Close games were the order of the weekend in the opening round of the Allianz Football League, with eleven of the sixteen games won by margins of one to four points while there were two draws. The remaining three games were won by margins of six, seven and thirteen points respectively. The action will continue next weekend across all four divisions.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: WILL HOME ADVANTAGE BE AS IMPORTANT NEXT WEEKEND?
Next Saturday (7.0): Dublin v Galway, Croke Park
Next Sunday: Cavan v Kerry, Kingspan Breffni Park, 2.0; Roscommon v Monaghan, Dr. Hyde Park, 2.30; Tyrone v Omagh, Omagh, 2.30.
All four ‘home’ teams, Monaghan, Galway, Kerry and Mayo won their opening round games and now it’s the turn of Dublin, Cavan, Tyrone and Roscommon to attempt to do the same next weekend. If it were to happen, all eight teams would be on two points heading into Round 3.
Dublin, who lost to Monaghan for a second successive year in the Allianz League last Sunday, host Galway in Croke Park on Saturday, having beaten the Tribesmen twice and drawn once last year. Jim Gavin’s men won the Allianz Football League Division 1 final (0-18 to 0-14) in April and the All-Ireland by semi-final by 1-24 to 2-12 in August. The sides drew (0-13 each) in Round 6 of the Division 1 programme.
Dublin have not lost two successive Allianz League games under Jim Gavin. The last time it happened was in 2012 when Mayo and Cork beat them on successive weekends.
Tyrone (0-7 v Kerry), who were the lowest scorers in Division 1 last weekend, play Mayo and will be hoping to repeat last year’s success over the Connacht men, whom they beat by 12 points.
Last Saturday, Mayo had a point to spare over Roscommon, who host Monaghan. Malachy O’Rourke’s men will be on a high after the win over Dublin, but Roscommon will be very determined to pick up their first Allianz Football League Division 1 points after being promoted last year.
Kerry travel to Kingspan Breffni Park to take on Cavan, who lost to Galway last Sunday. Cavan and Kerry drew in their last League clash in 2017.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: DONEGAL OR MEATH SET TO MAKE EARLY BREAK
Next Saturday (7.0): Donegal v Meath, Ballybofey
Next Sunday: Cork v Kildare, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 1.0; Armagh v Clare, Newry, 2.0; Tipperary v Fermanagh, Semple Stadium, 2.0.
With two games finishing level and Donegal and Meath winning the other two, their clash in Ballybofey on Saturday would see the winners set the pace in the race for promotion. Donegal were relegated to the Allianz Football League Division 2 last year while Meath have not been in the Allianz Football League Division 1 for 13 years. They last met in the Allianz Football League in 2014 when they drew 1-12 each in Ballybofey.
Cork and Kildare, who clash in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, last met in the Allianz football League two years ago when the Lilywhites won by 1-14 to 1-8. Armagh, who lost home advantage for one game due to a breach of the training weekend sanctions before last year’s championship, will play Clare in Newry. The met in last year All-Ireland qualifiers in the Athletic Grounds when Armagh won a Round 3 game by 2-16 to 1-15. Fermanagh, who made a promising start to life in the Allianz Football League Division 2 when drawing with Cork last Sunday head south to take on Tipperary, who are bidding for their first win in four Allianz Football League games, having lost to Westmeath last Sunday after also losing their last two games in 2018.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: GREAT START BY PROMOTED PAIR
Next Saturday (3.0): Westmeath v Carlow, TEG Cusack Park; Laois v Louth, Croke Park, 3.0
Next Sunday: Sligo v Down, Connolly Park, Collooney, 2.0; Longford v Offaly, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park
Laois and Carlow, both of whom were promoted from Division 4 last year, made bright starts to the Division 3 campaign, beating Down and Sligo respectively in Round 1. The opposite was the case for the two teams relegated from Division 2 – Down and Louth – both of whom were beaten.
Louth play Laois in Croke Park on Saturday, after Laois lost the right to host the game as a sanction for violating weekend training camp rules prior to last year’s championship. Louth beat Laois by 2-17 to 0-10 in their last Allianz League clash (also Division 3) two years ago. Louth were later promoted to Division 2 while Laois were relegated to Division 4.
Carlow and Westmeath drew in their last Allianz Football League meeting (Division 4) in 2017. Longford-Offaly has been a busy rivalry in the Allianz League and Championship in recent years, with their most recent clash being in last year’s Division 3 campaign when Longford won by 11 points.
Sligo and Down will be both be looking for much-improved performances after losing Round 1 games by a combined total of 13 points.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: MIXED FORTUNES FOR RELEGATED COUNTIES
Next Sunday: Derry v London, Owenbeg, 12.30; Limerick v Waterford, Newcastlewest, 2.0; Wexford v Antrim, Innovate Wexford Park, 2.0; Wicklow v Leitrim, Aughrim, 2.30.
Derry and Wexford, both of whom dropped out of the Allianz Football Division 3 last year, had mixed luck in their opening games as they attempt to make a quick return to Division 3. Derry edged past Antrim by a point, while Wexford lost to Leitrim by 13 points, in what was the biggest margin across all four divisions.
Derry host London in what will be the first Allianz Football League meeting between them while Wexford host Antrim, who beat them in the 2016 League (Div 4). After a disappointing Allianz League season in 2018, Wicklow picked up their first points of this campaign when beating Waterford last weekend and now face an in-form Leitrim, who beat John Evans’ men by 11 points last year.
2019 ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE: RESULTS AND FIXTURES
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Round 1: Monaghan 2-13 Dublin 1-13; Galway 0-13 Cavan 0-11; Kerry 0-11 Tyrone 0-7; Mayo 1-8 Roscommon 1-7.
Round 2: Next Saturday Dublin v Galway; Next Sunday: Cavan v Kerry; Roscommon v Monaghan; Tyrone v Mayo.
Round 3: Feb 9: Kerry v Dublin; Mayo v Cavan; Feb 10: Roscommon v Tyrone; Monaghan v Galway.
Round 4: Feb 23: Dublin v Mayo; Tyrone v Monaghan; Feb 24 Galway v Kerry; Cavan v Roscommon.
Round 5: Mar 2: Tyrone v Cavan; Mayo v Galway; Mar 3: Roscommon v Dublin; Kerry v Monaghan.
Round 6: Mar 16: Galway v Roscommon; Monaghan v Cavan; Dublin v Tyrone; Kerry v Mayo.
Round 7: Mar 24: Cavan v Dublin; Mayo v Monaghan; Roscommon v Kerry; Tyrone v Galway.
Final: Mar 31
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Round 1: Donegal 0-16 Clare 0-13; Fermanagh 0-8 Cork 1-5; Kildare 0-14 Armagh 1-11; Meath 0-15 Tipperary 1-8.
Round 2: Next Saturday Donegal v Meath; Next Sunday: Cork v Kildare; Tipperary v Fermanagh; Armagh v Clare.
Round 3: Feb 9: Fermanagh v Kildare; Feb 10: Clare v Cork; Meath v Armagh; Tipperary v Donegal.
Round 4: Feb 23: Cork v Meath; Feb 24: Armagh v Tipperary; Donegal v Fermanagh; Kildare v Clare.
Round 5: Feb 2: Tipperary v Cork; Donegal v Armagh; Feb 3: Meath v Kildare; Fermanagh v Clare.
Round 6: Mar 16: Clare v Meath; Cork v Donegal; Kildare v Tipperary; Armagh v Fermanagh.
Round 7: Armagh v Cork; Donegal v Kildare; Meath v Fermanagh; Tipperary v Clare.
Final: Mar 31
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3
Round 1: Carlow 1-11 Sligo 0-7; Longford 1-8 Louth 0-9; Westmeath 0-13 Offaly 0-12; Laois 2-15 Down 1-12;
Round 2: Next Saturday: Westmeath v Carlow; Laois v Louth; Next Sunday: Longford v Offaly; Sligo v Down.
Round 3: Feb 9: Down v Westmeath; Feb 10: Carlow v Longford; Offaly v Louth; Laois v Sligo.
Round 4: Feb 24: Longford v Down; Westmeath v Laois; Louth v Sligo; Offaly v Carlow.
Round 5: Mar 2: Carlow v Louth; Down v Offaly; Laois v Longford. Mar 3: Sligo v Westmeath.
Round 6: Mar 16: Longford v Sligo; Louth v Westmeath; Offaly v Laois; Carlow v Down.
Round 7: Mar 24: Down v Louth; Westmeath v Longford; Sligo v Offaly; Laois v Carlow.
Final: Mar 30
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4
Round 1: Derry 1-10 Antrim 1-9; Leitrim 3-15 Wexford 0-11; Limerick 0-11 London 0-10; Wicklow 1-7 Waterford 0-9
Round 2 Next Sunday: Derry v London; Limerick v Waterford; Wexford v Antrim; Wicklow v Leitrim.
Round 3: Feb 10: Leitrim v Antrim; London v Wexford; Waterford v Derry; Wicklow v Limerick.
Round 4: Feb 23: Limerick v Leitrim; Feb 24: Antrim v London; Derry v Wicklow; Wexford v Waterford.
Round 5: Mar 2: Wicklow v Wexford; Mar 3: Waterford v Antrim; Leitrim v London; Limerick v Derry.
Round 6: Mar 16: Antrim v Wicklow; London v Waterford; Wexford v Limerick; Derry v Leitrim.
Round 6: Mar 24: Derry v Wexford; Leitrim v Waterford; Limerick v Antrim; Wicklow v London.
Final: Mar 30
