Donegal and Armagh stay unbeaten in Division 2 as Cork leave Kildare on the brink
March 03, 2024
Caolan McGonagle of Donegal with Ciaran Keenan and Peter Lynch of Louth ©INPHO/Andrew Paton
Donegal and Armagh continue to set the pace in Division 2 of the Allianz FL after each picked up their fourth wins of the campaign this afternoon.
Jim McGuinness’s men recorded a 1-17 to 0-15 victory over Louth in Ballyshannon, where Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí’s goal in the closing quarter helped put the game to bed for the hosts.
Donegal had edged a 0-9 to 0-7 lead at the halfway stage, with Paddy McBrearty on form for them, but opposing marksman Sam Mulroy (0-8) kept Louth right in it up to the closing stages when the points of Oisin Gallen (2) and Michael Langan sealed it for the Ulster men.
In Enniskillen, Armagh were also made to fight for their win as they edged out Fermanagh by 0-15 to 0-11.
Rory Grugan and Peter Grane struck late first-half points that saw the visitors up by 0-8 to 0-6 come the break and they’d wide the margin out to five after the change of ends.
Points from Sean Cassidy (free) and Garvan Jones (mark) made it a three-point game with seven minutes left and, in that time, Stefan Campbell and Blaine Hughes (45) were able to raise the white flags that got Kieran McGeeney’s charges over the line.
#AllianzLeagues Football Division 2 Table after Round 5
— GAA League Tables (@GAALeagueTables) March 3, 2024
Fermanagh 0-11 v 0-15 Armagh
Cavan 0-11 v 0-11 Meath
Donegal 1-17 v 0-15 Louth
Cork 2-15 v 3-09 Kildare#GAA #Football #Armagh #Cavan #Cork #Donegal #Fermanagh #Kildare #Louth #Meath #GAALeagueTables pic.twitter.com/mXMS8a3V6v
In the day’s later game, Cork made it back-to-back wins by battling past relegation-threatened Kildare with a 2-15 to 3-9 victory at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Fighting for their first win of the campaign, the Lilywhites grabbed goals via Alex Beirne and Daniel Flynn in the opening 22 minutes and they were enough to lead at half-time (2-3 to 1-5).
Cork surged in front after the turnaround however, and Conor Corbett’s goal saw them into a seven-point lead before Kevin Feely’s penalty hit their net in the 53rd minute.
The hosts got motoring again though and, despite a late push from Glenn Ryan’s men that included points from Niall Kelly, Feely (2) and Flynn, it’d be Cork that held out for what could be a vital three-point win.
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