ALL TO PLAY FOR AS ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE ENTERS HOME STRETCH
Five rounds completed – two to play! And what drama lies in store over the next two weekends across all four divisions of the Allianz Football League. None of the places in the finals or promotion/relegation have been decided yet, but that’s likely to change – to some degree at least – next weekend.
ALLIANZ LEAGUE DIVISION 2: GALWAY CLOSING IN ON PROMOTION
Sunday: Cork v Down, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 1.0; Derry v Galway, Owenbeg, 1.0; Clare v Meath, Ennis 2.0; Offaly v Roscommon, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, 2.0
Galway lead the way on full points (10) after five rounds but Derry (9) and Roscommon (8) are also very much in the promotion hunt after their draw on Sunday. Derry host Galway in what will be the first League clash between the counties since 2017 when Galway won a Division 2 tie by 5-15 to 2-15. A win for Galway would ensure promotion after one season in Division 2. With the top two clashing, Roscommon have a big chance to boost their promotion prospects when they play Offaly in Tullamore. It will be the first League clash between the counties since 2014 when Roscommon won a Division 3 tie quite easily. Derry play Meath in the final round while Roscommon play Galway.
Offaly (3pts) are two ahead of the bottom two, Down and Cork, who are on a point each. The latter two meet in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, with both seeking their first win. They last met in 2020 when Cork won by five points.
Clare and Meath (four points each) are in mid-table ahead of their clash in Ennis. Meath beat Clare by five points in their last League clash three years ago. Neither can catch the leading trio.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Round 1: Galway 1-14 Meath 0-6; Roscommon 1-13 Cork 0-10; Clare 1-13 Offaly 0-7; Derry 1-10 Down 0-6.
Round 2: Galway 1-12 Down 0-9; Cork 1-13 Clare 1-13; Roscommon 1-15 Meath 1-11; Derry 2-13 Offaly 0-7.
Round 3: Derry 1-13 Cork 0-7; Galway 2-17 Offaly 3-10; Meath 2-6 Down 2-6; Roscommon 0-9 Clare 0-9.
Round 4: Offaly 1-10 Meath 1-10; Galway 3-22 Cork 2-17; Roscommon 1-18 Down 0-10; Derry 2-13 Clare 0-10.
Round 5: Offaly 0-15 Down 0-14; Galway 2-8 Clare 1-5; Meath 1-18 Cork 1-10; Roscommon 0-12 Derry 0-12.
Round 6: Mar 20: Cork v Down; Derry v Galway; Clare v Meath; Offaly v Roscommon.
Round 7: Mar 27: Down v Clare; Meath v Derry; Offaly v Cork; Roscommon v Galway.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE SHORTS
*Galway is the only county with a 100 per cent record after five rounds, having won all their games in Division 2. Derry, who drew with Roscommon (Div 2) and Cavan, who were beaten by Tipperary (Div 4) lost their 100 per cent records last weekend. Galway play Derry next weekend while Roscommon play Offaly.
*Derry have the best scoring difference total (+37 Div 2) across all four Divisions.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Shane McGuigan (Derry)...... 1-27 (0-20 frees)
Shane Walsh (Galway)... .......2-20 (0-13 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-1 mark)
Steven Sherlock (Cork)..........0-20 (0-13 frees, 0-1 ‘45’)
Keelan Sexton (Clare)............1-16 (0-11 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-2 ‘45’)
Donie Smith (Roscommon)...0-19 (0-11 frees)
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ALLIANZ LEAGUE DIVISION 1: KERRY CLOSE TO SECURING A PLACE IN THE FINAL
Saturday: Tyrone v Mayo, Omagh, 6.45; Sunday: Armagh v Kerry, Athletic Grounds, 2.0; Kildare v Monaghan, Newbridge, 2.30; Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 3.45
Kerry (9 pts) will book a place in the final if they beat Armagh (7pts). Mayo are also on seven points, two clear of Donegal. Monaghan (4), Kildare, Tyrone (3 each) and Dublin (2) fill the bottom four places.
Tyrone and Mayo meet on Saturday night in what will be a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final which the Ulstermen won by five points. They also beat Mayo in last year’s Allianz League, edging home by a point. Armagh and Kerry meet in the League for the first time since 2012 when the Orchard county won by four points.
Dublin finally got off the mark on Sunday, beating Tyrone in Omagh, a win that greatly increases their chances of avoiding relegation. They take on Donegal in Croke Park, where a win could take them out of the bottom two. Donegal haven’ t beaten Dublin in the League since 2007. Their last win over Dublin was in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final.
Kildare and Monaghan have relegation fears ahead of their tie in Newbridge. It will be the first clash between the counties since 2018 when Monaghan won by a point.
ALLIANZ LEAGUE DIVISION 3: ONLY FOUR POINTS SEPARATE TOP SEVEN
Saturday: Laois v Limerick, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 7.0
Sunday: Westmeath v Fermanagh, TEG Cusack Park, 2,0; Longford v Wicklow, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.0; Louth v Antrim, Ardee, 2.0
Antrim and Louth (7pts) lead the way, followed by Westmeath and Limerick (6 pts each) with Laois and Fermanagh on five each. The top two meet in Ardee in what is certain to be tense affair. This will be their first League meeting in five years, with Louth having won by two points in 2017. Westmeath’s win over Limerick last weekend has taken them right back into the promotion race and they will be hoping that home advantage against Fermanagh will further enhance their case. They last met in the League two years ago when Westmeath won by two points in Division 2.
Laois and Limerick will be battling to stay in the promotion hunt when they meet in Portlaoise in what will be the first League clash between the counties since 2018 when the Leinster men won by nine points in Division 4.
Longford (3) and Wicklow (1) fill the relegation place heading into the final two rounds. Wicklow need to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Longford won the last clash with Wicklow (1-16 to 1-10) in Division 4 in 2015.
ALLIANZ LEAGUE DIVISION 4: TWO POINTS SEPARATING TOP FIVE
Sunday: London v Cavan, McGovern Park Ruislip, 1.0; Waterford v Sligo, Fraher Field, 2.0; Leitrim v Wexford, Avant Money Pairc Mac Diarmada, 2.30; Tipperary v Carlow, FBD Semple Stadium, 3.45.
It’s going to be tense and tight over the final two rounds with five in strong contention for the two promotion places. Cavan (8) lead the way from Tipperary (7), followed by Sligo, Leitrim and London (all on 6).
Cavan travel to Ruislip to take on London while Tipperary will be at home to Carlow, who they beat by 16 points in their last League meeting in 2014. Leitrim beat Wexford by 13 points in their last League meeting two years ago. Waterford, who are bottom of the table on one point, beat Sligo in their last meeting two years ago.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Round 1: Armagh 2-15 Dublin 1-13; Mayo 0-11 Donegal 0-11; Kildare 0-13 Kerry 1-10; Tyrone 0-9 Monaghan 0-9.
Round 2: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 0-11; Armagh 2-14 Tyrone 0-14; Donegal 2-11 Kildare 1-9; Mayo 2-10 Monaghan 1-11.
Round 3: Armagh 1-7 Monaghan 0-10; Mayo 2-11 Dublin 0-12: Kerry 1-13 Donegal 0-7; Tyrone 2-7 Kildare 0-12.
Round 4: Donegal 2-10 Tyrone 0-12; Kildare 1-12 Dublin 0-12; Mayo 0-15 Armagh 1-10; Kerry 3-14 Monaghan 1-12.
Round 5: Armagh 1-12 Kildare 0-10; Kerry 1-12 Mayo 0-14; Monaghan 1-12 Donegal 0-10; Dublin 0-13 Tyrone 0-8.
Round 6: Mar 19: Tyrone v Mayo; Mar 20: Armagh v Kerry; Kildare v Monaghan; Dublin v Donegal.
Round 7: Mar 27: Donegal v Armagh; Kerry v Tyrone; Mayo v Kildare; Monaghan v Dublin.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Round 1: Laois 3-9 Louth 1-10; Westmeath 1-16 Wicklow 2-8; Limerick 4-9 Longford 1-11; Antrim 1-14 Fermanagh 0-8.
Round 2: Limerick 2-9 Antrim 0-11; Westmeath 2-11 Laois 0-11; Longford 0-9 Louth 1-6; Wicklow 1-10 Fermanagh 2-7.
Round 3: Antrim 2-10 Wicklow 1-7; Louth 1-14 Limerick 1-12; Fermanagh 3-15 Laois 3-9; Longford 0-14 Westmeath 0-10.
Round 4: Limerick 1-13 Wicklow 1-9; Laois 1-8 Antrim 1-8; Fermanagh 3-11 Longford 1-10; Louth 1-15 Westmeath 1-13.
Round 5: Antrim 1-19 Longford 0-12; Louth 2-12 Fermanagh 0-14; Westmeath 1-12 Limerick 1-6; Laois 1-17 Wicklow 0-8.
Round 6: Mar 19: Laois v Limerick; Mar 20: Longford v Wicklow; Louth v Antrim; Westmeath v Fermanagh.
Round 7: Mar 27: Antrim v Westmeath; Laois v Longford; Limerick v Fermanagh; Wicklow v Louth.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Round 1: London 2-11 Carlow 1-13; Cavan 0-12 Leitrim 0-8; Sligo 0-12 Wexford 0-10; Waterford 0-10 Tipperary 0-10.
Round 2: London 1-12 Waterford 2-8; Sligo 0-28 Carlow 0-5; Cavan 0-17 Wexford 1-8; Leitrim 2-16 Tipperary 2-8.
Round 3: Carlow 2-12 Waterford 2-8; London 2-5 Leitrim 0-9; Cavan 1-13 Sligo 0-10; Tipperary 4-4 Wexford 0-15.
Round 4: Tipperary 1-13 Sligo 1-9; Wexford 0-11 London 1-6; Cavan 0-19 Carlow 1-12; Leitrim 2-17 Waterford 1-13.
Round 5: Sligo 3-19 London 0-10; Leitrim 2-14 Carlow 1-10; Tipperary 1-11 Cavan 1-7; Wexford 0-15 Waterford 0-14.
Round 6: Mar 20: London v Cavan; Waterford v Sligo; Leitrim v Wexford; Tipperary v Carlow.
Round 7: Mar 26: Tipperary v London; Mar 27: Carlow v Wexford; Cavan v Waterford; Sligo v Leitrim.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE SHORTS
*Kerry’s excellent Allianz League form over an extended period continues. Their win over Mayo last weekend leaves them with the following record in the 2019-20-21-22 Leagues: Played 24, Won 18, Drew 3, Lost 3. If they beat Armagh next Sunday they will qualify for the final, irrespective of how they fare against Tyrone in the final round.
*What will it take to avoid relegation from Division 1? Last year’s Allianz League didn’t have a seven-game programme because of Covid but in the previous four seasons the number of points required to stay in the top flight was as follows: 2020 – 6; 2019 – 4; 2018 – 5; 2017 – 5. In 2016, Down were well of the pace, finishing last with no points. Donegal, Mayo, Monaghan and Cork all finished on six points, with Cork relegated on scoring difference.
* Dublin were the only county without a point going into Sunday’s game against Tyrone but they ended the barren run with a five-point win. It leaves Cork, Down (Div 2), Wicklow (Div 3) and Waterford (Div 4) as the only teams without a win but all four have picked up a point each through draws.
*Dublin have recorded the lowest number of goals (one) in Division 1 so far. The rest are as follows: Armagh 7; Kerry 7; Donegal 4; Mayo 4; Monaghan 3, Kildare 2; Tyrone 2.
*Antrim are making a strong bid for promotion for a second successive season. Promoted from Division 4 at the end of last season, they lead Division 3 on scoring difference from Louth, with Westmeath and Limerick two points back.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Jimmy Hyland (Kildare)......2-21 (0-7 frees, 0-3 mark)
Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo)..1-24 (0-19 frees, 0-2 mark)
David Clifford (Kerry)...........3-16 (0-4 frees)
Sean O Shea (Kerry)............1-17 (0-9 frees, 0-1 s/l)
Rian O’Neill (Armagh).........1-16 (0-9 frees, 0-1 ‘45’)
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Sam Mulroy (Louth)............2-35 (0-28 frees, 0-3 ‘45s)
Sean Quigley (Fermanagh)...4-23 (0-14 frees, 0-2 mark)
John Heslin (Westmeath).....1-26 (0-17 frees)
Gary Walsh (Laois)...............2-17 (0-13 frees, 0-1 mark)
Josh Ryan (Limerick).............1-17 (0-11 frees, 0-1 ‘45s’)
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Keith Beirne (Leitrim).................1-40 (0-25 frees, 0-2 s/l)
Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)........4-22 (0-18 frees, 0-2 mark).
Niall Murphy (Sligo).....................2-22 (0-9 frees)
Darragh Corcoran (Waterford).....1-19 (0-16 frees, 0-1 mark)
Colm Hulton (Carlow)...................1-16 (0-5 frees, 0-1 mark)
Sean Carrabine (Sligo)..................0-19 (0-8 frees, 0-1’45’)
