News in Sport Blog
National Football League Overview
Gaelic Football
Division 1
Galway needed a late 2 pointer from man of the match Shane McGrath to earn his side a point away to Kerry, an impressive finish for the Tribesmen who trailed by 12 points at one stage.
Dublin secured a much-needed victory over Monaghan at Croke Park, with both sides coming into the clash looking to lift themselves off the foot of Division 1. The Dubs will be hoping to build on this result to keep them safe from the relegation.
Donegal maintained their undefeated league campaign with an impressive display against Mayo, who had also been unbeaten as they travelled to Letterkenny.
Roscommon edged a high-scoring battle with Armagh in one of the most entertaining clashes of the round. Despite a late Armagh rally, the Rossies held on for a vital win in Division 1.
Kerry 2-17 Galway 3-14
Dublin 1-18 Monaghan 0-17
Donegal 1-19 Mayo 0-14
Roscommon 3-18 Armagh 0-24
Division 2
Meath edged a fiercely contested derby with Louth, holding their nerve in a tight finish to claim the points. The on-form Jack Flynn stepped up to nail a 2 pointer late in the game to secure the points.
Despite losing Conor Glass inside the first 10 minutes to a sending off, Derry battled back to claim an important win away vs Kildare to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Cork put on a exhibition to defeat Offaly in Tullamore, the Rebels now sit at the top of Division 2 with sights set on playing Division 1 football next season.
Tyrone recovered from defeat against Derry to put on a clinical display against Cavan in Omagh. Eoin McElholm and Darragh Canavan both hitting top form to give their side a comfortable 12-point win.
Meath 1-20 Louth 0-22
Derry 3-15 Kildare 1-18
Cork 3-15 Offaly 0-19
Tyrone 2-23 Cavan 1-14
Division 3
Down claimed a 3-point win over Westmeath in a game that looked to be over early in the second half. The Leinster side rallied back and almost bridged the gap but a late point from Celium Doherty sealed the win.
Laois turned in a controlled performance against Sligo in Portlaoise, picking up their first win of the season. Evan O’Carroll and Rioghan Murphy combined to land 0-12, guiding their side towards a 7-point win.
Clare turned out a gutsy performance to take the points against Fermanagh in Enniskillen. Both sides were desperate for a win, the result now leaves both teams still in danger of relegation but inspires the Banner to follow up this result.
Limerick got a huge win over Wexford at home to give them their first win of the season. Having narrowly missed out against Down, Limerick proved they mean business by handing Wexford their first loss of the year.
Down 2-15 Westmeath 1-15
Laois 0-18 Sligo 1-08
Clare 2-18 Fermanagh 0-18
Limerick 1-15 Wexford 1-14
Division 4
Wicklow had to grind out a win over Waterford in Fraher field to bounce back from their last defeat. Joe Prendergast popped up in stoppage time with 2 big scores to seal the victory.
Leitrim edged a dramatic encounter with London in one of the most thrilling games of the round. Despite leading by 10 points at half time, Leitrim made use of their opportunities in the second half, mainly through 6 two pointers from substitute Barry McNulty who finished with an incredible 0-12.
Longford delivered a powerful attacking performance against Antrim, racking up an impressive tally to pull clear. The Saffrons are yet to get a win in Division 4, from the Division 3 side last year they will be looking to turn their fortunes.
Carlow claimed a decisive away win against Tipperary to maintain their charge at the top of Division 4. Colm Hulton made the away side tick, scoring 0-5 from play.
Wicklow 0-14 Waterford 0-09
Leitrim 2-19 London 1-20
Longford 1-27 Antrim 1-14
Carlow 1-17 Tipperary 1-14
Irish Soccer
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland served up plenty of early drama as the new campaign gathered momentum across the latest round of fixtures. Bohemians were the standout performers of the weekend, producing a ruthless attacking display to sweep aside Sligo Rovers in emphatic fashion, a hattrick from Colm Whelan sealed an impressive team performance away to Sligo.
Derry City and Dundalk played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in a contest that swung back and forth throughout. The Candystripes looked in trouble, until a 97th minute penalty from captain Michael Duffy snatched a point at the Brandywell.
Elsewhere, St Pat’s Athletic’s clash with Galway United and Shelbourne’s meeting with Shamrock Rovers were postponed due to both pitches being unplayable.
Bohemians 4-0 Sligo Rovers
Derry City 2-2 Dundalk
Six Nations Rugby
Ireland got their Six Nations campaign back on track with a 20-13 win over Italy at the Aviva Stadium. Despite scoring three tries through Jamie Osborne, Jack Conan and man-of-the-match Robert Baloucoune, Andy Farrell’s much-changed side struggled to find any rhythm and even trailed 10-5 at the break. They fought back well in the second half to claim victory but will be looking for an improving performance against England next weekend.