Senior footballers face Tyrone following respective first round victories

A dramatic opening weekend in the 2017 Allianz Football League saw a crowd of 16,331 turn out in Kingspan Breffni Park where Dublin beat Division 1 newcomers, Cavan, as the defending League champions put down an early marker in their bid for the five-in-a-row.

Jim Gavin’s men won by seven points to take their unbeaten run in the League and Championship to 30 games.

Last year’s League runners-up Kerry also got off to a winning start but Roscommon and Donegal, semi-finalists last year, were both beaten.

The action continues next weekend, prior to a two-week break before Round 3.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: DUBLIN v TYRONE IN BIG CROKE PARK SHOWDOWN

Saturday: 7.0: Dublin v Tyrone, Croke Park; Kerry v Mayo, Austin Stack Park, Tralee.

Sunday: Monaghan v Cavan, Castleblayney 2.0; Roscommon v Donegal, Dr. Hyde Park. 2.30.

The biggest crowd of the weekend will be in Croke Park on Saturday for Dublin v Tyrone (football) and Dublin v Tipperary (hurling) double-header. Dublin and Tyrone got their football campaigns off to a great start last Sunday with wins over Cavan and Roscommon respectively.

This will be the first clash between Dublin and Tyrone since the 2015 League when they drew (1-9 to 0-12) in Croke Park. Dublin also won in 2014 (3-10 to 1-15). The sides clashed twice in 2013, with Tyrone winning the group game by 0-18 to 1-14 before Dublin turned the tables in the final (0-18 to 0-17).

Mayo, who have won only three of their last ten Allianz League games, head to Tralee to take on Kerry who were the Allianz League Division One’s top scorers (2-17) when beating Donegal last Sunday. Kerry beat Mayo, who lost to Monaghan last Saturday night, by 2-13 to 0-14 in last year’s Allianz League.

Roscommon and Donegal were both beaten in last weekend’s opening round games, making next Sunday’s clash very important. Roscommon beat Donegal by 1-19 to 0-17 last year.

The Monaghan v Cavan clash will be the first Allianz League meeting between the counties since 2013 when Cavan won by 1-10 to 0-5. That was in the Allianz Football League Division 3, which underlines the much-improved fortunes for both counties in the intervening period.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: KILDARE AND FERMANAGH SET EARLY PACE

Sunday: Clare v Down, Ennis, 2.0; Kildare v Cork, Newbridge 2.0; Fermanagh v Galway 2.0, Enniskillen; Meath v Derry, Pairc Tailteann, 3.0.

Kildare, ten-point winners over Meath, and Fermanagh, nine-point winners over Down, are the early movers after a first round where two games (Derry v Clare and Galway v Cork) finished level.

The big successes by Kildare and Fermanagh were made all the more noteworthy by being achieved ‘away’, which should ensure big crowds for both in their first home games of the campaign next Sunday. Clare will host Down, whose dismal run has seen them lose their last nine Allianz League games since beating Laois in the final round of Allianz Football League Division 2 action in 2015. They have also lost four championship games over the last two years, without winning any.

Kildare, who put 3-17 past Meath on Sunday, host Cork in St. Conleth’s Park in what will be the first Allianz League clash between the counties since the Leesiders won by 0-16 to 1-12 in 2014. However, the Lilywhites pulled off a spectacular championship success over the Rebels in 2015, winning a qualifier tie by eight points.

Meath, who enjoy home advantage for a second successive weekend, will be hoping for a much better performance than they gave against Kildare last Sunday when they play Derry. The sides drew (2-12 each) in last year’s Allianz League before Derry beat the Royals by three points in an All-Ireland qualifier.

Galway and Fermanagh drew (0-15 each) in last year’s Allianz League, where the Tribesmen finished third with seven points while Peter McGrath’s side were fourth on six points.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: EARLY PRESSURE ON LAOIS AND ARMAGH

 Sunday (2.0): Tipperary v Sligo, Semple Stadium, Thurles; Louth v Longford, Drogheda; Offaly v Antrim, O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 3.0; Armagh v Laois, Athletic Grounds, 3.30.

After serving up a good game Round 2 of last year’s Allianz League, neither Armagh nor Laois would have felt that the campaign would later take such a downward turn.

That was in the Allianz Football League Division 2 but both dropped out of the group in April after Laois finished bottom on three points, three behind Armagh who were relegated on scoring difference behind Fermanagh, Meath and Derry, who were also on six points.

The midlanders picked up only one more point en route to relegation and made a disastrous start to the Allianz League Division 3 campaign this year, losing to Louth by 12 points. Laois beat Armagh by a point (1-13 to 0-15) in last year’s Allianz League. Laois beat Armagh twice in last year’s All-Ireland qualifiers, first by three points and by one point in a re-fixture, which was ordered after Laois played too many subs in error in the opening game.

Armagh drew with Sligo last Sunday but were left disappointed after surrendering a six-point lead. Sligo now take on Tipperary, with whom they drew in last year’s Allianz League. Tipperary won by two points in 2015.

Louth and Longford meet in the Allianz League for the first time since 2013 when Louth won an Allianz Football League Division 2 game by eight points. Offaly and Antrim last met in the Allianz League in 2015, when Offaly won by six points in the Allianz Football League Division 4.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: LIMERICK AND WESTMEATH FACE MAJOR TEST

 Saturday: Waterford v Wicklow, Carriganore, Waterford IT, 7.0

Sunday: Carlow v London, Netwatch Cullen Park, 1.0; Limerick v Westmeath, Gaelic Grounds; Leitrim v Wexford, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Westmeath and Limerick, both of whom were relegated last season, had difficult starts in their bid for a quick return to the Allianz Football League Division 3 last weekend. Westmeath were held to a draw at home by Carlow while Limerick lost to Wexford.

It makes next Sunday’s Limerick-Westmeath game very important, especially for the home side as defeat would leave them well off the promotion pace after two rounds. Westmeath beat Limerick by 3-14 to 0-7 in the Allianz Football League Division 3 last year.

Leitrim, impressive winners over Wicklow last Sunday, host Wexford who beat them by a point last year. Wicklow beat Waterford by two points last year while Carlow were two-point winners over London in 2016

FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2017: RESULTS & FIXTURES

 DIVISION 1

Round 1: Dublin 0-18 Cavan 0-11; Kerry 2-17 Donegal 1-17; Tyrone 0-18 Roscommon 1-9; Monaghan 1-11 Mayo 0-12.

Round 2: Feb 11: Kerry v Mayo; Dublin v Tyrone; Feb 12: Roscommon v Donegal; Monaghan v Cavan.

Round 3: Feb 25: Mayo v Roscommon; Feb 26: Donegal v Dublin; Kerry v Monaghan; Tyrone v Cavan.

Round 4: Mar 4: Dublin v Mayo; Cavan v Donegal; Tyrone v Monaghan; Mar 5: Roscommon v Kerry

Round 5: Mar 18: Donegal v Tyrone; Kerry v Dublin; Mar 19: Mayo v Cavan; Monaghan v Roscommon.

Round 6: Mar 25: Dublin v Roscommon; Mar 26: Cavan v Kerry; Tyrone v Mayo; Donegal v Monaghan.

Round 7: Apr 2: Monaghan v Dublin; Mayo v Donegal; Kerry v Tyrone; Roscommon v Cavan.

Final: Apr 9: 1 v 2

DIVISION 2

Round 1: Derry 0-11 Clare 1-8; Galway 0-14 Cork 1-11; Kildare 3-17 Meath 0-16; Fermanagh 1-16 Down 0-10.

Round 2: Feb 12: Clare v Down; Kildare v Cork; Fermanagh v Galway; Meath v Derry.

Round 3: Feb 25: Down v Meath; Feb 26: Cork v Fermanagh; Derry v Kildare; Galway v Clare.

Round 4: Mar 5: Kildare v Fermanagh; Meath v Galway; Clare v Cork; Derry v Down.

Round 5: Mar 18: Down v Kildare; Mar 19: Fermanagh v Clare; Cork v Meath; Galway v Derry.

Round 6: Mar 26: Derry v Cork; Meath v Fermanagh; Down v Galway; Kildare v Clare.

Round 7: Apr 2: Galway v Kildare; Cork v Down; Clare v Meath; Fermanagh v Derry.

Final: Apr 9: 1 v 2

DIVISION 3

Round 1: Longford 1-12 Offaly 0-10; Sligo 1-14 Armagh 2-11; Tipperary 2-12 Antrim 0-13; Louth 2-16 Laois 0-10.

Round 2: Feb 12: Tipperary v Sligo; Louth v Longford; Offaly v Antrim; Armagh v Laois.

Round 3: Feb 25: Laois v Tipperary; Feb 26: Offaly v Louth; Longford v Armagh; Antrim v Sligo.

Round 4: Mar 5: Tipperary v Longford; Louth v Antrim; Armagh v Offaly; Sligo v Laois.

Round 5: Mar 19: Antrim v Laois; Louth v Armagh; Longford v Sligo; Offaly v Tipperary.

Round 6: Mar 25: Armagh v Antrim; Laois v Longford; Mar 26; Sligo v Offaly; Tipperary v Louth.

Apr 2: Antrim v Longford; Louth v Sligo; Armagh v Tipperary; Offaly v Laois.

Final: Apr 8: Final: 1 v 2

ROUND 4

Round 1: Waterford 2-16 London 1-8; Carlow 2-10 Westmeath 2-10; Leitrim 1-17 Wicklow 0-10; Wexford 0-14 Limerick 1-8.

Round 2: Feb 11: Waterford v Wicklow; Feb 12: Carlow v London; Limerick v Westmeath; Leitrim v Wexford.

Round 3: Feb 25: Carlow v Limerick; Feb 26: Wicklow v London; Westmeath v Leitrim; Wexford v Waterford.

Round 4: Mar 4: Limerick v London; Mar 5: Leitrim v Carlow; Waterford v Westmeath; Wicklow v Wexford.

Round 5: Mar 18: Carlow v Waterford; Mar 19: Wexford v London; Limerick v Leitrim; Westmeath v Wicklow.

Round 6: Mar 25: Waterford v Limerick; Mar 26: Leitrim v London; Wexford v Westmeath; Wicklow v Carlow.

Round 7: Apr 2: Westmeath v London; Leitrim v Waterford; Carlow v Wexford; Limerick v Wicklow.

Final: Apr 8