Allianz National Football League Results
Division 2
- Kildare 0-12 Cavan 0-16
- Armagh 0-12 Louth 0-11
Division 4
- Laois 1-12 Longford 2-7
- Tipperary 1-14 Carlow 3-10
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CAVAN AND ARMAGH made winning starts in Division 2 of the Allianz National Football League this evening.
Cavan — back up in the second tier after winning Division 3 last year — enjoyed a big win over Kildare on the road.
Raymond Galligan’s side ran out deserved four-point victors Netwatch Cullen Park.
Paddy Lynch led the scoring charge with 0-8 (6f). The Crosserlough forward was among a spread of nine scorers, with All-Ireland junior club winning captain Ciarán Brady, Dara McVeety and Gerard Smith among others on target.
Glenn Ryan’s Kildare were poor, by all accounts, but the Breffni county will be pleased with their start to life in Division 2.
The visitors led 0-9 to 0-6 at the break, while Darragh Kirwan and substitute Shane O’Sullivan were among the Lilywhites top scorers with 0-2 a-piece.
Armagh, meanwhile, eventually overcame Louth to win by the minimum at the Athletic Grounds. The Wee county will rue the one-point defeat, with Sam Mulroy dropping a late ’45 short.
Ger Brennan’s side led 0-4 to 0-0 after 20 minutes, but Armagh clawed it back, with the scoreline reading 0-5 to 0-4 at half time.
Conor Turbitt missed goal chances early on, but he stood up down the home straight with crucial scores.
He finished with 0-4 (3f), while Stefan Campbell was similarly influential with three points from play. Mulroy was Louth’s top scorer with 0-3 (3f).
Laois and Carlow got off to winning starts in their Division 4 ties. Laois enjoyed victory, 1-12 to 2-7, at home against Longford in Portaloise, while for Carlow, there was a successful away trip to Thurles, as they saw off Tipperary by 3-10 to 1-14.
New captain Evan O’Carroll hit three first-half points for Laois, while Killian Roche scored two, as they went in front 0-7 to 0-2 at the interval in O’Moore Park.
Longford rallied in the second half, a Mark Hughes point and goal from Darren Gallagher, bagged from the penalty spot, saw them trail by the minimum, 0-9 to 1-5 after 46 minutes. But Damon Larkin hit back with a goal for Laois and they pulled clear from there, a late goal for Longford by Dylan Farrell in injury-time proved a consolation effort.
Niall Carew’s Carlow charges laid the foundation for their success in the first half, going ahead 2-7 to 1-6 at the break. Tipperary’s Paddy Creedon raised the first green flag of the night, but Conor Crowley and Darragh Foley countered for Carlow with first-half goals.
The third goal arrived in the 63rd minute for Carlow from Aaron Amond and while Tipperary fought back, inspired by Clonmel Commercials attacking star Sean O’Connor, Carlow held on for success.
