Gaelic Games

Division 3 round-up: Offaly and Derry remain unbeaten

Tipperary and Cavan also secure wins in second round of games

Tipperary’s Seán O’Connor punches the ball past Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson during the Allianz Football League Division 3 South game at Semple Stadium in Thurles. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho

Sun May 23 2021 - 02:10

Offaly and Derry are the only unbeaten sides left in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League after the weekend’s action, but while Derry can take their foot off the pedal for the final week of games, Offaly still have to see out their work against Tipperary to be sure of a promotion playoff.

The Faithful county created an array of goal chances in the first half of their clash with Limerick in Tullamore on Saturday, including a penalty, but failed to take any of them and were level at 0-5 each at half-time.

A scrappy goal from Hugh Bourke gave Limerick their first lead on 39 minutes, but Bernard Allen soon drew Offaly level with one of his five points, while substitutes Shane Horan, Cian Farrell and Niall McNamee all kicked two each as Offaly scraped over the line by 0-16 to 1-11.

Tipperary got their campaign off the mark with a 2-12 to 1-12 win over Wicklow, but they were pushed all the way at Semple Stadium and needed a first-half goal from Conor Sweeney to be level at the break.

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Dublin import Philip Ryan found the net in the second half and they pulled away to lead by six before an injury-time penalty from Seán Furlong halved the gap.

It's been close games all round in the south but not so in the northern section, where Derry added a 5-13 to 0-9 win over Fermanagh to their mauling of Longford a week previously.

Derry conceded the first two scores to Fermanagh at Owenbeg but a Conor Doherty major shifted the game's momentum. Gareth McKinless and Shane McGuigan (twice) rattled twine in the third quarter with Niall Toner adding the fifth late on.

Centre back Oisín Kiernan shot three points and Gearóid McKiernan goaled in the first half for Cavan when they struggled with inaccuracy against Longford at Kingspan Breffni, but they settled after the break and could afford to concede a penalty goal to Darren Gallagher and still win by six, 1-19 to 1-13.

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