.
Kildare and Clare meet in Division 2 for a second successive year, with the Lilywhites having won by 1-16 to 0-13 last year.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: FIRST LEITRM-CORK LEAGUE CLASH FOR 19 YEARS
Saturday: Down v Derry, Pairc Esler, 7.0
Sunday: Louth v Tipperary, Drogheda, 2.0; Leitrim v Cork, Avantcard Carrick-on-Shannon, 2.0; Offaly v Longford, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, 2.0
Leitrim and Cork meet in the Allianz Football League for the first time since April 2001 when the Rebels won a Division 2A game by 2-15 to 0-10 in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Cork travel to Carrick-on-Shannon after a six-point first round win over Offaly while Leitrim did well when drawing with Derry in Celtic Park.
Offaly and Longford meet in the Allianz League for a sixth successive year. They drew last year while Longford won by 11 points in 2018. Down and Derry last met in the Allianz League three years ago when the Mourne men won by eight points.
Louth and Tipperary last met in the Allianz League in 2018, with Tipp winning by 2-17 to 0-9 in Division 2.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: HIGH-SCORING SLIGO AND ANTRIM MEET IN MARKIEVICZ
Saturday: Wexford v Carlow, Chadwicks Wexford Park; Sunday: Limerick v London, Kilmallock, 12.0; Wicklow v Waterford, Aughrim 2.0; Sligo v Antrim, Markievicz Park, 2.0.
Limerick, Carlow, Antrim and Sligo all won on opening weekend, putting Waterford, Wicklow, Wexford and London, none of whom scored a goal, under early pressure.
Sligo (five) and Antrim (three) were in excellent goal-scoring form on opening weekend so it will be interesting to see how they fare against each other next Sunday. The counties last met in the Allianz League in 2017 when Antrim won by a point in Division 3.
Wicklow beat Waterford by a point in last year’s Allianz League; Limerick also had a point to spare over London. Carlow won by 2-14 to 1-7 in their last Allianz League clash with Wexford in 2-17.
2020 ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE: RESULTS & FIXTURES
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Round 1: Dublin 1-10 Kerry 1-19; Donegal 0-19 Mayo 2-13; Galway 1-14 Monaghan 0-16; Tyrone 1-14 Meath 1-9.
Round 2: Feb 1: Mayo v Dublin; Kerry v Galway; Feb 2: Monaghan v Tyrone; Meath v Donegal.
Round 3: Feb 8: Dublin v Monaghan; Feb 9: Meath v Mayo; Donegal v Galway; Tyrone v Kerry.
Round 4: Feb 22: Dublin v Donegal; Feb 23:Kerry v Meath; Galway v Tyrone; Monaghan v Mayo.
Round 5: Feb 29: Mayo v Kerry; Tyrone v Dublin; Mar 1: Meath v Galway; Donegal v Monaghan.
Round 6: Mar 14: Donegal v Tyrone; Mar 15: Galway v Mayo; Dublin v Meath; Monaghan v Kerry.
Round 7: Mar 22: Kerry v Donegal; Galway v Dublin; Mayo v Tyrone; Monaghan v Meath.
Mar 29: Final 1 v 2
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Round 1: Armagh 2-18 Cavan 1-8; Westmeath 2-9 Clare 1-11; Roscommon 2-14 Laois 2-14; Kildare 2-12 Fermanagh 0-14.
Round 2: Feb 1: Cavan v Westmeath; Laois v Armagh; Feb 2: Clare v Kildare; Fermanagh v Roscommon.
Round 3: Feb 8: Armagh v Kildare; Feb 9; Roscommon v Clare; Westmeath v Fermanagh; Laois v Cavan.
Round 4: Feb 22: Fermanagh v Cavan; Feb 23: Clare v Laois; Westmeath v Armagh; Kildare v Roscommon.
Round 5: Feb 29: Laois v Kildare; Mar 1: Fermanagh v Armagh; Roscommon v Westmeath; Cavan v Clare.
Round 6: Mar 14: Armagh v Roscommon; Mar 15: Clare v Fermanagh; Westmeath v Laois; Kildare v Cavan.
Round 7: Mar 22: Cavan v Roscommon; Clare v Armagh; Kildare v Westmeath; Fermanagh v Laois.
Mar 29: Final: 1 v 2
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Round 1: Cork 0-20 Offaly 0-13; Derry 2-11 Leitrim 1-14; Tipperary 0-10 Down 0-10; Longford 0-16 Louth 1-10.
Round 2: Feb 1: Down v Derry: Feb 2: Louth v Tipperary; Leitrim v Cork; Offaly v Longford.
Round 3: Feb 9: Derry v Tipperary; Longford v Leitrim; Louth v Offaly; Cork v Down.
Round 4: Feb 22: Down v Longford; Tipperary v Cork; Feb 23: Derry v Louth; Leitrim v Offaly.
Round 5: Mar 1: Louth v Leitrim; Cork v Derry; Longford v Tipperary; Offaly v Down.
Round 6: Mar 15: Down v Leitrim; Cork v Louth; Derry v Longford; Tipperary v Offaly.
Round 7: Mar 22: Longford v Cork; Louth v Down; Leitrim v Tipperary; Offaly v Derry.
Mar 28: Final: 1 v 2
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Round 1: Carlow 0-11 Wicklow 0-9; Limerick 1-10 Waterford 0-10; Antrim 3-10 Wexford 0-13; Sligo 5-9 London 0-11.
Round 2: Feb 1: Wexford v Carlow; Feb 2: Limerick v London; Wicklow v Waterford; Sligo v Antrim.
Round 3: Feb 8: Waterford v Wexford; Feb 9: Carlow v Limerick; Wicklow v Sligo; London v Antrim.
Round 4: Feb 22: Sligo v Waterford; Feb 23: Wexford v London; Limerick v Wicklow; Antrim v Carlow.
Round 5: Feb 29: London v Wicklow; Wexford v Sligo; Waterford v Carlow; Mar 1: Antrim v Limerick.
Round 6: Mar 14: Waterford v London; Carlow v Sligo; Mar 15: Wicklow v Antrim; Limerick v Wexford.
Round 7: Mar 22: Antrim v Waterford; Wexford v Wicklow; London v Carlow; Sligo v Limerick.
Mar 28: Final: 1 v 2
