February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The visitors will be able to comfort themselves as new manager Paul Caffrey settles into the job that the elements were the principal factor in a game that will have no bearing on the more meaningful clashes of high summer. Quite simply, Tyrone adapted better to the conditions, using their short-passing tactics cleverly and they also scored the contest’s only goal, through Eoin Mulligan.
Dublin’s defense won’t have been too enamored of the way that Mulligan was allowed to run the guts of 40 meters relatively unhindered before slotting a low shot past Stephen Cluxton just before the half, and as the wind failed to abate, the score turned out to be crucial.
“I thought we coped quite well,” said Caffrey, “but their goal put a huge question mark over our second-half challenge.”
Mulligan’s determination had made it 1-7 to 0-2 at the changeover, and even though Dublin had the advantage of the gale, and even though Ciaran Whelan and Tomas Quinn soon cut into the deficit, Tryone always had the upper hand.
With the energetic Brian Dooher influential for the winners, Dublin’s slim chance evaporated when Whelan was yellow-carded for a reckless challenge 10 minutes from the end.
WESTMEATH 1-9, CORK 2-6
The blustery weather also threatened to blow Paidi O Se’s Westmeath off course at Mullingar, but they held on for a draw with Cork to register a first point of the campaign.
It wasn’t looking too promising for Westmeath, trailing by 2-6 to 0-8 with just four minutes remaining, but when Dessie Dolan’s lobbed shot dropped short of the target, Martin Flanagan rose above the Cork defenders to fist a goal, and then Dolan leveled matters with a free from 20 meters.
“A draw was probably a fair result in the end, Cork manager Billy Morgan said.
O Se was less sanguine, explaining that his team had “got out of jail.”
The visitors had goals from John Hayes and Brendan Jer O’Sullivan, while Denis Glennon and Joe Fallon both scored three points for Westmeath.
MAYO 2-10, DONEGAL 1-11
Mayo were pushed all the way by Donegal at Ballina before they came up with a first win of the competition. The game was tied with six minutes to go before Alan Dillon secured the victory with a couple of late frees.
With Ciaran McDonald and Conor Mortimer combining cleverly to give Mayo a real cutting edge, it was no great surprise when they moved in front with goals from Mortimer himself and then Dillon midway through the second half. That appeared to be the death knell for Donegal, but the Ulster county was far from finished.
A superb Christy Toye goal, and points from Ryan Bradley, Brian Roper and Rory Kavanagh tied it, but Donegal failed to keep their challenge going until the final whistle.
KERRY 2-13, OFFALY 0-16
If the GAA had thought the yellow-card controversy might disappear for a weekend, they were wrong as Kerry manager Jack O’Connor was in a state of high dudgeon as his charges saw off Offaly under the lights at Tralee last Saturday night.
First, Tomas O Se was dismissed for an innocuous offense just before the break, and later Paul Galvin was also shown yellow.
“These new rules are bewildering because Paul came off the field and he had no idea what he was sent off for,” O’Connor said.
To add to the confusion, the Tralee scoreboard credited Offaly with a point less than they had totaled, which did little to please the losers, whose chief marksman was Colm Quinn with six points. Eoin Brosnan and Colm Cooper had Kerry’s goals, while Ronan O’Connor kicked four points.
WEXFORD 1-13, KILDARE 1-9
In Div. 1B, the fact that Down have maximum points from two games might not raise too many eyebrows, but Wexford’s achievement in joining the Ulster county at the top of the table is surely a surprise. Not content with an earlier win over Armagh, Wexford eased past Kildare at Newbridge last Sunday.
As ever, the prolific Mattie Forde was at the heart of the winners’ performance with seven points, including four from frees, while John Hudson goaled from a penalty. John Doyle’s impressive total of 1-6 had kept Kildare in the hunt, but the turning point came during the second half when Wexford goalkeeper John Cooper saved Ronan Sweeney’s penalty attempt.
DOWN 1-8, LIMERICK 0-7
Down made it two victories out of two when they didn’t even have to be at their best to get the better of Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. On their first visit to the venue since 1965, Down secured the points when Shane Ward drove home the only goal of a disappointing game a quarter of an hour to go.
An understrength Limerick hardly raised a gallop during an error-strewn hour.
“That was the worst performance we’ve given in a long time,” manager Liam Kearns said.
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ARMAGH 1-11, GALWAY 0-4
Galway managed an insipid display, capitulating far too easily to Armagh at Crossmaglen. A pathetic return of two points in each half had manager Peter Ford scratching his head after such a promising opening game against Kildare.
“It’s hard to say why we were so bad,” he said. “In six or seven league games, you can have days like that.”
Following their surprise loss to Wexford, Armagh were much more like their old selves once Brian Mallon struck for a goal after 19 minutes. Kieran McGeeney was impressive, while Steven McDonnell was responsible for four points in an incisive performance.
LAOIS 1-15, DOWN 0-11
Laois joined Wexford and Down at the top with two wins when they defeated Sligo at Markievicz Park. Stephen Kelly, Ross Munnelly and Chris Conway each scored three points for the winners while Padraig McMahon struck for a late goal.
DIV. 2A
In Div. 2A, Monaghan moved into top spot following their 0-8 to 2-2 draw with Clare at Cusack Park, and Fermanagh kept up their challenge with a 0-9 to 0-7 win over Leitrim at Brewster Park. Carlow claimed their first point after a 1-9 to 0-12 draw with Roscommon at Dr. Cullen Park, while Longford crushed London by 3-9 to 0-5 at Ruislip.
DIV. 2B
Cavan are the only side in Div. 2B with maximum points on the back of a comfortable 1-12 to 1-5 success over Wicklow at Breffni Park, but Derry are also unbeaten after their 1-7 to 0-4 win against Louth at Drogheda. Meath’s 1-10 to 0-9 victory over Antrim at Navan leaves them level with Derry on three points, but Tipperary have yet to get off the mark following their 0-6 to 0-4 defeat by Waterford at Dungarvan.
HURLING
Athenry of Galway booked their place in the All-Ireland club championship semifinal with a 3-12 to 1-11 over Tipperary’s Toomevara in Ennis last weekend. Eugene Cloonan was in fine form with 2-5, while veteran Joe Rabbitte contributed a cool head as well as two points to the proceedings.
Athenry will meet James Stephens in the St. Patrick’s Day decider after the Kilkenny champions defeated O’Donovan Rossa of Antrim by 0-17 to 1-6 in the other semifinal at Parnell Park. Playing into a gale, O’Donovan Rossa were a beaten side when they turned over 0-14 to no score behind.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny annexed the Walsh Cup for the first time since 1992 when they beat Wexford by 1-13 to 0-10 in last weekend’s final at Wexford Park.