| Lilywhites top but promotion race
is wide open  Kildare
0-14 Louth 2-7
The Lilywhites went top of Division 1B of the National League with a narrow
win over Louth thanks largely to an eight-point haul from star forward
John Doyle.
Six points from the Allenwood club man had Kildare leading by five at
the interval 0-7 to 0-2.
Shane Lennon converted a 43rd-minute Louth penalty but Kildare looked
comfortable until Lennon’s second goal reduced the deficit to just
one point but Kildare held on for a well-earned victory.
Galway 1-13 Westmeath 0-10
In Mullingar a Padraig Joyce-inspired Galway finished strongly registering
1-5 without reply to beat Westmeath by six points.
The Tribesmen had the best of the early exchanges and they led by three
points to one after 19 minutes. Former All-Star Padraig Joyce struck first
from a free and the Connacht county followed up with points from Nicholas
Joyce and Ja Fallon both from play. It took 15 minutes for the Lakesmen
to score from a Dessie Dolan free.
Padraig Joyce and Dolan traded scores before Joe Bergin landed the score
of the game for Galway.
Dolan and Damien O’Shaughnessy registered the last two points of
the first-half for Westmeath and unbelievably despite Galway’s apparent
superiority there was only a point in it at the break with a scoreline
of 0-5 to 0-4.
Westmeath started much better in the second-half and soon hit the front
but a late Mathew Clancy goal ensured the League points went west of the
Shannon.
Derry 1-11 Laois 1-11
Conleth Gilligan pounced deep into injury-time to earn Derry a precious
point at Celtic Park. Laois started brightest and looked on course when
Paul Lawlor hit 1-2 early on but a Paddy Bradley goal in the 24th minute
kept the Oak Leaf County in touch.
Bradley supplied 1-4 of Derry’s full-time tally but it took Gilligan’s
late point to deny Laois all the points.
Armagh 1-9 Down 0-11
Not for the first time the gifted Stevie McDonnell was on hand to save
Armagh when his late goal ensured the Orchard County picked up only their
second win of this year’s campaign.
In a tight encounter between the Ulster neighbours referee David Coldrick
from Meath had a busy day in the middle as tempers flared.
Down took a 0-4 to 0-0 lead in the opening quarter but from then on Joe
Kernan’s men held the edge. The win keeps Armagh’s hopes of
promotion intact but they’ll need to win all of their remaining
games to ensure top-flight football next year. |
