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GAA

NFL round-up: Big wins for Westmeath, Donegal and Kerry

Michael Murphy is back with a bang, but it was another bad, bad day for Kilkenny football.

IT TOOK MICHAEL Murphy a grand total of 24 seconds to announce his return to full fitness.

The Donegal captain’s goal gave his county something to hold onto and from that moment, it was obvious they would be content to smother the 2010 All Ireland champions.

The north-westerners managed just two more scores in the first half, but limited Cork to four to bring a narrow lead into the break.

In the second half, the home side pointed five times through the familiar names of Murphy, Karl Lacey and Colm McFadden to hold on for a 1-7 to 0-6 win. The kind of game you wish you hadn’t watched.

Murphy ended the day with 1-3. Cork’s Colm O’neill was the only other player to manaage more than a solitary score.

Predictably enough, there was much better fare in Newry where Kerry eased past Down by 0-14 to 0-8.

Three first half scores from Barry John Keane helped the kingdom to a two point lead at the break. That deficit was narrowed to the minimum after the break, but Kerry upped a gear and rattled off four without reply.

Down’s accuracy was questionable all day and they had no answer for that second half salvo.

Tyrone were another side to travel to the east coast and cruise to a six point win.

A goal in either half from Peter Harte and Damian McCaul (respectively) proved the difference with a final scoreline 0f 0-13 to 2-13.

Louth are nothing if not persistent and had John Devine not impressed for tyrone between the sticks the result may have been very different. Louth’s task was increased manifold by the second half red card awarded to the talismanic captain, Paddy Keenan.

Shock

In Mullingar, Westmeath pulled off the shock of the day by edging Galway to the points.

playing into a strong breeze in the first half, the hosts set the tone for hard work early and were buoyed by taking  a level scoreline into the interval.

Galway’s class looked like it would see htem through a helter skelter second half and they led 0-13 to 0-11 with less than five minutes to go.

John Heslin’s seventh pointed free of the day drew Westmeath level in stoppage time and the drama was not done there.

In the 76th minute Paul Bannon claimed his second score of the day to send the crowd home happy with Westmeath’s first win of this season’s league.

Spare a though for Kilkenny, in a week in which their under 21′s fell 6-34 to 0-2 to Louth, the senior side also shipped a cricket score managing just four points as Fermanagh went ballistic with nine goals and 23 points.

Here are Sunday’s National Footall league results in full:

Division one:

Donegal 1-7 Cork 0-6

Down 0-8 Kerry 0-14

Division two:

Westmeath 0-14 Galway 0-13

Loutth 0-13 Tyrone 2-13

Division three:

Longford 0-16 Roscommon 2-8

Wexford 2-20 Tipperary 1-8

Division four:

Kilkenny 0-4 Fermanagh 9-23

London 0-4 Carlow 2-6

Clare 0-10 Limerick 0-9

Wicklow 1-12 Waterford 4-7

Here’s your happy team picture of the day…

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