Limerick, Clare, Laois and Down all secured victories in Division Three, with Down maintaining their 100 per cent start to their league campaign with a win over fellow newly-relegated side Westmeath.
Clare’s 2-18 to 0-18 away success over Fermanagh was arguably the most impressive result of Round Three, as they got the upper hand against the division’s basement side with goals from Daniel Walsh and Aaron Griffin either side of half-time in Enniskillen on Sunday.
Clare were a goal to the good at the break – 1-10 to 0-10 – thanks to Griffin’s strike and they extended this lead to six before the end, with Walsh’s goal 10 minutes from time worsening Fermanagh’s relegation fears.
Both sides had entered Sunday’s game winless after the opening two rounds, but Clare’s first victory of the campaign looks likely to put their promotion bid back on track ahead of a home tie against fifth-placed Laois next Sunday.
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Having withheld a late Limerick comeback two weeks previously in Rathkeale, division favourites Down now have three wins from three thanks to a nail-biting victory over Westmeath at Páirc Esler on Saturday.
Down looked to be cruising to that all-important third league win, leading 2-14 to 0-07 with 25 minutes remaining, but Westmeath, also relegated from the second tier last year, almost caused an upset for the history books, with just three points separating the sides at the final whistle.
After Ryan Magill’s late first-half goal had given the Ulster side a strong half-time lead of eight points, Westmeath scored 1-7 without response in the second half. But the Mournemen held out at the death, with John McGeough’s second-half goal proving vital for the hosts.
A third successive win appeared on the cards for Wexford in Mick Neville Park in Rathkeale on Sunday until substitute Peter Nash popped up in the 71st minute to snatch all the points for determined hosts Limerick.
Wexford, aided by a strong wind in the opening half, were left ruing seven first-half wides, with Nash’s late goal snatching a dramatic win from the jaws of defeat in a game that John Hegarty’s team had led from the second minute until that dramatic late twist.
Laois have had mixed fortunes so far in Division Three. Off the back of an opening-day draw at home to newly-promoted Limerick and then a heavy defeat to Wexford, they finally got their first win of this year’s league by brushing aside the challenge of Sligo with seven points to spare in Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Saturday evening.
The scoreline could have made for even better reading for the hosts, given they missed a penalty and several other big goal chances.
Laois manager Justin McNulty will, however, no doubt be delighted with Saturday’s result given the 14-point defeat suffered away to Wexford two weeks previously.
Laois restricted Sligo, who had come into the game off the back of a big win over Fermanagh, to just six scores from play, one of them being cornerback Luke Casserly’s goal just after the half-hour mark.
It remains tight in the division after three games, with just two points separating second-placed Wexford and seventh-placed Clare.
Weekend results:
- Down 2-15 Westmeath 1-15
- Laois 0-18 Sligo 1-8
- Fermanagh 0-18 Clare 2-18
- Limerick 1-15 Wexford 1-14
