Division Four roundup: Louth make it three in a row

Louth 0-15 Wicklow 1-2

Louth strengthened their bid for an instant return to Division 3 when they brought Wicklow’s 100 per cent start to the campaign to an abrupt end.

Johnny McGee’s troops arrived in Drogheda level at the top of the table with their hosts and Antrim, but they could only muster three scores and just one point from open play.

They needed 24 minutes to open their account, by which stage Louth had already taken a firm grip on the contest, with Ryan Burns on song from placed balls and Declan Byrne hoisting over a couple of superb scores from distance.

John McGrath and Paul Cunningham stopped the rot for Wicklow, the latter registering his side’s only score from open play, but they trailed by 0-7 to 0-2 at the break.

Ronan Holcroft extended Louth’s advantage with a brace after the re-start, but Cunningham offered Wicklow a chink of light, dispatching a penalty, harshly awarded against Kevin Toner.

But there was to be no grand fightback from the visitors as Louth kicked for home in the final quarter, to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.

LOUTH: C Lynch; P Rath, P Reilly, K Toner; D Maguire (0-1), D McMahon, E Lafferty; D Byrne (0-2), J Stewart; J Bingham, R Holcroft (0-3), J McEneaney (0-2); A Reid, R Burns (0-5 frees), C McKeever (0-1). Subs: R Moore for McKeever (57), K McLaughlin for Reilly (65), M Rafferty for Burns (70), C Bellew for McEneaney (70+), B Flanagan (0-1 free) for Reid (70+).

WICKLOW: R Lambert; A Murtagh, E Murphy, S Kelly; D Healy, P McLoughlin, C Murphy; D Woods, A McLoughlin; D Haydon, J McGrath (0-1 free), M Kenny; P O'Connor, P Cunningham (1-1, one pen), M Lennon. Subs: N Gaffney for Woods (29), M O'Connor for Haydon (43), R O'Brien for A McLoughlin (50), J Crowe for Healy (55), G Allen for M Lennon (57), C Fitzgerald for McGrath (65).

Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).

Antrim 2-14 Leitrim 0-10

A three-minute blitz before half-time by Tomás McCann set Antrim on their way to a defeat of Leitrim at Corrigan Park.

Leitrim dominated the opening half-hour but failed to convert their chances and led by only 0-6 to 0-2 before McCann struck with 1-4, between the 33rd and 36th minutes.

That turnaround affected Leitrim as they failed to recover during the second half and didn’t score again until eight minutes from normal time.

During the game they hit only one point from play as Antrim clicked into gear to keep their unbeaten run going.Antrim finished strongly, with 1-4 in the closing eight minutes. “Bam” Neeson, with his first touch of the ball after coming on in the first minute of overtime, lobbed the goalkeeper for the goal.

ANTRIM: C Kerr; K O'Boyle, S McVeigh, R Johnston; J Carron, J Laverty, P McAleer; N McKeever (0-1), C Murray (0-2); M Fitzpatrick, T Johnston, M Johnston; S Burke (O-1), K Niblock 0-1 free), T McCann (1-8, 6f, one '45').

Subs: N Delargy for McAleer (25), P McBride for R Johnston (39), R Murray for Burke (39), M Sweeney for Niblock inj (45), B Neeson (1-1, 0-1 free) for Fitzpatrick (77).

LEITRIM : B Ó Floinn; R Gallagher, N Woods, M McWeeney; P Maguire, G Reynolds, S McWeeney; D Wrynn, S Moran; J Rooney, E Mulligan (0-7, 6f), K Conlan (0-23, two '45s'); C Gilheaney, J McGrail, R Kennedy (0-1).

Subs: M Murphy for Woods BC (40), A McCroal for Moran (46), B Prior for S McWeeney BC (54).

Referee : N Cullen (Fermanagh).

Wexford 4-20 London 1-6

It was all too easy for Wexford as they cruised to the most comfortable of 23 point victories over London at Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday afternoon.

London may have enjoyed the ideal start with a goal from corner-forward Sean Hickey within one minute of the start but thereafter it turned into an uphill battle as they were completely outplayed by a slick moving Wexford outfit who dominated in all sectors of the pitch.

Following that early setback, Wexford were back level 0-3 to 1-0 inside nine minutes, through points from Brian Malone, Kieran Butler and a Donal Shanley free. Wexford built up momentum with a twenty-seventh minute goal through sub Tiernan Rossiter giving them a 1-10 to 1-1 half-time lead.

The Wexford dominance became more pronounced on the resumption, as midfielders Daithi Waters and Colm Kehoe took total control. A second goal Wexford goal from Paraic Curtis after forty-eight minutes helped the home side into a 2-13 to 1-2 lead. While their strong attacking play left some space at the back, London could only add two Adrian Moyles points, one from a 45, but it was Wexford who kept the scoreboard ticking over adding further goals through John Tubritt and Waters to keep their league challenge very much on course.

Wexford: A Masterson; J Rossiter, N Rossiter, J Wadding; B Malone (0-1), S Byrne, K Butler (0-3); C Kehoe (0-1), D Waters (1-0); P Curtis (1-1), P J Banville, A Flynn (0-1); B Brosnan (0-2, 0-1 free), D Shanley (0-8, 0-5 frees,0-1, '45), J Tubritt (1-3). Subs: T Rossiter (1-0) for Banville (inj. 15); E Nolan for Curtis (50); M O'Regan for Flynn (53); R Tierney for N Rossiter (56); K Rowe for Shanley (57); P O'Keeffe for J Rossiter (64).

London: G McEvoy; P Butler, C Dunne, D Quinn; D McGreevy, D Ryan, C Dunne; M Gottsche (0-1), J Moran; A Moyles (0-3, 0-1 '45), S Buckley, L Gavaghan; S Hickey (1-1), S Conroy, L Mulvey (0-1). Subs: C Greene for Gottsche (34); J Lynch for C Greene (B.C. 35); E Murray for Buckley (h.t.); C Carty for Quinn (53); C O'Neill for Dunne (66); S O'Grady for Conroy (70).

Referee: K Murphy (Cork).

Carlow 0-15 Waterford 3-15

Waterford left-half forward Patrick Hurney hit a total of 2-5 to inspire his side to their first NFL Division 4 victory of the year at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.

Waterford were in complete control of this one, with the early platform of a seventh minute Hurney goal behind them - he impressively cut through the middle of the home defence to shoot low to the Carlow net.

Carlow hit a good patch before half time and reduced the arrears of five points to one by half time when trailing 1-5 to 0-7. Alan Kelly, Seán Gannon, Darragh Murphy and John Murphy were all prominent for the home county.

A Brian Murphy point three minutes after the resumption levelled matters but Waterford were always able to find a response and Hurney quickly had them in front again from a close range free.

On 44 minutes Hurney beat Carlow goalkeeper Robbie Molloy to the ball for his second goal, giving the visitors a 2-7 to 0-8 lead.

A lack of a cutting edge in attack and a tendency to give away possession too easily meant Carlow continued to be punished by the visitors, and when their full back Daniel St Ledger received a straight red card on 69 minutes a bad day was completed for Turlough O’Brien’s side.

Waterford: S Enright; T Ó hUallacháin, M O'Gorman, J McGrath; B Looby (0-1), S Prendergast, R Ó Ceallaigh; T Prendergast (0-1), C Prunty (0-1); G Crotty, D Breathnach (1-1), P Hurney (2-5, 0-2 frees); S Corcoran (0-1, free), J Veale (0-1), P Whyte (0-3, 0-1 free). Subs: L Ó Curráin for Corcoran (46); M O'Halloran (0-1) for Corcoran (48) J J Hutchinson for Veale (49); M Curry for O'Ceallaigh (54); C Guiry for Crotty (62); L Lawlor for Whyte (73).

Carlow: R Molloy; B J Molloy, D St Ledger, K Nolan; G Kelly (0-1), J Murphy, B Kavanagh; D Foley (0-3, all frees), S Gannon; A Kelly (0-2), H Gahan, E Finnegan (0-1); B Murphy (0-3, 0-1 free), C Blake (0-1), J J Smith (0-2 , 0-1 free). Subs: D O'Brien for Smith (53); D Hayden (0-1) for J Murphy (53); P Broderick (0-1, 45) for B Murphy (61).

Referee: N McKenna (Monaghan).