Senior footballers hoping to stay on unbeaten run

Wed, 19th February 2020

Big Allianz football and hurling action returns to Croke Park for a mouth-watering double-header tonight when Dublin’s footballers and hurlers take on Donegal (7.0) and Wexford (5.0) respectively.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1: ALL TO PLAY FOR WITH ONE POINT SEPARATING SEVEN COUNTIES

With only one point separating seven of the eight counties after three rounds, Division 1 looks set to be competitive to the very end.

Dublin (4 pts) are the only unbeaten team as they prepare to take on Donegal (3 pts) in Croke Park. It will be the first meeting between the two counties since 2018 when Dublin won twice, 0-20 to 0-15 in Allianz League Division 1 and by 2-15 to 0-15 in the Super 8’s.

Donegal’s last win over Dublin was in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final (3-14 to 0-17). Since then they have met seven times in League and Championship, with a draw the sole source of comfort for the Ulster side among Dublin’s six wins.

Galway and Tyrone (both on 4pts) meet in Tuam Stadium, having had one win each in their head-to-head over the last two League seasons. Tyrone won by 3-15 to 1-14 in Omagh last year, while Galway won by 1-9 to 0-8 in Tuam Stadium in 2018.

Kerry (3pts) and Meath (0 pts) meet in the Allianz League for the first time since 2002 when the Kingdom won by three points. Kerry beat Meath by 2-18 to 1-13 in last year’s ‘Super 8s’.

Mayo and Monaghan (both on 3pts) meet in the League for the sixth successive year with Mayo having won in 2015-16-18-19 while Monaghan’s last success came in 2017.

Feb 22: Dublin v Donegal, 7.0; Feb 23: Sunday: Kerry v Meath, Fitzgerald Stadium 1.0; Galway v Tyrone, Tuam Stadium, 2.0; Monaghan v Mayo, Clones, 2.0.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: TWO POINTS SEPARATING ALL EIGHT TEAMS IN HIGHLY COMPETITIVE DIVISION

Laois lost their unbeaten status against Cavan last weekend, which means that no county is unbeaten after three rounds. It shows how competitive the group is, with Armagh, Cavan, Westmeath all on four points, Laois and Roscommon on three points and Kildare, Fermanagh and Clare all on two points.

Armagh (+13), who are top on scoring difference, travel to Mullingar looking to put distance between themselves and Westmeath (-1), who are also going well. The counties last clashed in the League in 2018 (Division 3) when the Ulster men won by 2-17 to 1-11.

The last Allianz League clash between Cavan and Fermanagh was in 2016 when the Breffni men won a Division 2 tie by 1-12 to 0-9. Kildare and Roscommon meet in the League for the first time since 2015 when Roscommon won a Division 2 tie by six points.

Feb 22: Fermanagh v Cavan, Enniskillen, 7.0; Feb 23: Clare v Laois, Ennis, 2.0; Westmeath v Armagh, TEG Cusack Park, 2.0; Kildare v Roscommon, Newbridge, 2.30

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3: CORK & LONGFORD SHOWING THE WAY

Cork (6pts) and Longford (5pts) are the early pace setters after three rounds, followed by Derry, Down, Offaly and Tipperary, all of whom are on three points. Leitrim have one point, leaving Louth as the only county yet to secure a point so far.

Cork will bid for a fourth successive win on Saturday night when they take on Tipperary in Semple Stadium. Last year the sides met in Division 2, where Cork beat Tipperary by three points prior to both being relegated.

Down beat Longford by 3-7 to 0-8 in last year’s Allianz League and will be hoping to boost their promotion chances with another win against the Leinster men. Leitrim and Offaly last met in the League in 2015, drawing 1-16 to 2-13 in Division 4. Derry and Louth last met in the League in 2013 when Derry won a Division 2 contest.

Feb 22: Down v Longford, Newry, 7.0; Tipperary v Cork, Semple Stadium, 7.0. Feb 23: Derry v Louth, Owenbeg, 2.0; Leitrim v Offaly, Carrick-on-Shannon, 2.0.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: TOP TWO CLASH

Limerick (6pts) will be bidding for a fourth successive win when they host Wicklow (4pts) who are ahead of Sligo, Antrim and Wexford on scoring difference, with Carlow back on two points. London and Waterford have yet to pick up a point.

Wicklow beat Limerick by 2-8 to 1-6 in last year’s League, while London beat Wexford by eight points. This will be the first League clash between Sligo and Waterford for 11 years.

Carlow and Antrim didn’t meet in last year’s Allianz League but Turlough O’Brien’s men beat the northerners by a point in 2018, a success that was crucial in their successful promotion drive to Division 3.

Feb 22: Sligo v Waterford, Markievicz Park, 2.0; Feb 23: Wexford v London, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 12.0; Limerick v Wicklow, Rathkeale, 2.0; Antrim v Carlow, Glenavy, 2.30.

2020 ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE: RESULTS & FIXTURES

DIVISION 1

Round 1: Dublin 1-19 Kerry 1-19; Donegal 0-19 Mayo 2-13; Galway 1-14 Monaghan 0-16; Tyrone 1-14 Meath 1-9.
Round 2: Dublin 1-11 Mayo 0-8; Kerry 1-15 Galway 2-11 Monaghan 1-12 Tyrone 0-11; Donegal 3-8 Meath 0-7.
Round 3: Dublin 1-15 Monaghan 1-15; Mayo 1-9 Meath 2-5; Galway 2-8 Donegal 2-7; Tyrone 0-14 Kerry 0-13.
Round 4: Feb 22: Dublin v Donegal; Feb 23: Kerry v Meath; Galway v Tyrone; Monaghan v Mayo.
Round 5: Feb 29: Mayo v Kerry; Tyrone v Dublin; Mar 1: Meath v Galway; Donegal v Monaghan.
Round 6: Mar 14: Donegal v Tyrone; Mar 15: Galway v Mayo; Dublin v Meath; Monaghan v Kerry.
Round 7: Mar 22: Kerry v Donegal; Galway v Dublin; Mayo v Tyrone; Monaghan v Meath.
Final: Mar 29: 1^st v 2^nd

DIVISION 2
Round 1: Armagh 2-18 Cavan 1-8; Westmeath 2-9 Clare 1-11; Roscommon 2-14 Laois 2-14; Kildare 2-12 Fermanagh 0-14.
Round 2: Cavan 1-17 Westmeath 1-13; Laois 0-16 Armagh 0-10; Clare 0-11 Kildare 0-10; Fermanagh 0-13 Roscommon 0-12.
Round 3: Armagh 0-16 Kildare 0-10; Roscommon 1-8 Clare 0-4; Westmeath 0-10 Fermanagh 0-8; Cavan 3-10 Laois 1-6.
Round 4: Feb 22: Fermanagh v Cavan; Feb 23: Clare v Laois; Westmeath v Armagh; Kildare v Roscommon.
Round 5: Feb 29: Laois v Kildare; Mar 1: Fermanagh v Armagh; Roscommon v Westmeath; Cavan v Clare.
Round 6: Mar 14: Armagh v Roscommon; Mar 15: Clare v Fermanagh; Westmeath v Laois; Kildare v Cavan.
Round 7: Mar 22: Cavan v Roscommon; Clare v Armagh; Kildare v Westmeath; Fermanagh v Laois.

Final: Mar 29: 1^stv 2^nd

DIVISION 3
Round 1: Cork 0-20 Offaly 0-13; Derry 2-11 Leitrim 1-14; Tipperary 0-10 Down 0-10; Longford 0-16 Louth 1-10.
Round 2: Down 0-14 Derry 0-12: Tipperary 0-11 Louth 1-7; Cork 1-15 Leitrim 0-9; Offaly 0-10 Longford 0-10.
Round 3: Derry 0-10 Tipperary 0-6; Longford 2-14 Leitrim 1-9; Offaly 2-13 Louth 1-10; Cork 0-16 Down 1-8.
Round 4: Feb 22: Down v Longford; Tipperary v Cork; Feb 23: Derry v Louth; Leitrim v Offaly.
Round 5: Mar 1: Louth v Leitrim; Cork v Derry; Longford v Tipperary; Offaly v Down.
Round 6: Mar 15: Down v Leitrim; Cork v Louth; Derry v Longford; Tipperary v Offaly.
Round 7: Mar 22: Longford v Cork; Louth v Down; Leitrim v Tipperary; Offaly v Derry.

Final: Mar 28: 1^st v 2^nd

DIVISION 4
Round 1: Carlow 0-11 Wicklow 0-9; Limerick 1-10 Waterford 0-10; Antrim 3-10 Wexford 0-13; Sligo 5-9 London 0-11.
Round 2: Wexford 2-10 Carlow 1-6; Limerick 0-8 London 0-7; Wicklow 2-11 Waterford 1-6; Sligo 0-15 Antrim 0-14.
Round 3: Wexford 2-3 Waterford 0-8; Limerick 1-7 Carlow 0-9; Wicklow 1-15 Sligo 1-10; Antrim 0-14 London 0-10.
Round 4: Feb 22: Sligo v Waterford; Feb 23: Wexford v London; Limerick v Wicklow; Antrim v Carlow.
Round 5: Feb 29: London v Wicklow; Wexford v Sligo; Waterford v Carlow; Mar 1: Antrim v Limerick.
Round 6: Mar 14: Waterford v London; Carlow v Sligo; Mar 15: Wicklow v Antrim; Limerick v Wexford.
Round 7: Mar 22: Antrim v Waterford; Wexford v Wicklow; London v Carlow; Sligo v Limerick.