Gaelic Games

Antrim beat Offaly by a point to make it two wins from two in Division Three

Conditions ensured it was a scrappy game and not one that suited attacking play despite the teams’ best efforts

Offaly are still in search of their first points of the campaign. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

Sun Feb 4 2024 - 18:09
Antrim 2-5 Offaly 1-7

Antrim survived an Offaly storm to make it two wins from two in Division Three of the Allianz Football League, holding on for a one-point win in tough conditions at Corrigan Park on Sunday.

The Saffrons were five up and looking comfortable midway through the second period, but the dismissal of Conor Hand in the 55th minute, just five minutes after his introduction, gave the Faithful a shot in the arm and they would get to within one, but no closer.

Conditions ensured it was a scrappy game and not one that suited attacking play despite the teams’ best efforts, but Antrim found a way in the end and over the 70-plus minutes probably deserved their win. They adapted better to the stormy conditions early on with Eoin Hynds and Niall Burns judging the wind to perfection to score.

It would get better on 13 minutes as Eunan Walsh again was the instigator as he broke through the Offaly defence to find Ronan Boyle who swivelled and netted. A Marc Jordan point followed as the Saffrons looked on their way, but Offaly eventually settled and came into the game with two Cian Farrell points.

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Just as it seemed they were gaining the upper hand, Kavan Keenan forced a turnover as Jordan raced clear and passed to Dominic McEnhill who was bundled over for a penalty he would tuck away. But Offaly got back into it before the half ended as they put the squeeze on that forced a turnover of their own and the four-on-two situation ended with Anton Sullivan crashing home to cut the hosts’ lead to 2-3 to 1-2 at the break.

Conditions managed to deteriorate with sheeting rain now driving across the field in the second period, but Antrim pushed on with a Michael Byrne free and Niall Burns effort. They looked comfortable entering the final quarter when Hand was given his marching orders and Offaly took advantage with their own sub, Nigel Dunne cracking a beauty followed in kind by Jordan Hayes seconds later.

Their tails were up and the visiting support sensed it, but were dealt a blow of their own on 64 minutes as Jack Bryant was shown black just two minutes after he had been introduced for a body check on Eunan Walsh.

Still, they narrowed the gap to the minimum entering stoppage time through Dunne and McNamee, but they couldn’t find a level with shots tailing out to the right in the wind. Antrim actually had some late chances of their own but they too were unable to convert, but they wouldn’t matter as they held on with Offaly now still in search of their first points of the campaign.

Antrim: M Byrne (0-1 f); R Boyle (1-0), E Walsh, K Keenan; M Jordan (0-1), J Finnegan, D McAleese; C McLarnon, P McAleer; E Hynds (0-1), N Burns (0-2, 1 f), R McCann (Creggan); P McBride, C McGettigan, D McEnhill. Subs: C Hand for C McGettigan (48), D Lynch for D McAleese (70+3), O Doherty for N Burns (70+3)

Offaly: I Duffy; A Bracken, D Dempsey, L Pearson; R Egan, J Furlong, J O’Brien; M Tynan, J Hayes (0-1); P Cunningham, R McNamee (0-2), C Egan; C Farrell (0-2, 1 f), A Sullivan (1-0), K O’Neill. Subs: N Dunne (0-2) for C Farrell (45), K McDermott for R Egan (53), J Bryant for K O’Neill (64)

Referee: P Faloon (Down)

Westmeath 1-11 Clare 0-13

A late surge enabled Westmeath to eke out a hard-earned one-point win against Clare in a dramatic game played in very windy conditions in Mullingar.

The strong wind favoured Clare in the first half, but Westmeath had total control of the ball for the opening four minutes and were rewarded with a soft goal from Conor Dillon, whose point attempt was deflected into the net. However, the home team only scored once more during the remainder of the half courtesy of Ronan Wallace. They also shot five poor wides.

For their part, the Banner County men were much more economical, with Dermot Coughlan particularly impressive at wing forward and he fired over a hat-trick of quality points. Ciaran Downes also scored three points, including a ‘45′ in the seventh minute. Arguably the best point of the half was a wonderful long-range shot from goalkeeper Stephen Ryan in the 19th minute. Clare deservedly led by 0-10 to 1-1 at the interval.

Lorcan Dolan was black-carded within a minute of the resumption of play and it took Westmeath a long time to settle with the wind behind them. Indeed, they only scored two points in the third quarter via O’Toole and Loughlin (a free), while Aaron Griffin’s well-taken point in the 48th minute kept the scoreboard ticking over for the visitors. When Alan Sweeney pointed in style in the 59th minute, Clare looked set to pick up their second set of league points.

However, Dessie Dolan’s charges then had a purple patch and they kicked six points without reply, including a brace from Sam McCartan (the first of them with his fist). Westmeath now led by a single point (1-10 to 0-12) with 67 minutes on the clock.

Coughlan soon picked up his second yellow card of the afternoon before the fourth official signalled a minimum of six minutes’ added-time. Brian McNamara rifled over a great equaliser and the game looked set to finish level when the home team spurned two good chances, including a McCartan ‘45′. In the fourth minute of injury-time, Mark Fitzgerald’s troops had a goal disallowed, Cormac Murray’s slapped effort from point-blank range ruled out for a square ball. Westmeath made the most of this let-off when All Star nominee Ronan O’Toole kicked a superb winning score. There was still time for Westmeath sub Matthew Whittaker to be black-carded for a cynical foul.

Westmeath: J Daly; J Dolan, C Drumm, J Gonoud; S McCartan (0-2), R Wallace (0-1), C Dillon (1-0); R Connellan (0-1), A McCormack; D Lynch, R O’Toole (0-3), J Lynam; L Loughlin (0-2, frees), S Baker, L Dolan. Subs: J Smith for J Dolan (42 mins), E Mulvihill for Dillon (48 mins), K Martin (0-1, mark) for Baker (53 mins), R Forde (0-1, free) for L Dolan (53 mins), M Whittaker for Lynam (61 mins).

Clare: S Ryan (0-1); M Doherty, R Lanigan, M Garry; I Ugweru, A Sweeney (0-1), D Walsh (0-1); G Murray, B McNamara (0-1); D Coughlan (0-3), E McMahon (0-2, frees), C Downes (0-3, one ‘45′); M McInerney, A Griffin (0-1), S Griffin. Subs: C Rouine for McInerney (half-time), E O’Connor for Rouine (48 mins), C Murray for S Griffin (62 mins), F Ginnane for Ugweru (69 mins).

Referee: D Murnane (Cork).

Sligo 2-10 Wicklow 1-11

It has been a while since the Markievicz Park faithful were frustrated and relieved in equal measure – frustrated that two goals by the 14th minute didn’t provide an easier path to victory over Wicklow but relieved that Sean Carrabine, Sligo’s talisman in last year’s Division Four success, popped up with two late points to secure a 2-10 to 1-11 win.

Wicklow might have grabbed a share of the spoils at the windy venue had Kevin Quinn not guided a 69th-minute free wide when there was only a point between them. Quinn, who left the Sligo town venue with half-a-dozen points to his name, was unlucky with his attempt, as was John Paul Nolan, who also went close with a big attempt in the second-half.

Having been awoken by team captain Patrick O’Keane’s deflected goal inside the first five minutes of the second half with Kevin Quinn then landing a free, Wicklow not only erased a three-point interval deficit, 2-4 to 0-7, but regained the lead and kept Sligo on their toes for the remainder.

Two booming points from Wicklow midfielder Dean Healy ensured a tight finish but Sligo may not have needed Carrabine’s late, late show had Pat Spillane goaled with a 56th minute opportunity.

Spillane, who was foiled by Wicklow goalkeeper Shane Doyle, was heavily involved in Sligo’s two first-half goals – he provided the assist for Alan McLoughlin’s close-range shot after a Wicklow kickout error and then the corner-forward was fouled for the penalty that Niall Murphy rifled to the top corner.

With a six-point lead, 2-3 to 0-3, Sligo should have powered on, especially with all-round better display compared to their loss away to Clare in round one, but they only scored once more in that first half.

Wicklow, who twice lost to Sligo in last year’s league, with both counties coming up from Division Four, kept taking bites out of the deficit and Quinn emerged as a classy finisher. Sligo, wearing an alternate strip of white with a hint of blue, kept Wicklow in contention by kicking six first-half wides and a number of moves for goals didn’t come to fruition.

Aside from the Sligo and Wicklow rivalry from 2023, the game’s other subplot was the sight of two former teammates at club and county level in the respective dugouts as managers – Sligo’s Tony McEntee and Wicklow’s Oisin McConville.

Sligo: A Devaney (0-1, 1f), P McNamara, E McGuinness, E Lyons, B Cox, D Cummins, N Mullen, P O’Connor (0-1), P Kilcoyne, A McLoughlin (1-1), E Smith (0-1), C Lally (0-1), P Spillane, S Carrabine (0-3, 1f), N Murphy (1-2, 2f). Subs: M Gordon for E Smith (50), K Cawley for A McLoughlin (67), D Conlon for P Spillane (67)

Wicklow: S Doyle, T Moran, M Nolan, M Stone, J Prendergast, P O’Keane (1-0), J McCall, D Healy (0-2), C Maguire, O McGraynor (0-1, 1f), JP Nolan, C Baker, B Nesbitt (0-1), K Quinn (0-6, 3f), G Murphy (0-1). Subs: J Kirwan for B Nesbitt (h-t), G Fogarty for J McCall (h-t), E Darcy for O McGraynor (60), C Fee for JP Nolan (65)

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)

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