Division Three round-up: Clare keep promotion in sight

Clare 1-20 Longford 1-9

An impressive eleven point win by Clare over Longford at Cusack Park, Ennis means that if they can manage a win over already promoted Kildare at Newbridge next Sunday, they will join them in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League in 2017.

This victory was cemented in the early part of the second half, when Clare, who enjoyed a 1-7 to 1-6 half-time lead, forged ahead kicking seven unanswered points inside ten minutes of the re-start.

Longford had a strong start when team captain Michael Quinn hit the Clare net with the opener after six minutes.

Clare’s goal arrived in the seventeenth minute courtesy of David Tubridy and vitally, this score put his side ahead 1-3 to 1-2 and they were never lead from then out.

Those crucial seven scores after the break came courtesy of man-of-the match, attacking wing back Jamie Malone on three occasions, twice by Pearse Lillis and one each from Eoin Cleary and Keelan Sexton.

Longford for their part had to wait until the sixty-sixth minute for their first score of the half when full forward Brian Kavanagh converted a 20m free. But by this juncture the Banners boys had secured two valuable league points to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Clare: J Hayes, S Malone, K Harnett, M McMahon, J Malone (0-5), G Kelly, C O'Dea, G Brennan (Capt.), C O'Connor (0-1), S Collins, E Cleary (0-4), P Lillis (0-2), K Sexton (0-2), P Burke, D Tubridy (1-5, three frees).

Subs: S McGrath (0-1) for S Collins (44), P Collins for Burke (55), E Coughlan for Sexton (55), S Haugh for S Malone (58), J O'Dea for Kelly (61).

Longford: P Collum, D Masterson(0-1), B Gilleran, C. P. Smyth, D McElligot, D Brady, D Reynolds, J McGivney (0-1), M Quinn (Capt.) (0-1), R Smyth, D Gallagher, B McKeon, M Hughes, B Kavanagh (0-6), B Farrell (0-1).

Subs: R Connor for McKeon, (h/t), S Kenny for Gallagher (48), P McKeon for Hughes (50), L Moran for R Smyth (51), C Farrelly for Reynolds (61), S Doyle for Farrell (69).

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo)

Westmeath 1-9 Offaly 0-9

A 27th-minute goal from Paul Greville proved to be the decisive score as Westmeath edged out Offaly in windy conditions in Mullingar.

Both sides struggled in the opening quarter at the end of which wind-assisted Offaly led by 0-2 to 0-1. They doubled their advantage when Niall McNamee pointed after a quickly taken ‘45’ by Nigel Dunne before Michael Brazil made the most of a Westmeath defensive error to put his side three points clear.

Offaly led by 0-4 to 0-1 when Shane Dempsey teed up Greville and the substitute slapped the ball to the net. A point with the last kick of the half from influential substitute Anton Sullivan left Offaly 0-7 to 1-3 ahead at the break.

A fisted point from Greville tied up the scoring within five minutes of the resumption. Dempsey pointed in the 49th minute to put the home team in front for the first time and they looked the more likely winners from then on.

Late in the game, Westmeath’s Ray Connellan and Offaly’s Niall Smith were black carded in separate incidents - the latter could not be replaced as the visitors had used up their quota of subs.

Westmeath: D Quinn; K Daly, F Boyle, K Maguire; D Lynch, P Holloway, J Dolan (0-1); D Corroon, D Daly; R Connellan, J Heslin, K Martin (0-1); G Egan (0-2, 2 frees), C McCormack (0-1), S Dempsey (0-2). Subs: P Greville (1-2, 0-1 free) for Heslin (BC, 21 mins), S Flanagan for Martin (59 mins), J Egan for McCormack (61 mins), A Stone for Connellan (BC, 66 mins), R Foley for Dempsey (70 mins).

Offaly: A Mulhall; B Darby, E Rigney, S Pender; N Darby, J Moloney (0-1), J O'Connor; E Carroll (0-1), J Gethings; G Guilfoyle (0-1), M Brazil (0-1), S Doyle; C McNamee, N Dunne (0-1, free), N McNamee (0-1). Subs: J Maher (0-1, free) for Doyle (26 mins), A Sullivan (0-2) for C McNamee (29 mins), N Smith for Gethings (51 mins), P Cunningham for Dunne (53 mins), W Mulhall for Guilfoyle (61 mins), N Bracken for Brazil (63 mins).

Referee: K Murphy (Cork)

Sligo 3-10 Limerick 1-12

Limerick’s brave second half performance came close to toppling free scoring Sligo in this gripping Division three game at rain soaked Markievicz Park.

The visitors bagged seven points without reply in the tense closing stages of a high scoring game with Limerick losing out in the end by four points.

Brian Egan got Sligo off the mark with a fifth minute point and similar scores by Kyle Cawley and Niall Murphy had the Yeatsmen in cruise control in the opening minutes.

Levelled matters in the twelfth minute when a quick break out of defence gave Darragh Tracey a clear run at goal and the St Kierans man finished a ground ball to Aiden Devaneys net.

But a similar score by Kyle Cawley on twenty minutes had the home side back on top again.

This put Sligo four points clear and set them up for a (1-6) to (1-1) half time lead.

Limericks only point of the half came from the boot of Peter Nash in the twenty eight minute.

Brendan Egan gave the Yeatsmen a major boost with his sides second goal at the start of the second half and when Brian Egan struck their third major score Limerick suddenly found themselves ten points adrift.

Showing true grit and determination the Treatymen rallied putting extreme pressure on a now struggling Sligo who were fortunate to hold on for a vital win in the drama packed closing minutes.

Limerick manager John Brudair said he was very disappointed with th e teams first half display,

“There wasn’t enough consistency for long enough periods at this level” said Brudair.

Sligo manager Niall Carew said when Sligo were ten points in front they thought the game was wrapped up but “they came at us in droves in the second half and we didn’t close out the game”.

Sligo: A Devaney, D Maye, K McDonnell, C Harrison (0-1),K Cawley, B Egan (1-0), G O' Kelly-Lynch, A McIntyre, N Murphy (O-4, one free),N Ewing, K Cawley (1-1), C Davey, C Breheny, P Hughes, B Egan(1-O) , A Marren (O-3, two frees)

Subs: A Marren (half time), D Rooney for O Kelly-Lynch (52), L Henry for B Egan 61mins,N Gaughan for C Davey 65mins, P Clarke for Breheny.

Limerick: B Scanlon, J Mccarthy,P Browne, S O' Dea, I Corbett, M Donovan, S cahill, T Lee (0-2), D Tracey (1-1), C Sheehan (0-1), D Neville (0-2),A Enright, I Ryan (O-3, two frees),P Nash (O-2), G Noonan.

Subs: C Fahy for Donovan (38), B Fanning for Sheehan (59),K Ryan (O-1 , for Enright (44), S McSweeney for Ryan (65).

Referee: Paul Faloon, Down.