Results – GAA Football League
Division 3
- Wicklow 0-10 Westmeath 1-13
- Offaly 1-12 Clare 2-10
- Limerick 0-10 Sligo 1-12
- Antrim 1-6 Down 1-15
Division 4
- London 1-8 Tipperary 0-11
- Leitrim 3-7 Wexford 2-9
*****
DOWN AND WESTMEATH stayed perfect in Division 3 of National Football League win wins on the road against Antrim and Wicklow respectively.
All away teams in the division won this afternoon, as Clare and Sligo beat Offaly and Wexford.
With Down and Westmeath out in front in the promotion race, Offaly, Wicklow and Limerick are yet to get off the mark at the other end of the table.
Down pulled away at Corrigan Park, Conor Laverty’s men eventually running out nine-point winners. Pat Havern top-scored with 0-6 (4f) from midfield, while Ceilim Doherty popped up with 1-1 late on.
They were the better team for much of the contest, but miscued before the posts. Paddy McAleer scored Antrim’s goal.
Kieran Martin’s 14th-minute major was key as Westmeath overcame Wicklow at Aughrim. The visitors led 1-5 to 0-4 at the break, and kept Oisin McConville’s men at arms’ length from there.
Senan Barker (0-6, 5f) and Danny McCartan (0-3) were in scoring form for the Midlanders, while Kevin Quinn (0-8, 7f) led the Wicklow charge. They hit just three points from play throughout the contest, however.
#AllianzLeagues Football Division 3 Table after Round 3
— GAA League Tables (@GAALeagueTables) February 18, 2024
Antrim 1-06 v 1-15 Down
Limerick 0-10 v 1-12 Sligo
Offaly 1-12 v 2-10 Clare
Wicklow 0-10 v 1-13 Westmeath#GAA #Football #Antrim #Clare #Down #Limerick #Offaly #Sligo #Westmeath #Wicklow #GAALeagueTables pic.twitter.com/JyGNaRUmcd
Elsewhere, Clare held on to enjoy a crucial one-point win over Offaly. The Banner exhaled a collective sigh of relief in the 75th minute when Peter Cunningham sent his penalty over the bar. For the Faithful county, it was another disappointing defeat.
Offaly led 1-10 to 0-4 with 20 minutes remaining, but Clare mounted a remarkable comeback to take the two points on offer. Ciaran Downes (penalty) and Diarmuid O’Donnell scored their goals down the home straight, while Anton Sullivan was on target for Offaly from the bench.
And Paul McNamara’s first-half goal was key as Sligo saw off Limerick in Rathkeale.
Tony McEntee’s side carved out a 1-7 to 0-5 lead by the interval, and their full-forward line of Pat Spillane, Seán Carrabine and Niall Murphy combined for 0-8 overall. Limerick, meanwhile, had five point-scorers, but couldn’t engineer any decisive goal chances.
In Division 4, London earned their first point of the campaign after drawing with Tipperary at McGovern Park, Ruislip.
Liam Gallagher’s goal towards the end of the first half drew the sides level by the break, and it was tit-for-tat from there. Two Tipperary scores from Shane O’Connell and Jack Kennedy early in injury time looked to have snatched the win, but Cahir Healy’s 77th-minute effort levelled matters and ensured a share of the spoils.
Tipp now have one win, one draw and one loss in the basement tier.
And Leitrim downed Wexford at the death to maintain their 100% record. Ryan O’Rourke completed his hat-trick with a penalty deep into added time to secure a third consecutive victory.
O’Rourke finished with 3-3 (1f, 1p), while Niall Hughes and Ben Brosnan scored Wexford’s goals in Carrick-on-Shannon.
